The Challenge, the Outcome, and the Opportunity.
From http://www.itu.int/wsis/basic/about.html.
The Challenge
The global information society is evolving at breakneck speed. The
accelerating convergence between telecommunications, broadcasting
multimedia and information and communication technologies (ICTs) is
driving new products and services, as well as ways of conducting
business and commerce. At the same time, commercial, social and
professional opportunities are exploding as new markets open to
competition and foreign investment and participation. The modern world
is undergoing a fundamental transformation as the industrial society
that marked the 20th century rapidly gives way to the information
society of the 21st century. This dynamic process promises a
fundamental change in all aspects of our lives, including knowledge
dissemination, social interaction, economic and business practices,
political engagement, media, education, health, leisure and
entertainment. We are indeed in the midst of a revolution, perhaps the
greatest that humanity has ever experienced. To benefit the world
community, the successful and continued growth of this new dynamic
requires global discussion
The opportunity
The World Summit on the Information Society will provide a unique
opportunity for all key stakeholders to assemble at a high-level
gathering and to develop a better understanding of this revolution and
its impact on the international community. It aims to bring together
Heads of State, Executive Heads of United Nations agencies, industry
leaders, non-governmental organizations, media representatives and
civil society in a single high-level event. The roles of the various
partners (Member States, UN specialized agencies, private sector and
civil society) in ensuring smooth coordination of the practical
establishment of the information society around the globe will also be
at the heart of the Summit and its preparation.
Outome
The anticipated outcome of the Summit is to develop and foster a
clear statement of political will and a concrete plan of action for
achieving the goals of the Information Society, while fully reflecting
all the different interests at stake. The scope and nature of this
ambitious project will require partnerships with public and private
entities, and such partnerships will be actively sought in the coming
months.
Sponsor
The National Office for the Information Economy, Australia
Round One: Consultation and Research by COIN Internet Academy, CQU,
and the CCNR, Monash University, 2003
The COIN Internet Research Network (COIN-IRN) at Central Queensland University and the Centre for Community Networking Research (CCNR) at Monash University were sponsored by the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE) to coordinate the development of a Civil Society statement to supplement materials developed by the Australian
Government for the World Summit on the Information Society(WSIS).
The task of the current consultative process was to develop strategic
and operational plans for obtaining Australian Civil Society inputs for
the WSIS Preparatory Committee Meetings (PrepComs) and Intercessional
meetings leading up to the major summit meeting in Geneva, 10-12 December
2003 and establish an Australian Civil Society presence for the WSIS in
Tunis 16-18 November 2005.
The text of the [inline:1= statement] can be accessed on this site:
Consulations were held in Canberra in May 2003 and in October 2003 in
Melbourne, and the final statement accompanied that of the Australian
Government at the WSIS in Geneva in December 2003.
Please forward any comments to Tom
Denison.
Consultation Process
The Australian Strategy involved the establishment of a consultation
process by an initial meeting in Canberra in May and in Melbourne in November
2003. A post-WSIS meeting was held in Caloundra, Queensland and a program
of activities leading up to the Tunis summit in 2005 is being developed.
There will be ongoing outreach, awareness raising, and coalition building
with peak civil society organisations in Australia its regional neighbours,
and other international groupings.
Documentation for the Civil Society Statement
Consultation Meetings
- [inline: 2=Meeting Record] Canberra, 22-23 May, 2003
66kb)
-
Regional perspectives
- [inline: 3= Draft] New Zealand perspective for WSIS Prepcom, February 2003
- [inline: 4= Pacific] Islands Regional ICT Consultation, Suva, 9-11 April 2003
Key issues and Elements for the Statement
The following issues were raised during the consultation process and
addressed in the statement.
What is Civil Society?
Civil society needs to engage effectively with the government and private
or business sectors on what ICT is/means/does. The very notion of 'civil
society', which is long-standing in Europe, is untested in this country
and needs clarification.
Case Studies
Rather than being an abstract document, the statement needs some clear
examples & case studies to make points clear.
Democratic plurality
The statement should reflect the ' democratic plurality' of Australia,
including indigenous and multicultural diversity
Engagement
The Statement should aspire to support an engaged and informed society
(aware of benefits of ICTs, empowered)
Values and Principles
A statement that emphases the capacity of groups in civil society to
achieve their own goals facilitated by information and communications
technology (ICT) in accordance with the values and principles of:
- adaptability
- continuity of discourse
- inclusivity
- equity
- accessibility/capability/ability
- plurality of viewpoints/diversity
- interoperability (connectivity) openness
- knowledge sharing
In addition, there is a diversity of viewpoints on how to use ICT for
social good, and these need to be considered reflectively.
Transormative effects of Information and Communications Technolgies
Civil society needs to be able to control the transformative effects
of ICT, not necessarily through market-force means. There needs to be
a better means of discovering enabling mechanisms which government, civil
society, and business (as three broad groupings in society) can use ICTs
for social good.
Spatial issues in the region
Australia (and other countries in the region) are strongly effected by
spatial isolation. These are real effects of our history and ICTs provide
only part of the solution to bridging geographic, cultural, political,
and other isolation.
