WSIS in Tunisia: governance issue settled, free speech issue boils

Here at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis, a compromise has been reached on internet governance. Now the spotlight turns to free speech issues and the Tunisian government's heavy-handedness against dissidents and journalists.

In addition to the copious news reporting, bloggers are hard at work. Be sure to follow WSISblogs.org for the latest. The APC WSIS blog is also excellent. The Technorati WSIS tag page and search page are also great sources of WSIS blogging in all languages.

The tireless Andy Carvin has been faithfully blogging major speeches. Here is one quote he has from Kofi Annan:

The Internet's very life blood is freedom - allows journalists to do their work and citizens to hold govts accountable. Without this, the information revolution will stall and be stillborn.

And here is how he describes remarks by the Swiss president:

The president of the Swiss Confederation is speaking right now. He's just said he can't believe there are still UN members states that imprison citizens because of their opinons. He added that all people attending WSIS should be allowed to express their opinions freely and openly, clearly a reference to Tunisian interference in civil society's activities here. The comments were met with roaring applause from the civil society gallery.

The Tunisian government clearly does not agree. Ethan Zuckerman and I are participating tomorrow in a workshop called “Expression Under Repression.” We have heard that the Tunisian government has expressed the view that such a topic is not consistent with the conference theme of “ICT for Development.”  Of course, we have a different view, and are looking forward to a our session tomorrow. Our colleague John Palfrey has an excellent post on the impact of internet censorship on people’s lives and why we should care. Tunisian democracy activist Neila Charchour Hachicha has a poem in protest of the situation.

A number of people here are also disappointed that the local government’s behavior is detracting from what should be the central focus of this meeting: how to use technology to improve the lives of the world’s underprivileged, and how to bridge the digital divide.

Comments

[pieman]

Kieren McCarthy is also doing a good job from Tunis:

http://www.kierenmccarthy.co.uk/blog/

[Emmanuel.K.bensah]

Hi, Just crusied inb your blog. I like it!! EThan Zuckerman was supposed to get in touch with me about a Blogger's dinner. If you do read this before you see him, could you please let him know that Emmanuel Bensah, staying at Hotel Oscar, rue de Marseille, wondered why you never got back to him after informing him of the appetite-whetting blogger's dinner.

Thanks!!

My site is http://ekbensahinghana.blogspot.com, as well as the one listed above. Thanks!!

[Markus Beckedahl]

hi,

where can i find the room 3103 of expo3? i tried to ask for it, but there is no information available at the info-desks, where expo2 is and that the number 3103 exists.

ciao and thanks,
markus

[Peter]

Regarding Mr Schmid's comments, I was at Ted Global this year to hear Sasa Vucinic speak; he said that 85% of the world's population lives without free media. I am not sure where that figure comes from or how it is defined, but if anyone should know it is him. That is an astonishing number.