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February 25, 2005
The Sun Sets at the Prepcom
It's 7pm here in Geneva and civil society is wrapping up its final official meeting. We've been working on a press release summarizing the delegation's thoughts on the Prepcom. There seems to be a general feeling that WSIS needs to get back to basics, focusing on what we can do to bridge the digital divide and create an information society for all people, no matter their situation.
So much of the WSIS process has focused on Internet governance, it's easy to forget we're talking about giving people access to tools so they can improve their families' lives, their communities. The news about that mysterious World Bank report that doesn't seem to exist anywhere isn't making it any easier; by dismissing the idea that there's a digital divide yet providing scant evidence as to why that's the case just strikes me as so counterproductive. I mean, if African villages suddenly have Internet access, and rural women in India have achieved universal literacy, and people in Tunisia can now say whatever they want using whatever media they want, please tell me, so I can go home and be with my wife and cats rather than having to sleep in crummy hotels and wear a tie for so many days in a row. But the last time I checked, there is a gaping digital divide in this world, and no amount of mobile phones is going to make that go away any time soon.
As you might be able to tell from my tone, I'm tired and a little cranky, but bloggers are usually at their most honest when they've reached this state of mind. So be it. Fortunately, as I've been typing this, there has been a lot of laughter in the room, clapping, lots of smiles, hugs. Despite the fact we sometimes feel like we are so many sisyphuses (sisyphi?) all shoving that godforsaken boulder up the hill, I'm astounded by the boundless energy and hope within civil society. There is still a hell of a lot of work to be done, perhaps even more so because of this zelig-like World Bank report, but that's okay. Tomorrow I go to Paris for a weekend of museums, cafe creme and the occasional burgundy, then to India; after that, somehow we'll get it all done. -ac
Posted by acarvin at February 25, 2005 1:22 PM
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