APC Talk

This section is a space where APC's staff, members and readers can open up conversations on topics that are of interest for the ICT community. It is a space where authors get to be themselves – sometimes to express opinions and challenge the readers on issues and topics that are close to them, sometimes to share their personal experience on an event or a current debate. The views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the views of APC or its network, but that does not make them any less valuable.

WSIS creates a new form of digital divide 21 November 2005 APC

WSIS, Tunis could not attract many ICT celebraties. I am sure, it would not have attracted, many common men and women, who are doing silent, but exemplary work in ICT, as they just cannot afford to travel at their own cost. So WSIS creates a new digital divide, those who could afford to particip...

While in Tunis... 21 November 2005 APC

But I’ve many interesting experiences at WSIS. For example, one evening in Tunis I was travelling back to my hotel by bus and the lady who was sitting next to me was talking to me in French. When I’ve problems explaining things in French, she started speaking to me in English a...

Few hours with Richard Stallman
Few hours with Richard Stallman 20 November 2005 APC

This crazy summit, which will be remembered as WSIS, is finally over… but the official summit frankly, ended with agreements on further meetings and conferences… and watch out folks… don’t rise your expectations anymore, as nothing will happen. I infact, saw two official d...

THE CLOSE OF WSIS: The civil society verdict
THE CLOSE OF WSIS: The civil society verdict 19 November 2005 APC

On the afternoon of Friday, November 18, 2005, one of three stakeholders taking part in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) drew a line in the sand. Civil society representatives from all continents lined up to deliver a stark closing statement. There were civil society thumbs up...

The forgotten agenda...
The forgotten agenda... 19 November 2005 APC

With the focus at Tunis largely on who controls the Net, and the far-from-sophisticated control mechanisms of Tunisian society, the issue of what the Net can — and is — doing for the excluded in the planet might have taken a back seat. Disparity in accessing the levers of communicatio...

How the others saw Tunis...
How the others saw Tunis... 19 November 2005 APC

Here are some other voices about how civil society responded to the Tunis mega-meet over the past week. IPS/TerraViva has done an interesting job in highlighting diverse issues. Including reporting on how the non-profit world saw the results of the global meet (a “consolation prize”),...

Overview of gender-related language in WSIS documents
Overview of gender-related language in WSIS documents 18 November 2005 APC

The WSIS process is almost over, and I am wondering about what we have achieved in terms of integrating gender as a relevant dimension into the building of an ‘information society’ after seven years. What do we have?

Free... as in tee-shirts
Free... as in tee-shirts 18 November 2005 APC

Free, as in free speech… not free beer — that’s the message of those campaigning against proprietorial software. But what happens when the issue transforms into ‘free as in tee-shirts’? And, no. We’re not talking about the Ubuntu approach here — which not...

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