Tai was in Tokyo, January. Spoke about Pacific issues on the civil
society panel.
She's written some good stuff (development and gender.) Yes, would
be a great asset.
Adam
>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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>>
>>
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