It seems the Legal Empowerment of the Poor has become some kind of a new and exciting development fad to be checked out, given the recent establishment of the UN Commission of Legal Empowerment of the Poor. First the World Bank held a series of Justice for Peace events, and also commissioned a strategy paper on the the topic. (UPDATE 5/30: which you can view the paper via this post). Now USAID has contracted ARD to study the same issue.
Might this really turn out to be the new Development kid on the block, up-seating the current reign of 'Rule of Law'? What surprises me is that this is not a new field- it has been around for as long as local, grassroots NGOs have been, working with issues of poverty, some of which can be addressed using legal means. My worry is that, with the big aid agencies giving this so much attention, it becomes yet another promising 'field' of development, evoking independently of other sectors or being the 'flavor' of the month without much concern with realities or long term potential. Let's see how this all evolves- the Commission will be meeting later this month for the first time.
Development Gateway - Special Report on Information Society
Nadia Afrin, a colleague and content coordinator at the Development Gateway (whom I'd had numerous phone conversations and finally met in person recently), pointed out this Special Report on "Information Society: The Next Steps" by DG. Interesting network of folks talking about WSIS and other ICT4D related topics.
I've visited DG a couple of times during visits to Washington DC, and met some of their awesome staff. In case you didn't know, the organization started within the World Bank and morphed into an independent nonprofit (though some dispute the 'independent), supported by government donors as well as private sector pioneers. It aims to promote development through the use of ICT, mainly through knowledge sharing, although other programs are being created as well.
From their official website:
Development Gateway is an international nonprofit organization with themission to reduce poverty and enable change in developing nations through information technology. It envisions a world in which the digital revolution serves people everywhere—creating greater opportunity through increased access to critical information; greater reliance on local capabilities; and more effective, better coordinated international aid.
Development Gateway provides Web-based platforms that make aid and development efforts more effective around the world. It focuses on three areas where even small investments in information and communications technology can make a major difference:
Development Gateway provides Web-based platforms that make aid and development efforts more effective around the world. It focuses on three areas where even small investments in information and communications technology can make a major difference:
- Effective government – enabling better aid management and coordination, and more efficient and transparent government procurement.
- Knowledge sharing and collaboration – leveraging the Internet for online communications among development practitioners worldwide.
- Local partner programs in nearly 50 countries – connecting developing country organizations into a global network to empower them to use information and communications technologies to bolster local development efforts
The second part of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)- Tunis 2005
was held in Tunis on 16 -18 November 2005.
Observations from Worldsummit2005.org:
Heads of state and government from all over the world have adopted a Tunis Commitment and a Tunis Agenda. The most contested issue in the final negotiations was Internet governance, but the summit itself put financing ICT for Development and related questions back on the table.
Independent news coverage We were in Tunis with a couple of reporters and have brought you daily news, analyses and documents from a civil society perspective, from 13 to 18 November 2005. A complete listing is at the end of this page. Other news sources:
APC | Terraviva | WSIS blog aggregator | Inter Press Service | WSIS Wire news aggregator |British Council news aggregator
Venue / Webcast
The summit, the accompanying ICT4ALL exhibiton, and most parallel events took place at the Kram Exhibition Park in Tunis. For those not able to participate - or who could not get into the rooms because of the mass of particpants - there is an archive of the webcast audio/video stream.
Parallel Events The ICT4ALL exhibition and the parallel events took place from 15 to 19 November. There were also high-level round tables, a high level panel on ICT for Development and "side events" that are related to WSIS but take place somewhere else - sometimes not in Tunisia.
Civil Society Concerns around the Summit / Citizens' Summit on the Information Society
Civil society groups have a number of concerns around the summit. Therefore, a number of them have tried to hold a Citizens' Summit on the Information Society (CSIS) parallel to the summit, together with independent Tunisian NGOs. Detailed information is available at the CSIS website. The announcement is here: (rtf): English | French | Spanish | Arabic The CSIS was prevented from happening by Tunisian authorities, without any written documentation and reference to legal reasons.
