----- Original Message -----
From: Liliane Ursache <liliane.ursache@fdd.org>
To: <bureau@wsis2005.org>
Cc: <bureau@wsis-cs.org>
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2004 11:25 PM
Subject: Re: Information note to the CSB
> Dear Sean,
>
> Yes, we are indeed expressing our position as "Fondation du Devenir",
> acting until today as "Civil Society Division of the WSIS Executive
> Secretariat".
>
> As far as the Civil Society Bureau is concerned, you are right to point
> out that it is adifferent matter. We may come back on this issue when
> appropriate, particularly when the Cardoso Report will be available end
> of June.
>
> best,
>
> Alain
>
>
>
> Sean O Siochru a ñÄrit:
>
> > Tracey
> >
> > I think you may have misinterpreted the note from Alain Clerc (just
> > sent from Lilliane e-mail address).
> >
> > Alain - please correct me if I am wrong: But your note was presenting
> > the position of the Fondation du Devenir (and previously the Civil
> > Society Division) when you used the word 'we' , and indicating that
> > you have decided not to continue in support activities for the CS
> > bureau and to focus instead on the Local Government inputs. This is
> > the result presumably, of your ongoing contacts with the Tunis WSIS
> > organisers and your disappointment with their response.
> >
> > If this is the correct interpretation of Alain's note, and presumably
> > it represents the others in his team there, then he is entitled to
> > make his position clear and we can only respect his decision.
> >
> > The position of civil society, including the issue of the Bureau, is
> > another matter, and will anyhow come up for consideration at Civil
> > Society Meetings at the first PrepCom anyhow.
> >
> > Best
> >
> > Sean
> >
> > At 10:42 14/05/2004 +0200, you wrote:
> >
> >> HELLO ALL
> >>
> >> I thank Lillian for her recent note on the WSIS Civil Society
> >> Secretariat's
> >> position on the Tunis Phase of the Summit.
> >>
> >> I am extremely concerned that this position has been put without any
> >> prior
> >> consultations or information provided on the negotiations that were
> >> apparently underway in the last months. Is this position up for
> >> debate? Of
> >> course it is!! We are civil society aren't' t we?
> >>
> >> The African Civil Society grouping recently met in Tunis and conducted
> >> discussions with a number of people in the WSIS Tunis Secretariat,
civil
> >> society organisations, The Secretary of State for Telecommunications
and
> >> Information, the Executive Secretary of the Tunis WSIS Secretariat and
> >> members of the state press.
> >>
> >> Independently I also met with the Manager of the independent radio
> >> station
> >> in Tunis, the assistant At tourney General, a human rights lawyer and
> >> the
> >> Secretary General of the Tunis WSIS Secretariat. I also went into the
> >> countryside and attended a voter education meeting attended by very
> >> rural
> >> folk. I did this in an attempt to develop a broader view of the
Tunisian
> >> perspective on the Second Phase of the Summit and to test the
> >> official line
> >> against Tunisian reality, as much as one can in a seven day visit as a
> >> foreigner.
> >>
> >> What I can say now is that Tunisia is considered by other Arab States
> >> to be
> >> relatively liberal, that the commitment to civil society in Tunisia is
> >> strong and obvious, though defined in a different way to a northern NGO
> >> approach, and that the commitment to WSIS Phase 2 as a
multi-stakeholder
> >> process (as per Millenniums Development Goals) was also clearly and
> >> consistently stated.
> >>
> >> I would also say that in creating the Civil Society Fund, I don't
> >> believe
> >> the Tunisians were necessarily anticipating having to fill the coffer
> >> themselves. Tunisia isn't a wealthy country and it practices a
> >> solidarity
> >> approach internally, and perhaps expected the same in relation to
> >> this fund,
> >> from other nations.
> >>
> >> As with any negotiation, there are always two sides to the story and
> >> I have
> >> put out a call to the Tunisian / African Colleagues, on behalf of the
> >> African Civil Society group of which I am a participant, to provide the
> >> African CS Caucus with their views on the proposal for civil society to
> >> participate in a conference in Europe at the end of 2005. I believe the
> >> appropriate first response to the news of focusing civil society
> >> input on
> >> another conference process, is to seek other views.
> >>
> >> This should at least be a discussion. From the African perspective we
> >> have
> >> long felt an Afro-pessimism in relation Phase 2 and a divide between
the
> >> topics of concern to developed and less developed contexts. Patience
> >> is an
> >> African virtue and we hoped that in holding the next Summit on
> >> African soil,
> >> that a more practical and grounded outcome would be possible.
> >> Certainly this
> >> was confirmed by the input at our recent Tunis meeting, by the
> >> Tunisian WSIS
> >> people.
> >>
> >> I am most concerned that the tone of the position of the Geneva
> >> secretariat
> >> is so vastly different from the tone of the Tunisian secretariat.
> >>
> >> I hope that other viewpoints will be forthcoming to enable us all to
> >> make a
> >> considered decision on this matter.
> >>
> >> Regards
> >>
> >> Tracey Naughton
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Nyaka - Communication & Development
> >> Tracey Naughton
> >> Consultant
> >> 201 Somerset Hall
> >> 239 Oxford Road
> >> Illovo 2196
> >> South Africa
> >>
> >> Phone/fax: +27 (0) 11 880 5030
> >> cell: +27 (0) 82 821 1771
> >> Email: t.naughton@iafrica.com
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >
> >
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