"This book provides an incisive analysis of the emergence and evolution of global Internet governance, revealing its mechanisms, key actors and dominant community practices. Based on extensive empirical analysis covering more than four decades, it presents the evolution of Internet regulation from t
...
he early days of networking to more recent debates on algorithms and artificial intelligence, putting into perspective its politically-mediated system of rules built on technical features and power differentials. For anyone interested in understanding contemporary global developments, this book is a primer on how norms of behaviour online and Internet regulation are renegotiated in numerous fora by a variety of actors - including governments, businesses, international organisations, civil society, technical and academic experts - and what that means for everyday users." (Publisher description)
more
"During the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Indigenous Peoples called for their full and effective participation in the Information Age on their own terms. While implementation of the WSIS Plan of Action has been limited, there are examples of Indigenous Peoples creatively engaging wi
...
th information and communications technologies (ICTs) independently, or in partnership with NGOs, private sector, governments, intergovernmental organizations, and other Indigenous Peoples. A broad range of innovative software, hardware, and existing technologies are being employed to, among other things: defend Indigenous Peoples’ human rights; and preserve, manage, and promote their unique cultural heritage. This report summarizes Indigenous Peoples’ engagement with the Information Society and provides an overview of their participation during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Particular attention is given to the relevance to “knowledge societies” and Action Line C8 of the WSIS Plan of Action on “Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content.” Drawing on Indigenous Peoples’ declarations, statements, and interviews with key experts and activists, as well as intergovernmental and academic reports, this review also showcases innovations, examples of good practice and emerging trends, with recommendations to guide strategies, projects, and policy-making, in the post-WSIS environment." (Abstract)
more
"This report responds to the opportunity provided by the WSIS+10 review which will culminate in 2015. Its purpose is to collate civil society perceptions of the changes that have taken place over the last ten years since the WSIS Declaration of Principles was adopted in 2003. The results are being u
...
sed as input to the formal WSIS review process, as well as to strategise around civil society joint agendas and common positions. To this extent it contributes towards addressing two problems: An apparent absence - in most parts of the world - of a people-centred approach to information and knowledge-sharing society policy and regulation - and the fragmentation of the communications rights movement, which had mobilised so intensively to ensure that a people-centred approach informed the outcomes of WSIS." (Introduction)
more
"The year 2010 marks the midpoint between the Tunis phase of WSIS (2005) and the deadline for achieving the WSIS targets (2015), in line with the target date of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report presents a mid-term review of the progress mad
...
e towards achieving the ten WSIS targets. The overall objective of the report is to provide policy-makers with a comprehensive assessment of the WSIS targets to date and, based on the findings, make suggestions on the types of policy measures required to meet them. The report also highlights the need for formal monitoring of progress towards achieving the WSIS targets. Currently, there are no agreed indicators for the targets which countries could use for monitoring purposes." (Executive summary, page xxi)
more
"Examines the actors, structures and themes that shaped the WSIS with a particular focus on the role played by civil society. The book investigates how civil society self-organization has continued post-WSIS through the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and other policymaking venues, and reflects on w
...
hat the WSIS experience reveals about the challenges and opportunities embedded in the notion of multi-stakeholder governance and its implications for understanding global communication." (Publisher description)
more
"This report investigates the impact media and ICTs can have on the lives of the poor, based on the experiences of nine donors and NGOs forming part of the "Building Communication Opportunities (BCO)" alliance. It suggests that radio will have the most influence on social and political change where
...
it is widely accessible, trusted by listeners, and open to inclusive participation. ICTs can help make markets work for the poor, but the surrounding circumstances are highly influential in determining in how far they make a difference. Communication networks appear to be particularly effective in building communities of activists where they enable the pooling of resources and expertise and leverage wider influence on decision-makers. However, the report concludes that evidence of the impact of ICTs is still weak. More debate is needed about how ICTs are best deployed. This requires learning how people really use the tools, as well as a more effective assessment of past and current experiences." (CAMECO Update 1-2009)
more
"El trabajo se propone investigar qué es la Sociedad de la Información y qué son las Sociedades del Conocimiento, quiénes han sido los actores y temas en debate y cuál podría ser la ruta crítica que permita analizar si es posible pensar en nuestros días qué otra comunicación es posible." (
...
Presentación y resumen ejecutivo)
more
"The experience of citizen involvement in public policy advocacy around the world has shown that the status quo tends to prevail unless political will to implement change is strengthened by active citizen participation. A “Global Information Society Watch” is needed to make governments and inter
...
national organisations accountable. This publication, the first in a series of reports covering the state of the information society on an annual basis, focuses on the theme of participation. The report has three interrelated goals: surveying the state of the field of ICT policy at the local and global levels; encouraging critical debate; and strengthening networking and advocacy for a just, inclusive information society. It discusses the WSIS process and a range of international institutions, regulatory agencies and monitoring instruments from the perspective of civil society and stakeholders in the global South. Alongside this discussion, we present a series of country reports which examine issues of access and participation within a variety of national contexts." (Introduction)
more
"The second edition of the World Information Society Report, published by ITU and UNCTAD, looks beyond the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS, Geneva 2003 - Tunis 2005) to the creation of an inclusive, people-centred and development-oriented Information Society, open to all. The report tr
...
acks progress in digital opportunity for 181 economies over the past few years since the start of the WSIS process and is accompanied by a series of tables providing the latest statistics on the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) worldwide. The report has been created by the “Digital Opportunity Platform”, an open multi-stakeholder platform with contributions from governments, private sector, academics and civil society, as well as inter-governmental organisations." (Back cover)
more
"If the ambitious goal of building a global Information Society is to be realised, it is important to track progress against the indicative targets set out in the WSIS final outcome documents. One of the key elements is the bridging of the digital divide. This is a measure of the gap in access to IC
...
Ts between different countries, or between different regions within a country. A further element is to examine the progress of the different multi-stakeholder partnerships that have been established during the WSIS process. There is a sense in which the WSIS has created a learning community, in which policy-makers and regulators can learn from best practice experiences of their neighbours and peers in other parts of the world. This Report is intended to provide guidelines for policymakers, in particular in developing countries, in the context of mobilizing resources and developing their own strategies for building the Information Society. In this regard, the Report covers the main elements of the Information Society and provides a new tool for measuring progress towards building it, through the Digital Opportunity Index (DOI)." (Page 11)
more
"This publication features a series of papers that represent an early exploration of the challenges and opportunities for actors committed to gender equality in the information society. It is meant to open up the debates that can pave the way for a sustained engagement of gender activists with one o
...
f the most powerful contemporary social phenomena." (Back cover)
more