E-BUSH, GLOBAL LIMITS?
Over the next three days, 12-15,000 delegates will be meeting in Tunis for the World Summit on the Information Society. More than 40 world leaders, including UN Secretary Kofi Annan, will discuss the future of the Internet.
Daniel Howden, reporter with The Independent has outlined what is at stake:
"At present, the closest the internet has to a governing body is an obscure American, non-profit corporation called Icann. This quasi-independent body has, for years, quietly regulated domain names and allocated addresses. But its lease is nearly up. And the world's rich and powerful will join battle for control of what they see as a gold mine.
The Bush administration wants Icann turned into a private corporation, on US soil and subject to US controls. Much of the rest of the world objects to that but the loudest opponents are countries with a history of censorship and repression, such as China and Iran. The likely balance of power in that struggle rests with the European Union, whose position is not clear"
For more of Daniel Howden's important article see: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article327341.ece
For those in London or nearby, there is an important meeting on these issues tonight where the guest speaker is Ross Shimmon, former IFLA General Secretary (1999-2004). Details below:
IGLA INFORMAL MEETING ON THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
Ross Shimmon - International Federation of Library Associations, former General Secretary
Please come to our next ILIG Informal meeting
(International Library and Information Group of CILIP)
Wednesday 16th November 6pm - 7pm: at CILIP, 7 Ridgmount St, London WC1E
7AE
Ross Shimon, IFLA general secretary 1999-2004
WSIS (world summit on the information society): Attempt at Equity or Political Minefield?
Ross is bringing the debate he started at the CIlip Umbrella conference
in the summer to an ilig informal. An exciting opportunity to hear about
progress and debate the issues.
All welcome
Gillian Harris
Head of Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services
Professional Development Centre
English Street
London E3 4TA
Tel 020 7364 6428
Fax 020 7364 6422
Please circulate
Posted here by Ruth Rikowski
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