RE: [hr-wsis] Re: [WSIS-CT] Next steps for Content and Themes

["Eric Muragana" <mediatec@sangonet.org.za>]

Meryem, Steve, Sally and all,

I am Eric Muragana, SANGONeT Communications Coordinator.

As one of very few CSOs in Southern Africa dedicated to providing ICT
services to the local CSO sector, SANGONeT is organising various one-day
SANGONeT ICT Discussion Forums during 2003, called Thetha, which will focus
specifically on the role and relevance of ICTs to CSOs.

We just launch Thetha - The SANGONeT ICTs Discussion Forum series this year.
Thetha is a Nguni verb meaning let’s talk, discuss, debate, share
opinion/ideas and engage each other.

The objectives of the Thetha - The SANGONeT ICTs Discussion Forum series are
the following:

·	To highlight and promote the practical benefits and opportunities provided
by ICTs to Southern African CSOs ;
·	To provide Southern African CSOs with an opportunity to reflect on the
impact of ICTs on their work and to share lessons and experiences of common
concern.

In addition we have workshoped two Thethas in Gauteng, South Africa. The
first Thetha focus on “ICTs for Development in South Africa - Challenges and
Opportunities”.

The second Thetha focus on "Cyberlaw and Internet Rights" The objective of
this Thetha was to introduce participants to the various legal/legislative
and rights issues related to the use of the Internet and ICTs in South
Africa.

The third Thetha focus on WSIS Thetha. Its objectives was to provide:

·	The objectives of this Thetha was to provide South African CSOs with an
opportunity to develop an understanding and reflect on the focus and
objectives of the WSIS and related processes, and to discuss the position of
the South African government and civil society in this regard.

The outcome of this Thethas created a platform for participants to share
information, lessons and set up networks.  Based on the feedback received,
participants requested SANGONeT to widen the scope and focus of the forums
and facilitate similar events in other provinces.

I also agree with the outline proposed by Sally and Meryem. I won't be able
proactively participate to the work of the drafting group, but will be more
than happy to input on proposed draft.

I am content with - global knowledge commons.

But therefore suggest that we have an additional items:
- Access, Infrastructure, Literacy and Education,
- International Policy Procedures - International decisions about ICTs have
far-reaching implication for developing countries which are poorly
represented when agendas are set and decisions made.

Best regards,
Eric Muragana
SANGONeT Communications Coordinator
Tel: +27 11 838 6943
Fax: +27 11 492 1058
Email: mediatec@sangonet.org.za
www.sangonet.org.za

-----Original Message-----
From: Meryem Marzouki [mailto:marzouki@ras.eu.org]
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 10:25 AM
To: ct@wsis-cs.org
Cc: hr-wsis@iris.sgdg.org
Subject: [hr-wsis] Re: [WSIS-CT] Next steps for Content and Themes


Steve, Sally and all,

1. I agree with the outline proposed by Sally. Although I wont be able
to actively participate to the work of the drafting group, I'll be
happy to comment on proposed draft.

2. I also agree with Steve proposal for presentation of the CS
document, with the following slight modifications:

Le jeudi, 28 aoû 2003, à 23:49 Europe/Paris, Steve Buckley a écrit :
>
> These, I suggest, would be (maximum 250 words/2 minutes each):
>
> - human rights

==> this obviously includes worker rights

> - sustainable development

==> should be entitled "sustainable democratic development"

> - global knowledge commons

==> should be entitled "global information commons"

> - cultural and linguistic diversity
> - gender equity

We should also have an additional item:
- Access and infrastructure

still based on the current ICT working document relevant section.

In summary, we would then have:
- Human rights
- Sustainable democratic development
- Global information commons
- Access and infrastructure
- Cultural and linguistic diversity
- Gender equality

If these are too many items, then I think we could easily merge the
"sustainable democratic development" title with either the "human
rights" or "global information commons" or "cultural and linguistic
diversity", having still the words "sustainable democratic development"
appearing in the resulting item title.

Regarding the other sections of the current document, they can easily
be covered by the above identified items.

3. Regarding a possible CS Declaration and Action plan, I fully agree
with Susanna's comments. They should by no mean be a simple collation
of sometimes contradictory positions and proposals.