The preparatory process was mostly occupied with Internet Governance debates, which implies that there was no time for a real discussion about how to move from decisions and declarations (the Geneva phase) to implementation (the Tunis phase and beyond). So there still is a real danger that the summit in the end has produced tons of paper and documents, but has had no impact on the real world and on the conditions of living for a great number of people.
Where there was discussion around implementation and follow-up, the organizers have planned the summit in the style of a trade fair or a showcase for "best practices" and were determined to sell the the event as "the summit of solutions". This approach avoided speaking about the tougher questions that come up when assessing the summit from a human rights and global justice perspective. WSIS civil society had to decide if it again distances itself from the official outcomes and the techno-liberal attitude of the official summit process and develops an independent summit document. It did not draft another declaration, but a month after the summit issued a joint assessment of the WSIS outcomes and process:
e-Paliament : Global Center for ICT in Paliament launched
The Global Centre for Information and Communication Technologies in Parliament is a joint initiative of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and a group of national and regional parliaments launched in November 2005 on the occasion of WSIS in Tunis.
The Global Centre pursues two main objectives:
The Global Centre pursues two main objectives:
- to strengthen the role of parliaments in the promotion of the Information Society, through fostering ICT-related legislation, in light of the outcome of the World Summit on the Information Society;
- to promote the use of ICT as a means to modernize parliamentary processes, increase transparency, accountability and participation, and improve inter-parliamentary cooperation.
World Bank Justice for the Poor (J4P) Workshop
Following the UN announcement of the formation of the Commision of the Legal Empowerment of the poor this October, the World Bank's Justice of the Poor (J4P) Program, which was formed pre-Commision around 2002 (I THINK, I remember hearing about it then), held a long workshop from 9-30 November. It will be interesting to see how this intersects with the UNDP's efforts. Announcement from J4P:
The J4P workshop centered on two major themes: Origins and Content of Program Design; and Dynamics of Implementation and Impact. The workshop established (and has since consolidated) a fruitful cross-country dialogue regarding experiences, opportunities, limitations, and constraints with J4P initiatives across development institutions. A number of recommendations came out of the workshop, most notably: (a) the need for an established network of practitioners who can share ideas, experience and knowledge; and (b) the desire for ongoing knowledge sharing events which explore in more detail some of the topics covered during the discussion.
Accidental Techie
Hey, this is who I am....! Sue Bennet has finally written a book to describe all the crazy tech-related hard work I do on the side. This editorial review from Amazon.com:
Accidental Techies"" get some respect. I've finally gotten my hands on the new book The Accidental Techie: Supporting, Managing, and Maximizing Your Nonprofit's Technology, by Sue Bennett, with Tom Battin, Cristina Chan, Eugene Chan, Mary Lester, and Jonathan Stein. I'm delighted to say that it's an outstanding contribution to the field of nonprofit technology and should be on everyone's bookshelf. The premise of the book is that many nonprofit ""technologists"" have little (if any) formal technology training, and have had to learn a variety of skills on-the-fly such as database planning, purchasing technology, managing tech consultants, maintaining computer networks, hosting websites and much more. The book presents a down-to-earth approach to building a support system to manage technology. One of my favorite parts of the book are the ready-to-use templates, worksheets, and sample policies to plan and organize technology systems. Chapter 6 on the role of the accidental techie in a nonprofit is a ten page tour de force discussion of what has often been a taboo topic in nonprofits. The book is a valuable toolkit to help small and mid-size nonprofits adapt to the technology demands of running today's nonprofit. Kudos to CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and Fieldstone Alliance for publishing the book, and to the funders who supported it. --Michael Stein,   Nationally renowned author and Internet strategist. - February 10, 2006
Recommended Reading. Nonprofit, nongovernmental, grassroots or other mission-based organizations are increasingly turning to technology and new media to get out their message and spur social change. The Nonprofit Technology Network, or NTEN, is a professional community that offers support for those who work in their information and communication technologies at such organizations. Katrin Verclas, executive director, says NTEN advises these groups on using technology to meet their larger goals and also provides a forum for ""accidental techies,"" or those who have with little or no formal information-technology training. Ms. Verclas refers to the people at NTEN as ""techies for good."" The Accidental Techie: Supporting, Managing, and Maximizing Your Nonprofit's Technology, By Sue Bennett and Tom Battin ""This book is essential reading for anyone who has taken on technology responsibilities at an organization without any formal training -- the office or program manager turned 'accidental techie.' It includes step-by-step guides as well as templates and worksheets for various projects from assessing your systems to writing proposals for funding. Highly useful for nonprofit leaders, program staff, and board members seeking to gain understanding of their organization's technology needs. --Keith Huang,   The Wall Street Journal Online - November 28, 2006. THE JOURNAL REPORT: TECHNOLOGY
