[WSIS CS-Plenary] Should Canada go to Wsis 2 in Tunis?

[lissjeffrey at sympatico.ca]

May 12-05
Dear Rony:

>Liss Jeffrey should be aware that there has been a great deal of thought,
>discussion and activity surrounding the problem of free speech/press
>freedom in Tunisia.

Thank you, we do know this, and respectfully suggest that if you visit C2C 
our Canadian civil society web space, < http://wsis.ecommons.ca > you will 
see the reports from IFEX and others featured prominently, for the 
information of Canadian civil society and others.
< http://wsis.ecommons.ca/node/view/566 >

>The Canadian-based IFEX network has coordinated two high-profile missions
>to Tunis by free speech/press freedom groups that have been active in WSIS.
>
Yes we know the group, (I used to be a journalist and know some of the 
founders) and are closely following their work.

>This resulted in a report very critical of the Tunisian government's
>record. It was presented at the last WSIS Prepcom, despite obstacles
>created by the WSIS Secretariat. There have been very strong protests by
>the Tunisian government, which has clearly indicated that it recognizes
>that, at the very least, it has a major public relations problem.
>
Yes, indeed, and pls note that I have indicated clearly that our group is a 
general capacity building group, and not specially expert in this area. We 
do however consider that all members of civil society (Canadian or 
otherwise) would do well to think hard about these matters, and that press 
freedoms and human rights should be matters of general concern, and not be 
segregated into the press freedom bloc (or "family"). I think I made this 
point, in a constructive way, without overstepping our bounds of (limited) 
expertise.

>Other groups have also produced statements and reports.
>
Some of these will be found on our public web site. It is for this reason 
that we consider that web sites play a role in the civil society ecology, 
along with email lists, wikis and other media. We have found that newcomers 
to this Wsis process, who are not experts, need ways to get onto the 
learning curve. That is why we keep up the site, as time permits.

>A large number of press freedom advocacy groups -- notably the nine members
>of the Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organizations, both
>individually and collectively --  have called for a change of venue of WSIS
>II from Tunis if Tunisian freedom of expression policy is not changed. But
>they have refrained from calling for a boycott if the UN system persists in
>its plan to hold WSIS II in Tunisia.

Right. We have also noted with interest and called attention to the 
Reporters without Borders call for a boycott, in order to illustrate the 
extent of frustration expressed by at least one specialized observer groups. 
Thanks for this information, we shall now add your important point to our 
web summary account.
>
>UN spokesmen have stressed that there can be no change because holding WSIS
>II in Tunis was mandated by the UN General Assembly.

Thanks for the update. I would be calling this a business as usual approach, 
and "holding one's nose" as per my previous points. This must give some 
comfort to the authorities in Tunisia I would surmise.

Once again, my concern is not so much with how we can be diplomats or civil 
servants, or even media and journalists. The point I hope to make is simple: 
to raise the question of what our conduct should be, and to provoke 
reflection among those civil society groups, particularly those who do not 
claim special expertise in monitoring press freedoms, and who are not 
professional journalists. In Canada, we are just about to forge some 
positions on Wsis 2, and I consider this matter one of concern, one that 
should be aired.
>
>The leading Tunisian freedom of expression NGOs have urged their foreign
>counterparts to support them by continuing their pressures on the Tunisian
>government and by attending WSIS II, viewing it as an opportunity to press
>the Tunisian government to change its repressive policies.

Very good. Can you give us a link, offliist perhaps, so that we may add this 
to our web summation on wsis.ecommons.ca? It has always been the posiition 
of our eCommons/agora that the issues raised around and the process of Wsis 
as a whole (1 and 2) should be more publicly accessible. That is why I have 
called wsis the invisible summit. We cannot rely on the media to accomplish 
this, as in Canada threre is little to no coverage of Wsis. The government 
coordinating body meets behind closed doors, and despite my former status as 
a civil society member of the official delegation, it has not been possible 
to gain access to the discussions.

Your point comes as news to me, so thanks. Our team is devoting voluntary 
time to following this issue, so I have no doubt that the many Canadians who 
have attended the outreach sessions that we have conducted since Wsis 1 will 
also find news of relevance..
>
>It is indeed accurate to say that there has been limited attention to this
>situation in the mainstream general news media. But, as WSIS approaches in
>November, this could and should change, thanks to the work of all those so
>heavily involved.

That is a good prediction to hear. As civil society capacity-building 
generalists who work the net to ensure that whatever the mainstream media 
may do, the issues are circulated and stay accessible online for those who 
may get interested at some point (maybe by reading one of those future 
articles, who knows?), we understand that we have a significant role to play 
in ensuring that the reports of "those so heavily involved" are disseminated 
via the channels and platforms that we have created and that we maintain. We 
are hopeful that the communications ecology that many of us work so hard to 
activate and maintain, as volunteers, stay current and point to the in depth 
reports and coverage of the expert groups.

I am sure you would agree that this mutual cooperation (mainstream media, 
experts, micro media general platforms) is in everyone's interests. The 
issue of press freedom and human rights violations in the place where Wsis 2 
will be held should (IMHO) be matters of common concern, and not the 
preserve of only those expert in this one area. Of course we need experts 
and divisions of labour, and we are all grateful for that hard work, but we 
also need to share the knowledge of experts with interested civil society 
members, so as to ensure a transparent, accountable and accessible dialogue 
as we plan for Tunis.

That is my position anyway. Glad to learn some things from your points.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Liss Jeffrey, PhD, eCommons/agora
http://wsis.ecommons.ca

>
>Best regards,
>
>Rony Koven, World Press Freedom Committee
>
>_______________________________________________