Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

WSIS 2003

December 2003: UN's World Summit on the Information Society held in Geneva.

Full article | 2 comments

World Summit On Information Society - Part II

15-11-2005 17:24

Tunis during WSIS november 2005
The second part of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is held from November 16 to 18 in Tunis, Tunisia. The first part of the UN sponsored event was held in Switzerland in December 2003, where people from all around the world gathered for meetings and actions during the official meeting in Geneva expressing protest under the slogan 'WSIS - we seize'.

The choice of place for the second part of WSIS - Tunis - is more than hypocritical for a summit on information society: While Tunisia is catching up economically with the capitalist North, it is far from any information society if you are talking about the freedom of information (report). Furthermore - and different to 2003 - it seems almost impossible to express protest against this summit. Nevertheless some initiatives and organisations called for alternative meetings. Some Human Rights Groups take part in the "Citizens Summit on the Information Society (CSIS)". Others try to bring in their ideas within the WSIS itself.

Free access to knowledge for everybody is not the goal of WSIS, and the summit organizers' plan is to concentrate on governmental and corporate use of information and communication technologies. This approach fits the choice of place. Yet, the summit does not only give legitimacy to a repressive regime, its focus also ignores the social and technological situation in the Magrebh region. The majority of people in this part of the world do not have access to communication tools and the authoritarian regimes in the region are reliable allies to the european governments in supressing freedom of movement.

Update 16 November:It is reported that Tunesia is blocking unofficial websites related to the WSIS. People said that they could not access Websites as wsisblogs.org or the CSIS Website from hotels or other places outside the official media centre. ( study on Tunesian internet filtering ). Furthermore there were reports of repressiv actions by Tunesian authorities against groups claiming freedom of speech in the days before the conference started.

2005:'Tunisia and WSIS' dedicated page of the WSIS CS Human Rights Caucus| CSIS Website | IP Justice | from the region(fr):tunezine |nawaat | reveiltunisien | Wikipedia On WSIS | IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group | Some Blogs: one | two | three | four | five (de) |

2003: Feature on the WSIS 2003 at Indymedia UK | World Forum on Communication Rights in Geneva 2003 | Some IMC UK articles on 2003:one | two | three | four | five

Full article

WE Seize! : Getting To Grips With Information Society

13-12-2003 00:54

Intro to InfoWar sfconf 10th december

The Geneva03 "We Seize" Polymedia Lab ran from Dec 9 to Dec 12, and even a few hours before it closed its doors, people were still working on about 10 permanent work-terminals and 30 laptops. A few hours prior, the number of connected laptops had peaked at around 40. Within the same building, a radio studio and various video streaming boxes were continuously in action - including streaming a live radio show to Resonance FM in London where it was transmitted over the airwaves.

The Polymedia Lab was an experiment in free sharing of knowledge and software, cables, boxes and food, and in some cases even clothes. It came together despite initial problems on Dec. 9th, when the authorities suddenly decided that the project could not take place at the scheduled location by closing it down [pics]. Eventually, Geneva City Council provided the Palladium, a stylish culture venue. Strangely enough, when the council was asked for a space a few weeks ago, they were not able to find something, claiming that all spaces were fully booked.

All this was taking place at the same time as the official UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva, Switzerland. Throughout the week a video and audio stream was broadcasted worlwide by HighNoon. Activists demanded that the UN Summit addressed issues of intellectual property, human rights, the right to communicate, infowar, the rights to cheap generic medicine, and to free software as a model for technological development. Some of the issues addressed and debated, and projects put into practice in the Polimedia Lab included: Seizing... You can't beat the feeling! | All technology to the multitude | Free Software | Become the Media! | Switch TV! | Gasparri redux | We proclaim our precarious state | Pirate pride | WSIS Reload | Attention as a common good | Digital Denied | Intellectual Property | Reclaim the media - Reclaim the money | Small cybersoviets growing up... | Icome and action | Cielito Lindo | Hacklabs | Yomango

A one day event labelled as World Forum on Communication Rights also took place in Geneva alongside the WSIS summit on Thursday 11th. This was an independent civil-society led initiative, open to all seeking democratic, just and participative media and communication. This event was initiated by the Communication Rights in the Information Society campaign (CRIS), it is led by a coalition of international NGOs.

