WSIS discussion list

FROM: Wougnet, http://www.wougnet.org

With nearly all of the planned regional preparatory meetings for the World
Summit on the Information Society completed and the Second Preparatory
Committee meeting fast approaching, the WSIS NGO Gender Strategies Working
Group (WN-GSWG)* considers this a most opportune time to begin sharing and
discussing our lobbying points and strategies for the Summit.

The WN-GSWG is pleased to announce the structure and corresponding schedule of
the [email protected] discussion, an electronic mailing list that is one of
the group's efforts in strategising and organising women's participation in the
WSIS process.

[email protected] aims to build on the current initiatives on gender and
ICTs and further enrich discussions for the benefit of all women. Specifically,
it will serve as a venue to:

* Share information on the different activities around WSIS including the
regional and Preparatory Committee meetings, the 47th session of the UN
Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the Asian Social Forum, the World
Social Forum, the 8th International Congress of the World Association of
Community Broadcasters (AMARC) and other discussion spaces on gender and ICT,
particularly those pertaining to NGO women's initiatives;

* Develop women's lobbying positions and strategies around WSIS within the
civil society formations and bring in the civil society inputs to the WSIS
Multi-stakeholder Gender Caucus discussions
(http://www.wougnet.org/WSIS/wsisgc.html)

* Share strategies, resources including documents, researches, and publications
as well as regular updates from civil society organisations to ensure effective
women's participation in civil society activities and NGO women's participation
in the governmental and intergovernmental processes; and

* Create a platform for strategising and organising various forms of women's
participation in the different gender and ICT forums.

The structure and schedule of discussion follows:

=====================
20-26 January -- introduction /orientation on WSIS

27 Jan - 02 February -- Sharing from the regions
-- focusing on the specific outcomes of the regional meetings and the positions
taken by women's groups in the different regional meetings.
-- sharing and discussion on other preparatory events including those taking
place at the national level

03-16 February -- developing the lobbying positions and strategising for the
2nd Preparatory Committee meeting (PrepCom II Geneva, Feb 17-28)

17-28 February - reports from the PrepCom II -- reactions, questions, inputs
from those who are not physically present at the Prep Com

3-14 March - reports from the 47th Session of the UN CSW and other meetings
tackling ICT and gender issues -- reactions, questions, inputs from those who
are not physically present at the CSW

--planning for common/joint actions during the actual summit in December

15-30 March -- Wrap up
=======================

To subscribe to the list:

You can visit the following URL to subscribe:
http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/ngowomen
or write to [email protected]

For further inquiries, please write to the facilitators:
Mavic Cabrera-Balleza [email protected] (Isis International-Manila)
Karen Banks [email protected] (Association for Progressive Communication-
Women's Networking Support Programme)
-------

* The WSIS NGO Gender Strategies Group was formed at the first WSIS PrepCom
Meeting in Geneva in July 2002 as one of the sub-committees of the Civil
Society Coordinating Group (CSCG). The groups involved in this effort are: the
African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET), Agencia Latino
Americana de Informacion, Association for Progressive
Communication-Women's Networking Support Programme, International Women's
Tribune Centre, and Isis International-Manila.

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