<incom> New APC book on WSIS: Time for lessons learned

[Geert Lovink]

> From: Analia Lavin <analia at apc.org>
>
> APC launches new book on WSIS, developing countries and civil
> society: Time for lessons learned
> http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5202187
>
> MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY, September 12 2007 -- The World Summit on the
> Information Society (WSIS) has been roundly criticised in the past
> and this new study from APC concludes that the summit “is not the
> best starting point for new action.” So, what is the point of
> looking at how developing country delegations and civil society
> fared at the summit? Because, says the author “it is always
> important to learn from experience – particularly where it did not
> deliver up to expectations.”
> The book “Whose Summit? Whose Information Society? Developing
> countries and civil society at the World Summit on the Information
> Society”, commissioned by APC and written by David Souter draws on
> participants’ observations, detailed interviews with forty key
> actors and case studies of experiences rooted in five developing
> countries.
>
> WSIS holds many lessons for developing countries and civil society
> organisations aiming to exert greater influence in international
> ICT decision-making fora. Some lessons demonstrate what worked well
> – such as the highly successful, multi-stakeholder Internet
> Governance Forum (IGF). The majority illustrate what did not work
> so well – not least, holding a four-year long meeting on such a
> fast-changing topic.
> Read a one-page introduction:
> http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5202193
>
> Interview with “Whose Summit? Whose Information Society?” author
> David Souter to discuss the study’s findings, as well as what
> lessons can be gathered from the WSIS experience – for developing
> countries, civil society, and in general by APCNews:
> http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5202194
>
> Download the full book here [in English; pdf format]:
> http://rights.apc.org/documents/whose_summit_EN.pdf
>
> Download the abridged versions (part of APC's Issue Papers series)
> in English, Spanish and French:
>
> In English
> http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_EN.pdf
> In Spanish
> http://rights.apc.org/documents/whose_summit_ES.pdf
> In French
> http://rights.apc.org/documents/whose_summit_FR.pdf
>
> Five case studies of experience in five developing countries were
> commissioned for the main report:
>
> Bangladesh case study
> http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_bangladesh.pdf
> Ecuador case study
> http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_ecuador.pdf
> Ethiopia case study
> http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_ethiopia.pdf
> India case study
> http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_india.pdf
> Kenya case study
> http://rights.apc.org/documents/wsis_kenya.pdf