More world-wide discussions are being conducted in relation to the impact of WSIS as well as evaluations and critiques of the first WSIS phase last December 2003.

One forum being explored for WSIS discussions is the creation of weblogs or popularly known as blogs. These are online journals, often informal, which serve as a discussion website or bulletin board. The Berkman Center for Internet and Society based at the Harvard Law School in Harvard University in the U.S. created one such blog focusing on the WSIS. Informal commentaries are posted here, and bloggers are also invited to an occasional open real-time discussion in this space. The blog is at http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/wsis/.

A similar announcement to share information about WSIS and ICT events was posted at the NGO Gender Strategies Working Group mailing list in order to create a calendar of events. Specifically, the call is for any African-based organisation or group to publicise their ICT events. For those who want to provide updates about their organisation, publicise an event they are organising, or those who want to share any event that will be of great interest to civil Society organisations in Africa, please e-mail the information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

In line with this call, we would like to announce a conference that will take place in Nairobi on 25-26 March 2004. This is entitled "Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation: Implementing the WSIS Action Plan" which is intended for policy-makers, ICT activists and action-oriented private sector organisations.

Following the hectic pace and overwhelming volume of activities at the WSIS in Geneva, the conference organisers deem it important that organisations take time to reassess the vast amount of WSIS outputs and project themes. The conference will act as a follow-up to the WSIS, focusing on "Implementation and Best Practices." Following a three-month gestation period, CSOs involved in the WSIS should be able to make more sense of WSIS outputs by focusing on specific key topics in the relative serenity of a comfortable resort on the outskirts of Nairobi. Organisers are hoping that participants will be able to deliberate, plan and share common areas of interest in this event aimed at facilitating the journey to WSIS 2005 in a creative, constructive way.

The conference will have the following objectives:

• Understanding and reviewing leading thinking and strategies on best practices, which can be shared between key member groups. Review how other stakeholders are going to approach similar goals and strategic objectives.
• How to develop action plans which cascade through the supply chain.
• Reviewing the role of stakeholder alliances between government, not for profit organisations/NGOs and the private sector, reviewing key case studies materials throughout the world, including a focus on procurement and the supply chain.
• Uncover the challenges and opportunities of developing Private Finance Initiatives.
• Assess how joint cross-border initiatives like skills and capacity building can work. Is there a common roadmap to developing "e-citizen" communities?
• Share common challenges on modernising government agendas in relation to WSIS: assess what external tools and resources exist which can support stakeholders in this endeavour.
• How to enhance private sector investor commitment.

For more details about this conference, please contact the following:
Sean Moroney
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.aitecafrica.com