http://funredes.org/mistica

MISTICA: Fwd: DotForce Civil Society list

From: Daniel Pimienta ([email protected])
Date: Wed Nov 15 2000 - 20:47:01 AST

>From: "Peter Benjamin" <[email protected]>
>To: "Open Forum on Telecentres and Development" <[email protected]>
>Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 20:36:18 +0000
>
>A DotForce Civil Society E-List
>
>(Apologies for crossposting)
>
>At the recent First Global Congress on Community Networking held in
>Barcelona, Spain there was considerable discussion about the role of
>Community Networking in the broad development of Civil Society
>initiatives concerning what has become known as the Digital Divide,
>along with discussions of the global role of community based
>Information and Communications Technology (ICT) initiatives in
>general.
>
>A presentation by a representative of the French Foreign Ministry
>challenged the Congress to develop responses to the variety of global
>initiatives which are currently emerging concerning the Digital Divide
>and specifically the DotForce initiative which was announced at the
>most recent (Okinawa) meeting of the G8 Summit (the G8 being the
>"club" of the Heads of Government of the 8 leading world
>economies--USA, Japan, Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Canada,
>and Italy) .
>
>the seminal document:
>http://www.g8kyushu-okinawa.go.jp/e/documents/it1.html
>
>see also:
>
>http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2606545,00.html
>
>http://www.usinfo.state.gov/topical/global/ecom/00072402.htm
>
>What became clear in the course of the discussion at the Congress was
>that there were no existing mechanisms or widely recognized Civil
>Society organizations which could "represent" Civil Society in this
>sector. However, major initiatives are moving forward at a breakneck
>pace including the "DotForce" which is currently being planned for a
>presumed launch at the next G8 meeting in 2001 in Naples, the about to
>be launched World Bank's Development Portal initiative, and the
>recently announced UN Summit on the Information Society in 2003.
>
>Governments are looking for Civil Society representation in these
>discussions. However, in the absence of such organizations with
>national or international legitimacy, they may, on an ad hoc basis
>select groups which are inappropriate (for example, lacking a depth of
>experience or knowledge in the sector) or are unrepresentative.
>
>You are invited to join the e-list [email protected] to discuss the
>role of Civil Society in relation to global ICT initiatives, the
>development of a Civil Society organization or organizations in the
>ICT sector, and the broader issues of Civil Society representation and
>legitimacy in an ICT mediated context. The list will be hosted on a
>rotational basis by myself, Steve Cisler of the American Federation of
>Community Networks, and Peter Benjamin of Witswatersrand University in
>South Africa.
>
>To subscribe send a message
>
>To: [email protected]
>
>Message:
>
>Subscribe DotForce
>
>Messages will be archived and an accompanying web page is under
>development. Assistance with the web page would be gratefully
>received.
>
>Mike Gurstein [email protected]
>
>Co-Chair Canadian Coalition for Public Information

Este archivo fue generado por hypermail 2b29 : Wed Feb 28 2001 - 01:01:28 AST