Had some conversations yesterday, and I thought I would share what I have found out in terms of some cost of participating in this event….I am wondering how much the total cost of building up these sprawling white tents cost, or hiring of the buses for the shuttle service, the planting of the trees, the printing of the Tunisian President’s picture to grace the streets… and I wonder how the payment for this eventually trickles down to you, me and the countless people who have no idea of what WSIS is about, nor have a chance to care.
Had some conversations yesterday, and I thought I would share what I have found out in terms of some cost of participating in this event:
Registration fee: none
Hotel Amilcar (where I am staying): 26 dinar/night (Summit price)
Taxi ride from Amilcar to Kram/Palexbo: 3 dinar (average)
Shuttle service: free
Coffee from machine: 1 dinar
Coffee from café: 2.5 dinar
Sandwich from café: 2.5 – 3 dinar
Meal at restaurant: 25 dinar (takeaway) or 35 dinar (eat in)
SIM prepaid card: 10 dinar
SMS cost: 0.6 dinar (local) or 1.5 dinar (international)
Cheapest stand at ICT4All Exhibition: 8,000 dinar
Rental of LCD projection screen: 500 dinar/hour
Cleaners’ wages (mostly, if not all, women): 8 dinar (morning shift) or 12 dinar (night shift)
Security guard’s wages (mostly men): confidential
Cost of expression: potential eviction from Summit space or country (international participants), potential imprisonment (Tunisian) or potential harassment or violence (all)
There are more points of interest, like the cost of decorating the stands (some have very elaborate screens, audio and visual systems, nice chairs etc), printed materials, connectivity, erection of the Summit and Exhibition space, colour-coordinated suits for staff and volunteers etc etc etc.
According to a source who wishes to remain anonymous, GL Events, a company based in France sub-contracted to do work for the Summit, flew in 120 employees just to fix up audio-video infrastructure alone, and the first crew came in five months ago.
I am wondering how much the total cost of building up these sprawling white tents cost, or hiring of the buses for the shuttle service, the planting of the trees, the printing of the Tunisian President’s picture to grace the streets… and I wonder how the payment for this eventually trickles down to you, me and the countless people who have no idea of what WSIS is about, nor have a chance to care.