For those of us on the UN conference circuit as NGO activists, there are some essential geek tools that make our lives so much easier. Among the notable ones: Cell phone. This is an essential tool for any wired activist. Lots of options, depending on your budget. The cheapest solution is often to get a…
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Navigating Civil Society through WSIS Policy Space
In this short treatise, I conceptualize the work of NGOs in a given policy arena as existing in a three-dimensional policy space in order to get a better understanding of how can work most effectively together in the WSIS process, and beyond. I conclude with some recommendations for how civil society operates in the immediate…
Proposal for a Global Alliance Collaboratory
The Internet Governance Project has put forward a proposal for transforming the Global Alliance on ICT Policy into a policy “collaboratory” facilitated by virtual collaborative technologies. While I am in principle supportive of the ideas and analysis, I think it kind of jumps the gun, since no one has decide on the what the point…
A new “Global Alliance” on ICT policy?
The UN ICT Task Force will soon be out of a job, which will be met by applause by penny counters at the UN, but with sadness by others who have participated in this innovative forum on ICT issues. In a couple of weeks there will be an open meeting on the creation of a…
WSIS Prepcom II and Tunisian “civil society”
It looks like I will be in Geneva for the next couple of weeks for the second Preparatory Committee of the World Summit on the Information Society. It will be a key meeting where we will see if much has advanced since the disastrous first Prepcom in Tunisia last year. Much will depend on what…
What are the despots afraid of?
I am at another “Table of Controversy” on building a new democratic world order sponsored by the Bridge Initiative at the World Social Forum. I am interested in the topic, but I must admit that I am more interested in the air conditioning in the tent. There are speakers from the World Bank, the 50…
World Social Forum Wrap-up
The World Social Forum is certainly an innovative and impressive “festival of the Left” as a Guatemalan activist described it to me. The Forum gathers an incredible mix of activists and organizations from around the world, agitating for their various causes, in dozens of different languages. For many groups, it is clearly an opportunity for…
World Social Forum Day 4: A Carnivore’s and UN Activist’s Paradise
I went to several interesting meetings yesterday, the fourth day of the World Social Forum, including a high-level discussion of the Global Call for Action against Poverty and a debate on UN reform. As stimulating as the conferences were, and as interesting as the people I met, I have to say that the best part…
World Social Forum Day 3: UN Reform for Beginners
I am back in the shopping mall near the World Social Forum, being true to my California culture. I see lots of the participants like me with their WSF name badges shamelessly window shopping, using the nice toilet facilities (instead of the WSF porta-potties), and chowing down to processed food in the food court. I…
World Social Forum Day 2: Wonderful Chaos
Day Two of the World Social Forum was a difficult one, with meetings cancelled, interpretation not working, and the sometimes intense heat. Still, in the midst of it, I am finding things that give me hope. Where else can you find so many people who want to do good in the world? [9:30am] Lots of…