Saw this post in another list.
Does anyone on this list know this person (Tai Purcell). S/He says she will
be in PrepCom3, so will be good to link up to strengthen the Pacific
connections of the Asia Pacific family...?
----- Original Message -----
From: Tai Purcell <mufasa1@paradise.net.nz>
To: Information Society: Voices from the South <is@dgroups.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2003 4:15 AM
Subject: [is] Re: INVITATION TO WAFUNIF SYMPOSIUM AT WSIS, 9-10 DECEMBER
2003, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (fwd)
> Current topic: Issue of Access and Barriers:
> Dear Sir/Madam, I am honoured to be invited to this symposium as a
delegate
> from Samoa, a small island developing country, in the category of Least
> Developing countries. I am currently the Secretary of the Samoan ICT
> Committee, an initative of the Samoan government to help move Samoa
towards
> the Information Society. While we do have cyber cafes (6 in total) they
are
> concentrated in the town of Apia while over 73% of our population live in
> rural villages in scattered islands.
>
> The small islands states of the Pacific are lagging behind the rest of the
> world in terms of ICT4D. While there are many organisations funding ICT4D
> for developing countries, the focus has been on "highly populated"
> developing countries ignoring the small island developing states of the
> Pacific. For example, in Samoa, we do not have any telecentres and the
same
> goes with other small island developing countries of the Pacific. The only
> exception is the Solomon Islands with their PFNET. However, PFNet provide
> email service only.
>
> Samoa is currently looking for funding to funding a pilot project for a
> community multipurpose information centre, so we can develop a model which
> can be replicated nationwide and to other Pacific small countries.
>
> My participation will be helping in highlighting the current situation of
> ICT4D in my country and those of the small island developing states of the
> Pacific.
> I will be able to contribute to this symposium using my ICT skills and
> knowledge in the Pacific.
>
> Recently, I was a member of the Drafting Committee for the Declaration for
> WSIS at the "Gender and ICT" forum in Kuala Lumpur.
> Before that, I was involved in finalising the Tokyo Declaration in which I
> fought to include a small paragraph highlighting the characteristics
unique
> to small countries. This will be my message.
> I am attending the WSIS PrepCOM3 in Geneva and hope to meet with some of
you
> there.
> The only barrier that will hinder my participation to this symposium is
> funding. I will be grateful for any financial support that you will be
able
> to offer
> to make my participation possible.
> Thanks
>
> ----- 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 6:38 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
> >
> >
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ----
>
>
> > Current topic: Issue of Access and Barriers:
> >
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ----
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