APC

Under the incredulous eyes of the participants at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), journalists and human rights defenders were manhandled, insulted, and then violently beaten. APCNews reports from 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 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 (WSIS) for definitive negotiation and implementation.

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 (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 persona...

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.

Yesterday me and Shahzad had a chance to see Tunis in all its 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.

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 WSIS are in full swing. Green plants are being transported in numbers and transplanted on roadsides and important squares, large picture...

Thought this — IPJ at WSIS:A parallel event to be held at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis — would be of interest. Not sure if it conflicts with any events. Probably will :-).

"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’.”