An editorial from Kofi Annan in today's Washington Post:
The U.N. Isn't a Threat to the Net
The main objective of the World Summit on the Information Society to be
held this month in Tunisia is to ensure that poor countries get the full
benefits that new information and communication technologies --
including the Internet -- can bring to economic and social development.
But as the meeting draws nearer, there is a growing chorus of
misinformation about it.
One mistaken notion is that the United Nations wants to "take over,"
police or otherwise control the Internet. Nothing could be farther from
the truth. The United Nations wants only to ensure the Internet's global
reach, and that effort is at the heart of this summit.
Strong feelings about protecting the Internet are to be expected. In its
short life, the Internet has become an agent of revolutionary change in
health, education, journalism and politics, among other areas. In the
United Nations' own work for development, we have glimpsed only the
beginning of the benefits it can provide: for victims of disaster,
quicker, better-coordinated relief; for poor people in remote areas,
lifesaving medical information; and, for people trapped under repressive
governments, access to uncensored information as well as an outlet to
air their grievances and appeal for help.
<snip>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/04/AR2005110401431.html
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Andy Carvin
Program Director
EDC Center for Media & Community
acarvin @ edc . org
http://www.digitaldivide.net
http://katrina05.blogspot.com
Blog: http://www.andycarvin.com
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