[WSIS CS-Plenary] Fwd: Re: [WSIS-CT] Final version: Civil Society press release

[Monthian Buntan]

>Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:10:22 +0700
>To: "Valeria Betancourt" <valeriab at apc.org>, plenary at wsis-cs.org
>From: Monthian Buntan <mbuntan at anet.net.th>
>Subject: Re: [WSIS-CT] Final version: Civil Society press release
>Cc: ct at wsis-cs.org
>Bcc: "Kicki Nordstrom (E-post)" 
><kicki.nordstrom at iris.se>,<jawall at supanet.com>,<rowland at sancb.org.za>,<brohier at pc.jaring.my>,AsiaPacificDisability at yahoo.com,ito at apcdproject.org,ninomiya at apcdproject.org,chiba at apcdproject.org,bchonlatanon at hotmail.com,pzf at once.es,"DAISY 
>Staff" 
><daisy-staff at daisy.org>,daisy-member at daisy.org,ksutthi at tab.or.th,jpt at tab.or.th,jatunam at hotmail.com,morppit at hotmail.com,"Savanee 
>Ketmalee" <savanee at tab.or.th>,opoptic at yahoo.com,"Saranpat" 
><saranpat at apcdproject.org>,jackyy at pacific.net.th,htk at nectec.or.th,"Wantanee 
>  Phantachat" <wantanee.phantachat at nectec.or.th>,"Chadamas Thuvasethakul" 
><chadamas at nectec.or.th>,fepb at internetksc.th.com,hkawa at attglobal.net,csashida at nivr.jaed.or.jp,adaptive at singnet.com.sg,ncftb at po.jaring.my,larry at obs.org,"Dipendra 
>Manocha" <dipendram at vsnl.net>,Marisa DeMeglio 
><marisa at dinf.ne.jp>,hakkinen at dinf.ne.jp,
>
>Dear all:
>
>I'm deeply saddened by the fact that persons with disabilities, which 
>constitute up to 10% of the whole world population, still continue to be 
>invisible minority groups even in this document.
>
>Regards,
>
>Thian
>
>At 05:33 AM 9/26/2003 -0500, Valeria Betancourt wrote:
>>Text of press release
>>27 September 2003
>>
>>WSIS process at PrepCom III
>>
>>Civil Society announces today that if governments continue to exclude
>>our principles, we will not lend legitimacy to the final official
>>WSIS documents.
>>
>>Civil society is already shaping information societies to achieve
>>social, cultural, educational, political, and economic benefits for
>>all. Communication rights are part of human rights. Human rights must
>>be the framework for information societies. Without this, the WSIS
>>vision of "an information society" is meaningless.
>>
>>In the WSIS process, we have seen that, thus far, our main principles
>>are not reflected in the results. Even though the process has been
>>frustrating 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 information societies.
>>
>>While the spirit of the documents is market focused, civil society
>>and some governments, especially from the south, will continue to
>>support the rights of citizenship and promote the concept of
>>cooperation instead of competition.
>>Even if the outcomes of the WSIS do not reflect, at the end of the
>>process, our principles, visions and perspectives, we will continue
>>to be key actors in the definition of the nature and direction of
>>information societies, one whose focus would be people's rights. We
>>will insist that the proposal of the WSIS includes our priorities
>>such as development and justice for the south, human rights, gender
>>equity, community media, education, public goods, free software and
>>open access to scientific and technological information, privacy,
>>democratic and transparent internet governance, cultural and
>>linguistic diversity, excluded minorities, indigenous people, etc.
>>
>>We now have a stronger position, because as the days have progressed
>>meaningful communication has emerged. But much remains to be done.
>>For our part, civil society, we are now in the process of drafting a
>>framework document that will lay down our vision of inclusive,
>>participatory, sustainable, equitable and just information societies.
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Ct mailing list
>>Ct at 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