Blog
Net wants to be decentrally governed
At Tunis this month, the global Internet community gathers to determine the future of the Source: TechSoup Glossary and GenderIT.org">internet
and the information society in general. Source: APC ICT Policy Handbook and APC Annual Report 2005.">WSIS's focus is on Source: Tunis Agenda for the Information Society">internet governance, to determine the future of the internet and how to financing the information society for global inclusion. As a member of this community, this blogger will share three articles; the first (below) offering another perspective of the internet governance debate. Promised next is the case for "Open Access and Financing Principles for the Information Society" and, then, a zooming-in to on "Africa in Internet Governance and Financing the Information Society", what does Africa bring to the table and what should she take home. Eric Osiakwan, secretary of Ghana's Internet Service Providers Association, welcomes conversations around the issues. See Eric's blog.
Flagrant violation of human rights
Under the incredulous eyes of the participants at the World Summit on the Information Society (Source: APC ICT Policy Handbook and APC Annual Report 2005.">WSIS
), journalists and human rights defenders were manhandled, insulted, and then violently beaten. APCNews reports from Tunis.Groggy at Tunis... another view
The plane ride was as all plane rides become after awhile, uncomfortable and far too long. Once getting off, there were large posters everywhere advertising Source: APC ICT Policy Handbook and APC Annual Report 2005.">WSIS
, especially about the IT 4 All exhibition, where the tagline -- complete with pictures of multi-gendered and 'raced' children smiling at a computer screen -- promises to forefront the human dimension of information communications technologies development. I think I snorted audibly.Can more afford ride to cyberspace?
En route to the promised global village, the information superhighway is plagued by poor access and high fares that the bulk of this planet simply cannot afford. Reducing international Source: TechSoup Glossary and GenderIT.org">internet
costs is an important priority, underlined in a set of recommendations from the APC made to the Source: APC ICT Policy Handbook and APC Annual Report 2005.">WSIS stresses.Crucial drafting session in Tunis
Late on Sunday night, November 13, 2005, an assembly of about 100 people agreed to a series of minimal points of common ground related to Source: Tunis Agenda for the Information Society">internet governance
in Tunis. These points were then to be reported back to the general plenary of what is called the resumed PrepCom 3 meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (Source: APC ICT Policy Handbook and APC Annual Report 2005.">WSIS) for definitive negotiation and implementation.Some figures... and hard facts
Some figures, and hard facts, from a Highway Africa article, titled ICT4 All expo to attract 40,000 participants: "According to the International Telecommunication Union (Source: ITU">ITU
), the 942 million people living in the world's developed economies enjoy five times better access to fixed and mobile phone services, nine times better access to Internet services, and own 13 times more personal computers than the 85 per cent of the world's population living in low and lower-middle income countries. ITU also estimates that 800,000 villages still lack connection by telephone line, the Internet or any other modern ICT."Don't take pictures@WSIS-Tunis
Maxigas -- a friend from Hungary -- and myself had the opportunity to go to the Tunis City Centre last afternoon, just to have a feel of the city and get to know a little more about Tunis. The atmosphere seemed quite festive, and preparations for the Source: APC ICT Policy Handbook and APC Annual Report 2005.">WSIS
are in full swing. Green plants are being transported in numbers and transplanted on roadsides and important squares, large pictures of the Tunisian President are installed everywhere, and even most of the banners also carry his pictures welcoming the WSIS delegates ;) But questions remain....Some voices... about Tunis
How's the world comprehending Tunis? From disinterest to unheard voices, bewilderment, hidden agendas and nationalistic positions... all these seem to be the trends emerging from the media conference on November 2005's World Summit on the Information Society at Tunisia. More so, if one looks at the media from a Southern perspective.
The WSIS is _not_ in Tunis
Yesterday me and Shahzad had a chance to see Tunis in all its Source: APC ICT Policy Handbook and APC Annual Report 2005.">WSIS
splendour. Tunis as a city has been completely appropriated by the WSIS campaign. Public spaces where people lead their daily lives are heavily marked by a campaign about an event that they have no meaningful way to experience, and that will perhaps not bring any lasting good for their country.New book... via Tunis
Word Matters Multicultural perspectives on information societies has been described as "a collective work by some 30 authors from civil societies all over the world, deciphers the central concepts of the 'information society'."