Main IMC-UK WSIS page | original article

Full article

WSIS? Seizing! - Reports from Friday 12th

12-12-2003 23:23

The last day of the WSIS saw the evaluation questions begining. Even the BBC reporters blog covering WSIS noted the lack of momentum and the general feeling of impotence within WSIS on Friday.

In central Geneva the anti WSIS demonstration organised for midday in the main shopping street next to the railway station was stopped by Police. As people began to gather a steadily growing number of police in riot gear stopped anyone they thought might be there for the demonstration and searched them and their bags, also checking and recording passport details and ID papers. It was a public show of intimidation, but people stood their ground. The numbers present were hard to estimate since the aggressive policing encouraged people to spread themselves down the street, but we reckon there were around 50-60 people (excluding corporate press and undercover police).

After a banner had been unfurled the police announced that the demonstration would not be allowed and that people must disperse. Shortly after the first arrests took place as three people who refused to show their ID papers were dragged and carried away. There then followed about half an hour where more people were dragged off [video] and pushing took place as the police presence grew until they had dispersed the crowd, they also confiscated banners and other items. There was a report of one man being beaten inside one of the police vans.

Two follow up protests took place - one at the train station where people covered their mouths to represent the silencing of critical voices - and another outside the police station where two of the arrested had been taken. Here there were reports of police charging at the demonstraters and dispersing them. There were something like nine arrests, but all were later released. Read report and pictures and audio: french report.

An immediate message of solidarity came out from the Civil Society end plenary session condemning the police repression and once again focussing attention onto the freedom of communication and expression, and the direct hypocrysy seen here in geneva (also see story 8 reporters banned after peaceful protest). It was later followed up by a Press Release and adopted within the official closing statement, which caused some trouble inside wsis and outside with police, as well as not a little confusion.

At the Polymedia Lab (see review) the High Noon video streaming continued (pic) and a radio show was streamed live from the Lab to Resonance FM in London (mp3 dowload) while more analysis and coverage continued to be published. As the WSIS was concluding so too was the Polymedia Lab, with the grand final gala Yomango dinner - people logged off from their computers and joined together for a fine communal meal, followed by a party (attended also by visitors from WSIS). By 2am the net connection was closed, the beer had run out, and the Palladium hall provided by the authorities was cleaned and cleared.

There will now be a process of evaluation on all sides, but what is certainly clear is that the WSIS has been (and has been shown to have been) a non inclusive summit, more interested in business than development issues. But while community media and communication rights were pushed out of the main agenda, their influence and agenda was everywhere. With the next phase set for Tunisia 2005 you can sure that the WSIS will remain controversial, and also that the links made here in Geneva will strengthen the growing movement around media justice and communication rights.

Other Recommended Reports + Links:

Five audio pieces from civil society orgs in/out wsis:
Reporters without borders / South African photographer / SIL - letters for the unwritten languages / media caucus / governments and open source

Audio: "Spontaneous" demonstration of "joy":
50 people from Tunisia gather outside the UN to show they joy about the next WSIS being held in Tunisia! (french)

"Shaping Information Societies for Human Needs":
Civil Society Declaration to the World Summit on the Information Society

Press Statement of the Indigenous Peoples Delegation
Community Media Forum Review [it]
WSIS RFID Story: China: The Real Risks
WEMF celebrates / reflects - media Activists expose "Infowar"
Richard Stallman: Combatting Terror Tactics
European and North American Womenaction Reports

Also see Indymedia features in Switzerland and Italy

Full article

Summary Of WSIS Reports - Thurs 11th

11-12-2003 23:23

mermaid fuck ip projection on wipo building
The day started with disturbing reports from inside WSIS where the military security seemed to have turned into the 'thought police', examining people's paperwork and questioning one delegate about his copy of Adbusters magazine!

Presentations and workshops continued thoughout the day at the Polymedia Lab, including open source swaps, Yomango, and culture hacking amoung others, while films were also shown in the venue while the High Noon video netcast streamed an impressive collection of films and content, spinning across the globe through the time zones (review).

