From Sasha Costanza-Chock

A brief summary of recent developments around WSIS/alternative visions:

>The latest is still what was decided at a meeting in Geneva in early
>April: there should be a network of alternative/counter-events,
>representing distinct events with distinct approaches but cooperating
>closely. Those events, at the moment, are the Communications Rights >Forum,
the media lab, and a "make world" counter-conference. You can >get more info
at
>http://www.worldsummit2003.org/ and specifically at
>http://www.worldsummit2003.de/en/web/301.htm

>The CR Forum is starting to get organised, while the other 2 events
>haven't been planned in a more detailed way yet.

There is a (sometimes heated) discussion going on within the CRIS campaign,
currently the primary organizers of the WFCR, about the relationship to the
official process - ie, it is currently framed as 'parallel' but there is a
discussion about whether, when, and how it might need to become 'counter'.

Many of us have from the beginning seen the WSIS as an organizing
opportunity we could use to strenthen our own non-governmental, non-private
sector networks, and also possibly a time to push media, information, and
communication up the agenda of the various arms of the global justice
movement.

We share the analysis that any meaningful movement for communication rights
will need several components: policy advocacy, skillshare, education, and
direct action.

Currently, the WFCR is shaping up to be a space for media-specialist NGOs to
talk, possibly agree on a declaration about communication rights, and launch
some media focused initiatives. This will already be an important space, but
many of us would like to see more of an effort to include social movements
in the WFCR from the start. We also envision the WFCR in December as the
beginning of an ongoing process along the lines of, or in the 'family' of,
the World Social Forum - perhaps to take place again within WSF 2004,
perhaps a Thematic Social Forum on Communication Rights to take place in
2005 in counter to the second WSIS.

It shouldn't even have to be stated, but just to be sure: the inclusion of
social movements does not automatically imply a stance of physical
confontation against the WSIS, a desire to shut down the WSIS, riot police
and tear gas, etc. At this point what we are talking about is a real effort
to bring movements into the WFCR, in organizing it, setting the agenda,
speakers, tactics, etc.

That said, we also can't rule out confrontation a priori. For example, say,
if Bush attends, there will be many who quite legitimately would want to
visibly protest his violation of communication rights alongside all other
human rights, repeated bombing of information infrastructures, targeting of
reporters, violation of communications space with illegal propaganda
broadcasts, illegal electronic surveillance of communications worldwide,
militarization of cyberspace and use of cyberwarfare, militarization of
space and appropriation of valuable satellite orbits for military purposes,
etc.; I would argue that the WFCR should be a space to actively endorse, if
not initiate, protests of this nature.

In the US, there has been discussion of holding at least two (east coast,
west coast) meetings linked to the WFCR, to take place the weekend before;
these would link media activists to poor people's economic human rights
campaign and other movements for a day of skillshares, education, and
action. Communiques of some kind (written? Video? Live conference?) would
flow from these spaces to Geneva.

Another key space for linking more tightly with other arms of the Global
Justice movement will be Cancun Ministerial of the WTO. During that week,
each day will have a theme spearheaded by different arms of the Global
Justice Movement. A few days before, there will be a media/communications
themed day, planned by indymedia Mexico and other alternative mediamakers.
Their conception is to have a day of skillshare to teach various movements
how to help cover their own day of action during the ministerial; we will
propose (and they are interested) to also have some time to educate everyone
on global media policy and communication rights, for example how the USA
will try to bring AV sector into the WTO in the Cancun ministerial - and
hopefully, we will also be able to announce there the World Forum on
Communication Rights as a space for movements to participate as well.

possible outcomes of the WFCR will include a declaration on communication
rights, an index on the public sphere, concrete proposals (for example,one
idea, albeit reformist in nature, is to frame the electromagnetic spectrum
and the satellite orbits as part of the global commons, like water. Like
water, they should not be given away for free for private sector to profit
from. Instead, any private sector use of global commons should require
significant fee, which would go towards supporting democratic
communications.)

There should also be a response to the wave of mergers that will come with
the US Federal Communications Commission decision today, June 2nd, which
allows much greater media consolidation.

Also perhaps (as mentioned above) the World Forum on Communication Rights
could be a space from which to launch formal (legal?) inditements against
the US government for violation of communications rights/treaties. A demand
against the militarization of communications. (A concrete proposal from Dee
Dee Halleck: 'for every military satellite, there should be a people's
satellite.')


OK that's all for now, hope it updates the picture somewhat.
Peace
Sasha Costanza-Chock

Clemencia Rodriguez
Associate Professor
Department of Communication
University of Oklahoma
610 Elm Avenue
Norman OK 73019 USA
405 325 1570
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