The Civil Society Plenary Group is inviting interested groups, institutions and organisations to participate in the upcoming activities being planned for and around the World Summit on the Information Society.

The NGOs present during the first WSIS PrepCom meeting last July 2002 were the ones who organised themselves through a series of Civil Society Plenary Meetings. During the meetings, a number of sub-committees and other groups were created or proposed. The final plenary meeting decided that this Civil Society Plenary Group would continue to develop and evolve.

It should be made clear that the Civil Society Plenary Group is one of several groups that work to bring together interested NGOs and civil society organisations for cooperation, and it neither claims nor aspires to be the only group working solely with this purpose. It is open to all forms of interaction and co-operation with other groups.

Those who wish to become involved may send an e-mail to any of the following sub-committees, working groups and caucuses that are under this umbrella group.

Sub-committees:

Sub-Committee on Participation
Contact: Seán Ó Siochrú at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Goal: to monitor and develop proposals for how civil society can participate effectively in the WSIS process

Sub-Committee on Substance and Content
Contact: Sally Burch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or William J. McIver, Jr. at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Goal: To monitor and to present proposals on relevant content and themes into the intergovernmental WSIS process

Sub-Committee on Funding and Supporting NGO Participation
Contact: Steve Buckley at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Goal: To brief, interact with and secure commitments from donors to support NGO participation in the WSIS process

Regional caucuses:

Asia Caucus
Contact: Gaurab Raj Upadhaya at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: To assert the Asian presence at the WSIS by raising issues relevant to the Asian Region.

African Caucus
Contact: Emanuel Njenga at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: To strengthen and contribute to the effective participation of civil society organisations from Africa to the WSIS.

European (and North American) Caucus
Contact: Valerie Peugot at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Claire Shearman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: To enhance the effective participation of civil society organisations in Europe and North America in the WSIS.

Latin American Caucus
Contact: Olinca Marino at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Issue Groups:

Gender Issues Strategies Group
Contact: Susanna George at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: to develop strategies for gender advocacy within the WSIS context

WSIS Youth Caucus
Contact: Nick Moraitis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Sasha Costanza-Chock at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: to mainstream youth perspectives into civil society, private sector, and government input throughout the WSIS process.

Human Rights Caucus
Contact: Meryem Marzouki at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: To put human rights on the agenda of the WSIS

Technical/scientific sub-group
Contact: Robert Guerra at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: to help WSIS actors understand scientific and technical issues of the information society.

Communications Rights Caucus
Contact: Bruce Girard at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: To ensure that communication rights are central to the WSIS, both in the official proceedings and in related civil society initiatives.

Environment and ICT Working Group
Contact: Thomas Ruddy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: To emphasize the combination ICT and the environment meeting on the WSIS agenda, and to draw linkages between the WSSD and the WSIS.

Indigenous Peoples Caucus
Contact: Robyn Kamira at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: To ensure that indigenous peoples are included explicitly, separately and permanently in the WSIS consultation, participation and implementation processes

Universities and Research Institutions Working Group
Contact: Artur Serra at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aim: To develop proposals and projects to WSIS in relation to research and education and to promote the participation of the academic research and education community in the WSIS process.

For more information about the groups, please visit http://cris.comunica.org/documents/cscg/member_summary.doc.