The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) managed to avoid a scandal over the exclusion of a group of Chinese activists, but controversy will be difficult to defuse when discussion turns to human rights violations in Tunisia, the host country of the Summit's second phase.
By the end of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society this November in Tunis, the role to be played by civil society in bridging the digital gap and democratising communications will be clearly defined. But many activists are less than optimistic about the eventual outcome.
The electronic board in front of the class flickers, and a periodic table is projected onto the screen. "Do you all know what this is?" booms a voice from the loud speaker. "Yes!" the students chorus, as any typical class would.
While information and communications technologies (ICTs) have an important role in meeting internationally agreed development goals, one in every six people still does not even own a telephone, according to experts meeting here.
The script for the final act of the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS) will begin to be written on Sep. 19 in this Swiss city, with the participation of a cast that will be made up - for the first time on the international stage - of a wide range of actors: governments, business and civil society.
The "My First PC" campaign launched by private companies in Chile with government support has drawn criticism from free software activists, who are working on their own initiatives to expand access to the Internet and the information society.
In 1961, there was just one to be had. By 1985, that figure had increased to 1,800 - and at the beginning of last year, it stood at about 520,000, according to government figures.
Non-governmental organisations and networks protested their exclusion from the Regional Preparatory Ministerial Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean for the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, held this week in Rio de Janeiro.
The plight of Tunisian attorney Mohamed Abbou has been in the spotlight for several weeks now, with U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher being quoted earlier this month as saying Washington was "very concerned" about Abbou’s imprisonment.
A group of human rights organisations have expressed grave concern over continuing denial of freedom for media groups and civil society in Tunisia.
Protection of the diversity and independence of media in Europe was proclaimed as a vital goal at the seventh ministerial conference on mass media policy organised by the Council of Europe (COE) here this week.
A conference took a close look Thursday at what European media can do by way of reporting issues such as terrorism and globalisation, and defending human rights in the information society.
International Women's Day asks you to think of half the world, but two writers groups asked Tuesday for attention particularly to three women "under attack for using new information technology to challenge their governments."
Brancher les exclus d’internet en prélevant 1% sur les achats publics: le Fonds de solidarité numérique, une initiative africano-genevoise, est plébiscité à l’ONU. Mais Genève se plaint d’être freiné dans cette action par les autorités suisses.
Les préparatifs de la 2e phase du Sommet de l’info à Tunis s’ouvrent à Genève. Opposants et agents du régime Ben Ali s’affrontent en coulisse. Les ONG suisses demandent à Berne d’intervenir
Le journal ivoirien 24heures avait reçu à Genève le prix Presse et Démocratie pour ses efforts de dialogue. Il est réduit en cendres.
Quelle différence entre un film suisse, une musique balinaise, un roman burkinabé et une bouteille de Coca ? Aucune, lorsque la culture sera livrée aux forces du marché mondial. C’est l’avis de nombreux créateurs au moment où débute à Paris la négociation pour une convention sur la diversité culturelle à l’UNESCO
Pour la 20e édition, la rencontre des professionnels des médias aura lieu dans un bâtiment de Genève transformé en plate-forme pétrolière. Le Festival s'internationalise et s’ouvre aux milieux financiers.
Une initiative brésilienne relayée par l’ONU veut traduire la formidable créativité des peuples en termes de marché. « L’industrie créative » peut servir de tremplin au Sud pour imposer une « nouvelle géographie commerciale ». affirme le chanteur ministre Gilberto Gil
In the paper receipt printed for each vote cast on the electronic voting machines used in Venezuela's presidential referendum lies the main weakness of the opposition alliance's cries of fraud, which the international election observers say are unwarranted.
All hopes invested in the ''information society'' could be dashed if current - and ever-increasing - abuses of the Internet and electronic mail persist, say experts meeting here this week.