A host of alternative events are being organised in conjunction with the first phase of the WSIS to be held in Geneva, Switzerland this December. These events are being offered as an additional platform of communication for the various stakeholders and provide a unique opportunity for networking among the participants.

Following are some of the events organised by civil society organisations (CSOs) and intergovernmental organisations.

World Electronic Media Forum
The World Electronic Media Forum (WEMF) will gather the world's media leaders in Geneva from 9-12 December in various spots within the Palexpo Hall to highlight the contribution of broadcasters to the Information Society, with major input from civil society around the world.

The WEMF will discuss issues of major importance such as a.)The Impact of the Media on World Violence; b.) Media Freedom in the Information Society; and c.) The Influence of the Media on the World Political Agenda.

Deadline for registration is on 01 December 2003. For more details, visit http://www.wemfmedia.org

Digital Divide Network and the Digital Opportunity Channel Meanwhile, Digital Divide Network www.digitaldividenetwork.org and the Digital Opportunity Channel www.digitalopportunity.org are hosting a joint forum that will focus on their collaborative and their plans for the future. It will be held on 09 December at the Palexpo Centre, ICT4D Platform, Hall 4, Room 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

To attend the meeting, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with words "WSIS event" in the title. Contact information should be included.

Additionally, Digital Opportunity Channel has also announced that it has created a special coverage section dedicated to the WSIS at its website. It will feature news and analysis about the Summit from a civil society perspective - especially NGOs based in the developing world. Visit the special coverage at http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/archive/4732

World Forum on Communication Rights
The World Forum on Communication Rights is all set to happen on 11 December 2003 at the Palexpo, parallel to the official Summit. The Forum is an independent civil-society led initiative, open to all seeking a democratic and just WSIS.

Initiated by the Communication Rights in the Information Society campaign (CRIS) network, its goals are:

• To demonstrate and document the importance of communication rights for people and communities in an emerging information society;
• To contribute to the emergence and understanding of a coherent concept of communication rights;
• To generate co-operation in promoting the concept, recognition and realisation of such rights.

For more information about the Forum, visit http://www.communicationrights.org The site also features other civil society side events.