----- Original Message -----
From: Hope White-Davis <h.white-davis@wafunif.org>
To: Information Society: Voices from the South <is@dgroups.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2003 2:38 AM
Subject: [is] INVITATION TO WAFUNIF SYMPOSIUM AT WSIS, 9-10 DECEMBER 2003,
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (fwd)
> YOU ARE INVITED TO THE SYMPOSIUM:
> HOW TO UPGRADE THE COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY
> OF LIFE OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
>
> 9-10 December 2003
> Palexpo Exhibition Center in Geneva, Switzerland
>
> August 2003
>
> Dear Colleague:
>
> The World Association of Former United Nations Internes and Fellows
> (WAFUNIF) would be deeply honoured if you and/or one of your colleagues
were
> to accept this invitation to attend and participate in its Symposium on
the
> theme, "How to Upgrade the Communication Infrastructure and Improve the
> Quality of Life in Developing Countries". It will be held from 9 to 10
> December 2003, as an approved Summit Event to the World Summit on the
> Information Society (WSIS) being organized by the International
> Telecommunication Union (ITU) and hosted by the Government of Switzerland,
> from 10 to 12 December 2003, in Geneva, Switzerland. The Symposium will
be
> chaired by WAFUNIF's esteemed member, Mr. George Hara, Managing Partner of
> DEFTA Partners and Chairman of The Alliance Forum of Japan, who is a
> cutting-edge leader in the development, use and financing of the pervasive
> ubiquitous communication (PUC) technology.
>
> The Symposium will be held at the Palexpo Exhibition Center in Geneva, the
> same venue as the WSIS. Several UN bodies and the Alliance Forum are
> cooperating in its convening. Attached is the provisional programme and
> details about the agenda, participation, and pre-registration form. More
> information about the WSIS and related Summit Events, including practical
> information (such as accommodation, transportation, passport and visa
etc.)
> may be obtained at the following websites:
> www.itu.int/wsis
> www.wsisgeneva2003.org/events_main_dates.html
> www.wsisgeneva2003.org/info_main.html.
>
> Please check these sites regularly for updates.
>
> We are confident that your participation would greatly enrich and add
value
> to the Symposium's deliberations and outcomes.
>
> The Symposium is designed to address the feasibility of creating effective
> policies and multi-stakeholder partnerships to enable all countries,
> especially developing countries and economies in transition to benefit
from
> the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution. Emphasis
> will be given to examining the emerging paradigm shift from the personal
> computer to the pervasive ubiquitous communication platform based on
> embedded software and hardware and fundamental broadband IT technologies.
> Panelists will address: mechanisms for engaging in such a shift and for
> upgrading the communication infrastructure of developing countries for a
> fraction of the tradition cost through exchange of experience from real
> experience in a number of Asian countries. The format will be an opening
> plenary with panel presentations followed by open discussions, three
working
> sessions, and a closing session.
>
> The Symposium welcomes the participation of delegations to the WSIS,
> representatives of the UN system, civil society, the business sector,
other
> specialized groups, particularly those specializing in the
> telecommunications infrastructure and innovation industries. Among the
> critical areas identified by PrepCom2 of the WSIS in the Draft Action Plan
> (WSIS/PC-2/12(Rev.1)-E, of 28 February 2003, paragraphs 4 and 5 on page
20,
> and paragraph 10, on page 21, and most germane in informing the
Symposium's
> rationale.
>
> Security requires the pre-registration of Symposium participants. If you
> are planning to attend or to send a Representative, kindly complete the
> enclosed WAFUNIF Pre-registration Form and return it to WAFUNIF
Headquarters
> before 15 October 2003 by fax: +1-212-963-4609, Email:
wafunif@wafunif.org,
> attention Professor Juan Ramon Avila. A confirmation letter and additional
> information will be sent to you subsequently.
>
> We are looking forward to greeting you in Geneva.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> Dr. Hope P. White-Davis
> President, WAFUNIF
> The World Association of Former United Nations Internes and Fellows
> United Nations, Room FF-646
> 304 East 45th Street, 6th floor
> New York, NY 10017, USA
> Tel: +212-963-3110; Fax: +212-963-4609
> Email: wafunif@wafunif.org
> Website: www.wafunif.org
>
> Enclosures
>
>
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839_3.doc