Product Description
How to manage tech support (and keep your sanity!) One day you unjammed the printer and saved the day. But now, somehow, all technology resources have become your responsibility! The Accidental Techie shows you how to create a support system that will help your organization use technology more effectively and make your day-to-day life less hectic. Step-by-step guidance to creating an effective support system. This hands-on guide walks you through five projects that, when completed, will give you a comprehensive and usable support system: conducting a technology inventory, assessing and buying technology, protecting your organization from disasters and data loss, and managing your role. You dont have to tackle the projects all at once or in any particular order. Dive in where it makes sense for you. Techie Tools make this guide even more useful. Youll find... Ready-to-use templates, worksheets, and sample policies. 135 resources on topics such as funding, discussion groups, application service providers, web site development, and donor management software. A security policy checklist. Steps for creating a database that gives you the reports you need. A glossary of terms every techie should know. How to get technology funding. A special chapter on funding reveals five questions most funders ask to judge technology requests, and gives you tips for creating a compelling request. Whether you're new to all this or a veteran, The Accidental Techie if your ally. Use it and start making your life easier today!
Last minute suggestions by APC on Internet Governance- Can they save WSIS 2?
Internet Governance is one of the most contentious issues since WSIS Geneva, when the topic of Internet governance was discussed. Since no general agreement existed even on the definition of what comprised Internet governance, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan initiated a Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) to clarify the issues and report before WSIS 2005 in Tunis. Since then, there have been many debates and controversies about who should 'control' the internet, based on very different opinions for how and indeed whether the Internet should facilitate free communication of ideas and information. One of the main debates concerns the authority and participation of certain actors, such as national governments, corporate entities and civil society, to play a role in the Internet's governance.
Indeed, even the definition of Internet governance has been contested by differing groups across political and ideological lines. A Working group established after a WSIS 1 in Geneva proposed the following definition of Internet governance as part of its June 2005 report:
- Internet governance is the development and application by Governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.
Last week on 11/15, (the eve of the WSIS Tunis 2005 Tunis!), APC issued a statement on it's stand. APC, the Association for Progressive Communications, is an international network of civil society organizations — whose goal is to empower and support 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.APC has participated extensively in the internet governance process at WSIS.
Out of this participation and in collaboration with other partners, including members of the WSIS civil society internet governance caucus, APC has a set of recommendations with regard to internet governance ahead (one day ahead!) of the final WSIS Summit in Tunis. APC proposed specific actions in each of the following five areas:
- The establishment of an Internet Governance Forum;
- The transformation of ICANN into a global body with full authority over DNS management, and an appropriate form of accountability to its stakeholders in government, private sector and civil society;
- The initiation of a multi-stakeholder convention on internet governance and universal human rights that will codify the basic rights applicable to the internet, which will be legally binding in international law with particular emphasis on clauses in the universal declaration of human rights specifically relevant to the internet, such as rights to freedom of expression, freedom of association and privacy.
- Ensuring internet access is universal and affordable. APC argued: "The internet is a global public space that should be open and accessible to all on a non-discriminatory basis. The internet, therefore, must be seen as a global public infrastructure. In this regard we recognize the internet to be a global public good related to the concept of the common heritage of humanity and access to it is in the public interest, and must be provided as a global public commitment to equality."
- Measures to promote capacity building in "developing" countries with regard to increasing "developing" country participation in global public policy forums on internet governance.
It will be interesting to see how the issue of internet governance will be resolved, at WSIS 2 and beyond.
WSISBlogs.org- bloggers attending WSIS
Awesome resource from a human bottom-up perspective: WSISBlogs.org, a multilingual coalition of bloggers attending WSIS. Lots of multimedia too- photos, podcasts and video- totally interesting!
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