Blogging Africa
Africa Blog Roundup: What’s up in Tunis at the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS)?
Sokari Ekine
2005-11-15, Issue 230
http://pambazuka.org/en/category/blog/30322
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Ethan Zuckerman’s My hearts in Accra - My Hearts in Accra (http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=256) is on his way to Tunis for the World Sumit on Information Society (WSIS). Like many others he says he is:
“attending with misgivings over the usefulness of the gathering, the absurd cost of the meeting, and the fact that it’s being held within a deeply repressive country with a history of detaining people who use the Internet to exercise their right to free speech”. (Last week I reported on a Tunisian blogger who after being detained for 18 months in prison, was released and suffered a heart attack)
Nigerian blogger Gbenga Sesan - Gbenga Sesan (http://www.gbengasesan.com/blog/?p=32) believes the most important issue to be discussed is Internet Governance.
“Just this morning, the BBC relayed the story of how the EU and the UN is trying to wrestle the control of the Internet from the US." Clearly, there’s a lot of interest in the issue of Internet Governance, and this is the best time for some countries that have taken the different issues around Internet Governance lightly to wake up before they sell their future to the best called ignorance.”
One of the problems with WSIS is that many participants will miss one of the most important factors of the conference which is not who governs the Internet but whether the internet as place of “free speech” can be respected by all governments. As Ethan mentions the conference is being held in a country where freedom of speech and media are held in contempt by the government. Andy Carvin’s Waste of Bandwidth blog - Waste of Bandwidth (http://www.digitaldivide.net/blog/acarvin/view?PostID=7638) reports taking photos at the conference is banned by the Tunisian authorities and attempts will result in interrogation by security officials.
Friends of Ethiopia - Friends of Ethiopia (http://friendsofethiopia.blogspot.com/2005/11/better-beware-white-elephants.html) posts a report from AllAfrica.com “Better beware the white elephant”.
“At the World Summit of the Information Society in Tunis from November 16-18, these ICT lobbyists will bemoan the "digital divide" and call for a Digital Solidarity Fund. Dazzled by the allure of e-commerce, the global information society, e-learning and other buzzwords, they believe that new technology will allow them to leap-frog decades of incompetence and corruption and achieve rapid development. But the barriers to technological development are exactly the same as the barriers to any economic development: market restrictions, lack of contract law, state controls, customs duties, bureaucracy, and corruption.”
Tunisian blogger, Neila Charchour Hachicha - Blog de Neila Charchour Hachicha (http://plmonline.blogs.com/plm/2005/11/citizens_summit.html) reports on the Citizens Summit for Information Society (CSIS) which is also meeting in Tunis from 16-18 November as a side event. However the Tunisian government is trying its best to prevent the CSIS from meeting by obstructing their efforts to find a venue in Tunisia.
“The CSIS builds on a long tradition of civil society events linked to United Nations conferences. More than 80 international civil society organizations and coalitions have pledged their support and plan to take part in the three-day Citizens Summit, but a venue previously confirmed for the event was withdrawn at the last minute for reasons that CSIS organisers believe to be in response to political pressure from the Tunisian government.”
Ghanian blog, the Trials and Tribulations of a Freshly-Arrived Denizen - Fresh-Arrived Denizen (http://ekbensahinghana.blogspot.com) has a different take on the WSIS where he seems to be somewhat in awe of Tunis and Tunisians:
“Goodlooking—nay, gorgeus-looking—women pass with their boyfriends, friends, etc, passing a poster that says 'KILL BILL. Cette Semaine au Cinema'...The information society may be lost to many people. In the beginning, even I couldn’t get my head round the utility of a conference round it, but now having back-pedalled and seen the bigger picture, I am beginning to think that it’s pretty cool being here. Especially in Tunis. We are treated like royalty. We, being those delegates going to the WSIS. These people are far friendlier than I ever anticipated or expected. Many of them after they ask me where I am from say 'bienvenue. Tu es chez toi.' Alright so they are tutoieing me, that is not using 'vous' since they do not know me, but I am not bothered. They seem to like me, and I certainly find them personable.”
Finally a return to Egyptian blogger, blogger Abdolkarim Nabil Seliman who runs the blog Kareem Amer. Last week I reported that he had been detained by the security forces since the 26th October. The Big Pharaoh - The big Pharaoh
(http://bigpharaoh.blogspot.com/2005/11/abdolkarim-released-egyptian-blogger.html) reports that he has now been released.
“He posted a short entry on his blog saying that he will tell us about what happened to him and that he thanks everyone who stood beside him even if he/she didn't share his thoughts. Of course, those who helped Abdolkarim include a lot of non-Egyptians who took the time to email or call the Egyptian embassies around the world.” If you can read Arabic you should go directly to his blog - Karam903 (http://karam903.blogspot.com) otherwise check Big Pharaoh or Freedom for Egyptians - Freedom for Egyptians (http://freedomforegyptians.blogspot.com/2005/11/freedom-of-expression-attacked-in.html) for his report.
* Sokari Ekine produces the blog Black Looks, http://okrasoup.typepad.com/black_looks
* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org