Inside WSIS (pics) Thursday saw the the World Forum on Communication Rights (WFCR), with an impressive list of speakers covering issues such as Human Rights, Poverty, Communications for Peace and communications during war, Copyright, Trade, and (Resisting) the Enclosure of the Global Knowledge Commons. Speakers also denounced the increasingly excessive use of intellectual property rights as an income protection mechanism, reserving knowledge for the elite and preventing public knowledge from reaching the legitimate public domain. The Civil Society statement on Communication Rights was also released [see Highlights | Commentary].

In the evening, around 50 activists involved in the alternative events WSIS? We Seize! put up a projector in front of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and screened the short film "Give me the Mermaid" - a film criticising the intellectual property regime - on the outside walls of the building. An "official" invitation for the event had been distributed inside the Palexpo building, and a number of civil society and media representatives followed the invitation. The film was a compilation of clips with Disney figures acting as the voices of corporate power. The WIPO is an international institution that harmonizes intellectual property laws on a US based model, giving corporations full right to decide on intellectual property. Rather than inspiring creativity, as the industry claims, activists maintain thatintellectual property rights are a means of control of knowledge in the hands of a few powerful business actors. The police initially tried to stop the screening, but were persuaded to go easy when presented with the invitation to the screening, printed by the group, which looked like a formal and official invitation from WSIS.

Audio : Listen to reason for action targeting WIPO
Video : Watch Give me the mermaid (scroll, clip starts at 20:08) [download]
Read more : Wipe Out WIPO! | WIPO Hit by Little Mermaid | Call for Protest
Pictures
: 1 | 2

Full article

Summary of WSIS Reports - Wed 10th

10-12-2003 12:23

Wednesday 10th December saw the Polymedia Lab move into it's new location at Palladium, Rue du Stand 3, after successful negotiations with the authorities. People worked to set up the networks and equipment and we now have a fully functioning space where people are sharing and learning together and working on Creative Interventions (see pics 1,2).

Around the corner at L'Usine the Strategic Conference got underway a day late (pics). See reports from the following sessions: Hacklabs, InfoWar and Autonomous Media. The proceedings were streamed and the IRC participation and notes are archived. In Vienna there was also a banner drop reading "Save The Digital E-COLOGY".

At the WSIS itself and ICT4D exhibition continued (pics 1,2), news surfaced of an important intervention into the security regime of the UN Summit, where a group of independent researchers had spoofed the registration process to reveal how RFID chips were embedded in the passes and how delegates privacy is threatened by a security system that breaks the principles of the Swiss Federal Law on Data Protection, the European Union Data Protection Directive 95/46/ECand the UN guidelines concerning Computerized personal data files (See Press Release, Picture Story).

Meanwhile Radio Non Grata, a pirate radio station set up by Reporters Sans Frontieres after their exclusion from the WSIS was shut down by Police in France - where they were broadcasting from. RSF have over the past days been highly critical of both the WSIS (labelling it a "masquerade") and the UN (see report).

Tunisia, where the next part of the WSIS is due to be held in 2005, is fast becoming a very hot topic. Indeed both the RFID and RSF press releases mention it as a prime cause for concern. It has an appalling record on human rights and the freedom of expression, and currently the 2005 Summit is planned to be headed by Habib Ammar, under whose Ministry of the Interior torture of political dissidents was widespread. Reports have also come in from inside the WSIS Palexpo of the effective censoring of Terra Viva, a newspaper produced by Inter Press Service, which has been critical of Tunisia.

Other reports have also described how some exhibitors are refusing to be interviewed or filmed (including UNHCR and Microsoft - especially about the immigration registration kit), and how some activists have been prevented from handing out flyers inside the WSIS.

Geneva03 events will continue overr the next few days - see new Schedule

Full article | 1 comment

Tuesday 9th: Digital Divide: Cops Raid Polymedia Lab

09-12-2003 12:54

Riot Police

News from Geneva that the police have raided the Polymedia Lab on Tuesday, 9th December, at 11am local time. The Polymedia Lab was planned in for today's S-Conf open conference event to take place. Whilst the participants are currently consulting legal counsel, events have temporarily moved elsewhere. Meanwhile, action committees are formed to deal with the issues of space and accomodation.