Best regards,
Meryem

Le jeudi, 28 aoû 2003, à 23:49 Europe/Paris, Steve Buckley a écrit :

> Sally and all
>
> I agree with the outline and happy to assist again with the drafting
> group.
>
> For the consensus document I think it is worth keeping in mind two of
> the lessons learned from the intersessional - the first is that the
> opening CS presentation (based on the document) would be better being
> a series of four or five distinct elements with different speakers
> rather than one presentation. I know this because I accepted the
> honour of presenting a rather long text in Paris and got told off for
> it by the chair of the meeting! These elements should cover those core
> principles we consider fundamental and on which there is broad CS
> consensus both on the nature of the problem and what needs to be done.
>
> These, I suggest, would be (maximum 250 words/2 minutes each):
>
> - human rights
> - sustainable development
> - global knowledge commons
> - cultural and linguistic diversity
> - gender equity
>
> - based on the first five sections of the current CT working document.
>
> The second lesson to be learned is that, if we are to influence the
> outcome, we must focus in on the official text - Declaration and
> Action Plan - highlighting specific strengths and weaknesses and
> making proposals for change. Of course we can do this in the detailed
> debate but the most important points should be flagged up in the
> opening plenary. We can expect this from other stakeholders.
>
> Steve
>
>
> At 19:42 24/08/03 -0500, you wrote:
>> Friends,
>>
>> We have received some new input for the CT priorities document,
>> and now need to organize next steps, as time is getting short
>> before the Prepcom, especially if we wish to produce a new
>> consensus document.
>>
>> The latest draft of the Declaration following the intersessional
>> discussions, is now up on the WSIS website; the Action Plan is
>> also supposed to be posted by now (has anyone seen it?)  On the
>> basis of these document, each caucus and thematic working group
>> should be looking to see what is and isn't included in relation to
>> your priorities.
>>
>> We propose three parallel steps to prepare content for the
>> Prepcom.  Please revise and answer the questions at the end.
>>
>> 1) Caucuses have 3 weeks to draw up statements in reaction to
>> the latest drafts.  These might be adapted according to
>> circumstances during the course of the Prepcom, but there seems
>> to be a general feeling that at least the basic ideas should be
>> agreed on in each caucus before the Prepcom starts.
>>
>> 2) Based on our present priorities document and the feedback
>> received, a drafting group needs to start work now on a new
>> consensus statement for Prepcom 3.  Our suggestion is that this
>> statement should be adapted to the present content of the official
>> draft documents, so as to focus only on certain strong priorities.  It
>> should therefore be possible to keep this document shorter than
>> the previous version.
>>
>> 3) Many have proposed that we need our own civil society
>> declaration and action plan.  One that is not just a reaction to what
>> the governments do and don't say, but that covers all the things we
>> feel should be in the documents, in our own terminology.  This
>> would obviously be a longer document.
>>
>> Our suggestion is that, based on all the input received, including
>> our statements from previous prepcoms etc., a drafting group
>> works first on drawing up a CS declaration.  A first draft should
>> ideally be ready for comment and feed-back during Prepcom 3, and
>> then we could continue to work on it before December.  In Geneva
>> we can evaluate whether we will also be able to draw up a CS
>> action plan by December.  Work on this document might start now
>> or could wait until we have the Prepcom 3 statement drafted
>> (depending on who is willing to work on what).
>>
>> QUESTIONS:
>>
>> a) Do you agree with this proposal?  Have you any comments?
>>
>> b) Which of these three steps are you willing to work on?  Are you
>> able to join a drafting group for either (2 - Prepcom statement)
>> and/or (3 - CS Declaration) during the next 3 weeks?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Sally Burch and Bill McIver
>>
>> ---------------------------------
>> Sally Burch - Directora Ejecutiva
>> Agencia Latinoamericana de Información - ALAI
>> Casilla 17-12-877, Quito, Ecuador
>> sburch@alainet.org      http://alainet.org
>> Tel: (593 2) 250 5074  222 1570  Fax: (593 2) 250 5073
>> _______________________________________________
>> Ct mailing list
>> Ct@wsis-cs.org
>> http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/ct
>> Civil Society Plenary: http://www.wsis-cs.org/
>> Content & Themes Documents:
>> http://bscw.fit.fraunhofer.de/pub/bscw.cgi/0/42953798
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>            steve@commedia.org.uk
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>         http://www.commedia.org.uk
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ct mailing list
> Ct@wsis-cs.org
> http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/ct
> Civil Society Plenary: http://www.wsis-cs.org/
> Content & Themes Documents:
> http://bscw.fit.fraunhofer.de/pub/bscw.cgi/0/42953798
>


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