[WSIS CS-Plenary] Comments Press Release

[Bertrand de LA CHAPELLE]

>
>Text of press release 
>27 September 2003
>
>WSIS process at PrepCom III
>
>Civil society has come here to share with the governments 
our own vision for an Information Society. We want an 
information society based on human rights. This provides a 
unique chance for the extension of all the values of Civil 
Society around the globe.

SUGGESTION : "our vision for a fully inclusive Information 
Society"


>Over the past two weeks, Civil Society has proven that it 
is a vibrant force in the preparation of the World Summit on 
the Information Society. Civil Society has engaged in 
dialogue with government and business, and has expressed 
visionary ideas and a strong position in the negotiations. 

SUGGESTION : "Civil Society has proven it is the most 
vibrant and constructive force in the preparation of the 
World Summit"


>According to Beatriz Busaniche, a civil society bureau 
member:  "A few days ago I met an indigenous person from 
Ecuador, who is here in Geneva at a  UN. working group on 
Indigenous Peoples, fighting here for rights for self-
determination of his people. He told me that his community 
is not here asking for their rights, nor to seek 
affirmation. They are already living them. They are here for 
the international community to recognise the fact."

SUGGESTION : I am not sure I understand this paragraph. 
What it could say is : "They are here to express their 
participation in the building of the international 
community".


>In a similar way, civil society has already been building 
the information society, defending our rights to achieve 
social, educational, political, and economic benefits. 
Communication rights are part of human rights. Human rights 
must be the framework for the Knowledge Society. Without 
this, the WSIS vision of an information society is 
meaningless. Even if the outcomes of the WSIS does not 
reflect, at the end of the process, our principles, visions 
and perspectives, we will continue being key actors in the 
definition of the nature and direction of the Information 
Society, one whose focus would be people's rights.   

SUGGESTION : 
- Suppress : "in a similar way" 
- start with : "As a matter of fact, Civil Society is 
already building the Information Society, defending the 
rights of all individuals and social groups to achieve 
social, educationnal, political and economic benefits."
- "we will continue to be the key actors (instead of key 
actors) in the definition ...."

>For instance, free software has not been highlighted as we 
would like in this process, though each day more communities 
are adopting it with all the philosophy it entails.  While 
the spirit of the documents is market focused, civil society 
and some governments, especially from the south, will 
continue supporting the rights of citizenship and promoting 
the concept of cooperation instead of competition. 
>
>As delegates from Civil Society we believe that every 
stakeholder should have an equal voice, and a right to the 
benefits of the Information Society, whether in education, 
work, leisure, and communications. Hence we are disappointed 
by the continuing resistance of some governments to include 
specific text that ensures support for community based media 
initiatives - which will facilitate the inclusion of 
hitherto marginalized communities from the Information 
Society. To date, there has been an overemphasis on 
computers and the Internet, to the exclusion of analogue and 
traditional media.

SUGGESTION : 
In relation to Meyriem's comments on that paragraph, the 
notion of voices remains interresting  I would suggest : 
"As delegates of Civil Society, we believe that all citizens 
and social groups have an equal right to have their voice 
heard on matters that concern them and an equal right to the 
benefits of the Information Society, wether in ..."


>In this process, for first time, Civil Society has been 
directly involved in the negotiations.  A special effort has 
been made by Civil Society to communicate its philosophies 
and methods to governments and the business sector. Even 
though the process has been fraught and inconsistent, with 
civil society included and excluded at the whim of 
governments, our experience has been one of closer 
engagement than has been the case at other United Nations 
conferences.  We hope that this is an experience that can be 
built on to ensure much closer involvement of civil society 
in the design and development of the Information Society.

Suggestion : Replace the last sentence with : "We pledge to 
build on this experience to guarantee an ever closer 
involvement of civil society in the design, development and 
governance of the information society."


>We now have a stronger position, because as the days have 
progressed meaningful communication has emerged. But much 
remains to be done. 
>
>
>
>
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Bertrand de LA CHAPELLE
OpenWSIS Initiative
lachapelle at openwsis.org
tel : 33 (0)6 11 88 33 32


About OpenWSIS 
OpenWSIS Initiative is piloting an open consultation and 
cooperation process for all categories of stakeholders to 
jointly identify and formalize Issues of Common Concern 
or Interest (ICCIs), to facilitate implementation of the 
WSIS Action Plan between  Geneva and Tunis.

A propos de l'OpenWSIS
OpenWSIS est un processus pilote de 
consultation et de coopération visant à faciliter l'identification et la formalisation par toutes les parties prenantes concernées 
des sujets de préoccupation ou d'intérêt communs 
(SPICs)qui faciliteront la mise en oeuvre du plan d'action 
du SMSI pendant la période de Genève à Tunis.