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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-CA link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Marita,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>I’m delighted that you have been invited to the CIRA/C-UNESCO consultation on WSIS +10 and I’m sure you will well articulate the shared Telecommunities Canada positions. And thanks for taking the time to ask for broader input.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>My line of questions was based on a larger set of concerns. As we all know there has been with the Harper (and immediately previous) governments a drastic defunding of civil society including in our areas of interest, to the point of virtual destruction of large segments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>It is good that CIRA with its independent source of funding (notably through it’s monopoly position as a public trust) has emerged to take up some of the slack. I do applaud them for that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>However, there is a considerable risk in having an interested party such as CIRA which is not, as you well know, well versed in, or generally sympathetic to what has traditionally been civil society concerns; taking up what has traditionally been a representative civil society mantle (i.e. providing a platform for the non-governmental, non-private sector positions). Notably also, these activities are being undertaken without broader and independent oversight or consultation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Specifically in this regard I would point you to the previous two Canadian IGF’s where the opportunities for non-Ottawa/Montreal/Toronto participation either in person (through travel funding) or remotely with an effective technology platform for remote participation were more or less completely absent. In fact as with the WSIS +10 consultation there appeared to be no broader request for input or even distribution of information concerning the meeting—at least none that reached me on the West Coast. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>There is nothing wrong with CIRA (or UNESCO) sponsoring a private meeting of whoever it chooses to invite; however, there is something seriously wrong when CIRA sponsors meetings such as the C-IGF’s and evidently this WSIS +10 one which evidently purport to be the “Canadian” IGF, or a “Canadian” consultation on WSIS +10 which quite evidently are by their nature nothing of the kind—being neither open nor obviously inclusive. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Please note that I raised this issue with CIRA (Byron Holland) in the context of the most recent IGF without receiving an effective response.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Mike<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'>Michael Gurstein, Ph.D.</span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'> <br></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'>Editor in Chief: Journal of Community Informatics </span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'><br></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'>web: </span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'><a href="http://ci-journal.net/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#44546A'>http://ci-journal.net</span></a> <br><br></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'>Executive Director: Centre for Community Informatics Research, Development and Training (CCIRDT)</span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'> <br></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'>Vancouver, BC CANADA </span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'>tel/fax: <a href="tel:%2B1-604-602-0624" target="_blank"><span style='color:#44546A'>+1-604-602-0624</span></a></span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'> <br></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'>email: </span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'><a href="mailto:gurstein@gmail.com"><span style='color:#44546A'>gurstein@gmail.com</span></a> <br></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'>blog: </span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;color:#44546A'><a href="http://gurstein.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#44546A'>http://gurstein.wordpress.com</span></a></span><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#44546A'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#44546A'>twitter: @michaelgurstein</span><span lang=EN-US> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>