Re: [hr-wsis] Re: draft letter to de Mello

[Amali De Silva <amali@amalidesilva.com>]

In my opinion - keep the letter relatively general and perhaps call and follow up with all the details, implications of attending etc etc. We want to make sure that he attends and does so because there are so many persons or organizations wanting him to participate. We have no control over him sending a deputy - his diary may be full and the sooner we get the letter off the better.

 

The original letter was neutral and complete. I would prefer to spend time trying to increase awareness of the existence of this letter amongst ngos ( which I am doing) and getting them to sign on. The more neutral the letter the more people who will sign on.

 

Amali De Silva-Mitchell

Bill McIver <mciver@albany.edu> wrote:

> Meryem,
>
> Can you give clarfication?
>
> Can we take more time on this letter?
>
> Did you see this being on the same 31 May
> time line as the contributions?
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> WJM
>
> karen banks wrote:
>
> > hi meryem
> >
> > I would simply then, remove the first sentance? We use the following 
> > language, but in the context of redressing power relatons.. so it 
> > might not be what you're looking for..
> >
> > ICTs can be used to either exacerbate or transform unequal power 
> > relations. Part of this recognition includes an awareness of the 
> > limits of ICTs - that in and of themselves, ICTs cannot create gender 
> > equality, or end poverty, but that they can be tools for social action 
> > and positive social change.
> >
> > you can then follow on with the sentance beginning ' and disturbing 
> &!
> gt; capacities..'
> >
> > i do apologise however for jumping in late with all these comments.. 
> > but i would suggest removing that first sentance (easiest option) as 
> > you may find others interpret it as i did (which i understand isn't 
> > the intentional meaning..)
> >
> > karen
> >
> >>>>> Like all scientific innovations, information communications 
> >>>>> technologies in themselves are value-neutral. Civil society 
> >>>>> organizations view ICTs as having both tremendous applications 
> >>>>> that enhance human rights, such as through the rapid dissemination 
> >>>>> of action alerts and instant access to human rights information, 
> >>>>> and disturbing capacities to greatly diminish human rights, such 
> >>>>> as through enhanced surveillance and monitoring functions of 
> >>>>> governments facilitated b!
> y ICTs.
> >>>>
> >
> >
> >> I do !
> agree with you Karen, but in this paragraph specifically, I 
> >> understand the "value-neutral" as meaning that technologies could be 
> >> used for the best and the worse, which, one must recognize, is the 
> >> least we can say :-)
> >> So I think it's not really harmful. However, just in case, the letter 
> >> can be edited and a less ambiguous wording may be preferable.
> >> Could you propose something ?
> >
> >
> >
> > -- 
> > Putting the "Human Rights in the Information Society" issue on the 
> > WSIS Agenda
> > Working list of NGOs
> > To post a message to the list, send an email to: hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org
> > To subscribe/unsubscribe, send an email to: Meryem.Marzouki@iris.sgdg.org
> >
>
> -- 
>
> Bill McIver
> Assistant Professor
> School of Information Science and Policy
> University at Albany, State University of New York
> Albany, New York 12222
> USA
>
> e-mail: mcive!
> r@albany.edu
> URL: http://www.albany.edu/~mciver
>
>
> --
> Putting the "Human Rights in the Information Society" issue on the WSIS Agenda
> Working list of NGOs
> To post a message to the list, send an email to: hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org
> To subscribe/unsubscribe, send an email to: Meryem.Marzouki@iris.sgdg.org

Amali De Silva AAT(CMABC), BSc(Hons) Econ, PgDip Acc/Fin, MSc Int. Acc/Fin

Tel: 604-736-9012 & Email: amali@amalidesilva.com