Anriette Esterhuysen, Executive Director of the Association for Progressive Communications, looks back on the World Summit on the Information Society and concludes that while the general verdict was a thumbs-down "from the perspective of many civil society organisations that participated actively, the WSIS has created a new opportunity for solidarity across ideological, sectoral and geographical divides." Academics and activists are now preparing for the second phase to be held in Tunis in 2005.
While official outcomes were limited " At the informal level the outcomes are more significant. I believe that the WSIS has been a watershed in the process of public participation in ICT policies. It has facilitated a shift from the world of obscure ICT policy jargon, engaged by a select group of NGOs, consultants, donor agencies, and governments, to a new context in which ICT policy has become firmly located in broader debates on development and society"
Anriette argues that "there are four dimensions to tackle: policy and regulation, at national and global levels, as discussed above; understanding the information technology market place, and how it tends to turn people into consumers rather than creative users of technology; capacity building so that people have the know-how to use the tools available to them, and; planning and thinking strategically about ICTs and networking."
However, when it comes to nonprofits using technology " the broad majority of civil society organizations are struggling with the issue of how to mold these tools to meet their needs – to increase the impact of campaigns, projects and programs using networked technologies."
Anriette says that it is important to develop capacity to use the technology, as well as campaign on the policy front. "We need to actively learn and share experiences of our use of ICTs in collaborative work. The unintended outcome of the WSIS process that will stay with many CSOs even once hopes for policy transformation have faded is the experience of using ICTs creatively. The many WSIS online forums and websites, committees and consultations are testimony to this."
Thanks to Richard Lowenberg for the reference.
Previously Who's scripting who at WSIS?
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