Reports: short | long | Quicktime Video Clip | Performance review | Denial of new space | Meeting notes
Streaming audio | pictures | | irc.indymedia.org #sconf
Newswire reports: [1,2,3, 4, 5]
More information under: [WSIS? We Seize! | Polimedia Lab website | uk feature site | Wiki website | World Summit on Information Society]

Full article | 1 comment

Reports From Monday 9th

08-12-2003 23:27

The World Summit on Information Society and the (counter/parallel) activities happening around it are now beginning, with activists from all over the world starting to arrive to participate in both the alternative projects outside of the WSIS and the official programme.

Today the Geneva03 platform held a press conference at which the text of the press release was presented, illustrating the main points of its discontent with the official discussions: quote: "The official agenda of this UN/ITU Summit talks about free access to information, the digital divide and equality of opportunities, in reality its doors are closed, its discussions exclusive and the agendas of those who attend it concealed..."

Civil Society elements, participating in the official discussions, did not refrain from also publishing a press release on its views. Although less direct the main message was still critical of the official process and in particular it states that "At this step of the process, the first phase of the Summit, Geneva, December 2003, our voices and the general interest we collectively expressed is not adequately reflected in the Summit documents." Indeed some of the more progressive sections of civil society are organising their own fringe event, the World Forum on Communication Rights(program), to discuss their vision of the future of Information Society. There were also reports from yesterday's contention between the delegates that couldn't agree on the government declaration. The civil society plenary has decided to make their own declaration and are drafting a civil society plenary declaration that will support free and open software, against media monopoly etc."

Many human rights and communications rights activists from around the world are holding meetings sharing their experiences and planning campaigns. Just one of the new initiatives announced today included the plan to create a global index to monitor communication rights and repressive regimes around the world. Many are also preparing to present the Charter of Communication Rights, which today had an addition unanimously accepted which denounces info-war in terms of the targetting of journalists in conflicts and the attacking of civillian communications structures and media and so on.

Rumours that the workers of the ITU, who are hosting the whole WSIS, were to go on strike tomorrow have been denied. However the situation remains that 80-100 workers will lose their jobs at the end of December. While many have said privately that they are angry at their situation, and would like to take some form of action, they are in a difficult position. Their contracts forbid them from engaging in 'political activity' and they are represented by a company union, which means any organising meeting they hold has ITU management representitives

The spaces and infrastructure that are going to host the alternative conferences, workshops and projects are in their final stages of preparation. The co-ordination meetings of S-CONF which starts tomorrow and continues on Wednesday, looking at the strategic alternatives on the fundamental issues facing information society, have been concluded and its shedule is now complete (NB. it will be streamed live and archived). A conference about migration, labor, media and organizing and their relation to information society is also scheduled for the 9th.

Meanwhile the the WSIS infrastructure is also taking shape at the Palexpo centre right next to Geneva airport. In the massive halls the facilities for exhibitions and the main summit are being prepared. Bizarely the security checkpoint hall was still this morning being cleared of mountains of straw and what smelled mostly like cow shit. In the adjoining hall the ICT4D exhibition (Information and Communication Technology for Development) and forum was taking shape with some strange bedfellows - The Ministry of Information Industry PR of China rubbing shoulders with APC South Africa. One interesting installation being set up was the African Village which contains a streaming radio studio - a joint collaboration with AMARC and Radio Lora which will be broadcasting each day in several languages (including english language 8am-9am GMT) - listen here.

The registration process to the ICT4D exhibition has been a real mess all day. Participants that had registered were consistently not found in their databases, with passes being issued apparently just on trust. Combined with the clear lack of training of those in charge of operating the systems it was a wonderful opportunity to get a badge in exchange with very poor personal data. The security to the ICT4D space was also lax enough to allow non accredited people to roam freely, despite a number of soldiers setting up the barbed wire outside throughout the day. Indeed the area around the Palexpo centre is now being fenced off and screened off to provide a sterile area for the governments, corporations and corporate media representitives who are now arriving, including tomorrow the World Bank Group.

End Comment: Last night two swiss corporate journalists were overheard to say "wow, it's like back in 1968" - "yeah" replied to the other, "it's like '68, but with laptops!".

