One of these educational efforts is the promotion of information about free/open source software by Richard Stallman. In particular, Stallman is encouraging everyone to look at a free software portal by UNESCO. Located at http://www.unesco.org/webworld/portal_freesoft/index.shtml, UNESCO is intending to provide a single interactive access point to information for users who wish to understand and follow the Free Software movement, to learn why it is important and to apply the concept.
Meanwhile, the World Forum on Community Networking (WFCN) continues to pursue its coverage of WSIS related events by publishing reports and news on its portal, the Platform for Community Networks.
Located at http://globalcn.org, the site is interactive, collaborative and multilingual. The Platform is intended to facilitate the sharing of information among the networks of different linguistic and cultural (French, English and Spanish, for the moment), national (in particular between networks from Quebec and Canada and the rest of the world), and thematic spaces, in order to foster public participation and involvement, above all, in the appropriation of ICTs for the purpose of democratic social change.
The WFCN is also inviting everyone to participate actively in this information gathering by submitting contributions on WSIS events, in this case the recently concluded Intersessional Meeting in Paris, France last July 2003. For those who would like to submit, please e-mail them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Danish Network on WSIS is also announcing their hosting of two conferences in preparation for the first phase of the WSIS in December 2003. These will take place in the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen and are open to all stakeholders.
The first conference will take place on 21 August 2003 and has the theme “Education and Capacity Building in the Information Society.” The conference will include issues concerning rural access and mixed media, capacity development of organisations, private sector development, training of trainers and lifelong learning, and Danish ICT policy in developing countries. The conference will feature keynote presentations, discussions and workshop debates.
The second conference will take place on 02 September 2003 and has the theme “Freedom of Expression in the Information Society.” This conference will address issues concerning freedom of expression regulation, press freedom and media pluralism, the new Council of Europe Declaration on Freedom of Communication on the Internet, intellectual property rights and access to information. The conference will combine plenary discussions with workshop sessions.
The Danish Network on WSIS consists of several organisations, NGO and business entities such as the Danish United Nations Association, the Danish Institute for Human Rights, the Danish Library Association, the Danish Association for Development Corporation, and Forum for IT in Developing Countries (FITU).
For further information about these conferences, please contact:
Jane Johnsen
The Danish United Nations Association
Midtermolen 3, st.th, DK-2100
Copenhagen, Denmark
Tel: (45) 3546 7381
Fax: (45) 3546 7350
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://www.una.dk/wsis> or http://www.prepcom.net/wsis
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) recently launched a guide to running a National ICT Policy Consultation for the WSIS.
APC is an international network of civil society organisations dedicated to empowering and supporting groups and individuals working for peace, human rights, development and protection of the environment, through the strategic use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), including the Internet. They believe that the upcoming Summit is a great learning opportunity for civil society organisations (CSO) that are new to the ICT policy process to begin to articulate positions and gain valuable experience in lobbying that can be taken back to their home countries. However, the question of how organisations could start working at the national level always surfaces. Thus, this publication seeks to address or answer that question.
The APC guide is entitled FAQ about Conducting a National WSIS Process and it outlines the steps to take and key components in organising a national consultation around ICT policy. The guide’s style presentation of the "question & answer" format helps in educating people on some of the key questions that APC have heard people ask about how to organise. The primary target audience of this guide is the people that are active in using or promoting the use of ICTs in their work, but who have not necessarily been previously involved in national level policy processes.
Furthermore, according to APC, working at the policy level can be quite intimidating. Thus, their goal is to provide encouragement and support so that ICT-oriented CSOs can build the confidence to raise their voices in policy discussions.
To download the guide, please visit the following link: http://rights.apc.org/nationalfaq_wsis_v1.pdf.
For more information about other APC goings-on, please visit their website at http://www.apc.org/english/index.shtml.
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Isis Resource Center holds one of the largest feminist collections of materials in the Global South. With 40 years of publication experience, Isis holds a vast collection.