Our own Jody Mahoney sent in reports from WSIS (the World Summit on the Information Society conference held in Tunis in November).  Now she's written up her thoughts as Notes from Abroad: Human Rights and Web 2.0. Jody writes:

Freedom takes on a new meaning in a place where you encounter checkpoints and controlled entries at every turn; where sharpshooters cradling automatic weapons line the road for miles and armed police and national guardsmen are present everywhere.

Jody Mahoney also sends this:

Go immediately to this website if you aren't lucky enough to be at WSIS and see it in person. Empowered by the Shuttleworth Foundation, the FREEDOM TOASTER (think Bring & Burn) is a CD/DVD kiosk stand where, for the cost of a CD, you walk up, push a button, pop in your CD, and burn whatever open source software you need. No charge. No muss. No fuss. Just the cost of a CD. Freedom toasters in South African locations, East London, and a few other cool sites.

Urls and websites of some of the CSO participants at WSIS have been blocked by the Tunisian government. The Swiss President was censored on Tunisian television. I travel each day through multiple armed checkpoints & roadblocks in order to get from my hotel to the Kram expo. We go through security screening everywhere.

I am seeing the use of blogs and RSS aggregators in a very different light from my understanding of their use in the US. In the US, I considered them tools for networking and information exchange/dialogue. In Tunis, however, one begins to understand the compelling argument for free and open source information exchange--the more blogs, RSS aggregators, community radios, and open source tools, the greater chance there is for information to slip through the ranks of censors and out to the public. As Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate said yesterday, "...human rights defenders--the writers, translators, are imprisoned--their only crime freedom of expression."

Jody Mahoney has sent us some quotes from WSIS:

"The costs of connectivity, computers and mobile telephones can be brought down. These assets -- these bridges to a better life -- can be made universally affordable and accessible. We must summon the will to do it."
--Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations

"It is, quite frankly, unacceptable for the United Nations to continue to include among its members states which imprison citizens for the sole reason that they have criticised their government on the internet or in the media. As far as I'm concerned, it goes without saying that here in Tunis inside these walls as well as outside everyone can express themselves freely. It is one of the conditions sine qua non for the success of this international conference."
--Samuel Schmid, Swiss President (NOTE: These comments were censored on Tunisian Television today)

Unlimited (if your body holds up). This was the first day of full WSIS operation. The President of Tunisia arrived this morning, the ICT4all exhibit hall was open with an array of multistakeholder exhibits, and the WSIS plenary hall was in full swing.

Three innovative organizations

CTCs in South African urban and rural communities: Refilwe Tshabalala of South Africa (who came highly recommended by David Barnard, Executive Director of SANGONeT in South Africa). Refilwe is very knowledgeable about Community Technology Centers, particularly about the social impact of CTCs. It was Refilwe's opinion that technology was in many ways the least important work of telecentres. Really good telecentres, he said, are able to address the fundamental social needs of people, providing them an introduction to techology within the social customs most familiar to them. He said a really effective telecentre understands that if technology is presented within the social customs of a group of people, not only is it likely to be adopted, but it changes the adopter, inspiring confidence and a willingness to risk.

Sunday: On the plane to Tunisia, and it seems that most of my companion travelers are here for the same reason, to attend the second phase of the World Summitt on Information Society hosted by the United Nations in Tunis 16-18 November. In addition to WSIS, a series of conferences, talks, presentations and meetings occurs from 14 November through 18 November in parallel to WSIS, known as ICT4all.