[All Geneva03 events| latest news]

Full article

WSIS and Independent Media Centers

03-12-2003 19:10

The UN world summit of the information society is approaching fast, it will take place between Dec 10 and 12. A World Forum on Communication Rights, initiated by the Cris Campaign, will take place at the same time. It will tackle issues that the WSIS dares not, linking communication with issues such as poverty, social exclusion, militarism, cultural diversity and human rights.

The "We Seize" initiative has organised a follow-up to the Hub-Project in Florence. A number of imcistas will report - read on for some background:

We Seize | Hub Project | PolyMediaLab | High Noon| Strategic Conference

Full article | 5 comments

WSIS? We Seize!

27-11-2003 13:00

WSIS HubThe World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a full United Nations Summit to be held 10-12 December 2003 in Geneva with a second meeting in Tunis in 2005. [Official Website]

Community media and other civil society organisations are organising a number of events to run alongside and contra to the WSIS which, they believe, fails to promote media diversity or engage with the question of fair access to the Information Society.

The Summit's stated objective is to address the inequalities that will arise as the world changes from an industrial to information-based society. Information is a powerful tool for economic and social development and the WSIS was announced as a platform for the UN, governments, the private sector along with civil society groups to contribute to bridging digital and knowledge divisions.

However the Civil Society grouping including many progressive electronic networks have severly criticised the process for failing to agree on a comittment to basic human right standards (most prominent in this case being the freedom of expression), as well as failing to properly include a development agenda and address issues such as media concentration, support for community media, internet governance, free software, and security. The stage is now set for a confrontation as the movement for media democracy and communication rights continues to gain pace.

Links: UN Summit Information Society | Prepcom Reports | WSIS? We Seize! | Polymedia Lab | WFCR | Indymedia Switzerland

XML UK WSIS 2003 Feature Archive

Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Text APC Special Round-Up Report on WSIS
13-01-2004 17:15

Image World Summit on the Information Society - Report back + discussion (jan 30th)
12-01-2004 11:59

Text Polymedia Lab Closing Dinner - Dec 12
15-12-2003 21:18

Image Re: PHONY DEbatecleaned UP! Post incls. NEW oil,oaths,womenVote remarks + link
14-12-2003 17:04 | 1 comment

Image WSIS Collected Reports: Friday 12th
13-12-2003 20:12

Image Summary of WSIS reports - Thursday 11th Dec 2003
12-12-2003 21:00

Text WSIS: Press Release on Civil Society Plenary Condemning Rights Violations
12-12-2003 20:09

Image Collected reports from WSIS - wed 10th Dec
11-12-2003 00:58

Image WSIS: Security and privacy risks
10-12-2003 16:27

Text WSIS news + background coverage (2 items)
09-12-2003 20:45

Text UK indymedia is effective
09-12-2003 16:31 | 8 comments

Image WSIS: Todays Performance At The Geneva Polymedia Lab
09-12-2003 14:15 | 1 comment

Text wsis - Polymedia Lab Raid
09-12-2003 13:14

Text Police raid 'We Seize!' Polimedia Lab
09-12-2003 12:02

Image WSIS Polymedia Lab Closed by Riot Police
09-12-2003 11:57

Text Polimedia Lab homeless?
09-12-2003 10:32

Text WSIS Report From Geneva - Wednesday 8th Dec
08-12-2003 21:09

Image !!! we seize mutant ninja direct action !!!
05-12-2003 14:54 | 2 comments

Text "We Seize" - Press Release #1
04-12-2003 16:24

Text Auntie goes WSIS...
04-12-2003 00:17

Text WSIS Strategic Conference
02-12-2003 12:42

Text ESF - Open Source or ownership of information
16-11-2003 15:44 | 1 comment

Text WSIS@dmz, london
15-11-2003 14:52

Text WSIS video project
10-11-2003 12:28

Text Is Capital taking over Linux?
04-11-2003 22:35 | 13 comments

Text Action against software patents
25-10-2003 11:44 | 1 comment

Text call: WSIS? WE SEIZE!
16-10-2003 22:27

Text Why the ''Free Market'' despises Open Source software
12-10-2003 20:31 | 1 comment

Text Sheffield Public Meeting: Free as in Freedom
07-10-2003 14:49 | 2 comments

XML UK WSIS 2003 Newswire Archive