Towards a Sustainable Information Society: Deconstructing WSIS (Intellect Books - European Communication Research and Education Association)

The Information Society is one of the recurrent imaginaries to describe present-day structures, discourses and practices. Within its meaning is enshrined the promise of a better world, sometimes naively assuming a technological deus ex machina, in other cases hoping for the creation of policy tools that will overcome a diversity of societal divides. With the two-phased World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the United Nations attempted to stimulate the development of such tools. Simultaneously, the WSIS is a large-scale experiment in multistakeholderism. The objective was to create a more balanced decision-making process that would allow the voices of civil society and business actors to be heard in international politics. This book aims to evaluate the potentialities of both the Information Society, and the WSIS in supporting and constructing more democratic, just and developed societies. It is the second book arising from the intellectual work of European Consortium for Communications Research members.|The Information Society is one of the recurrent imaginaries to describe present-day structures, discourses and practices. Within its meaning is enshrined the promise of a better world, sometimes naively assuming a technological deus ex machina, in other cases hoping for the creation of policy tools that will overcome a diversity of societal divides. With the two-phased World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the United Nations attempted to stimulate the development of such tools. Simultaneously, the WSIS is a large-scale experiment in multistakeholderism. The objective was to create a more balanced decision-making process that would allow the voices of civil society and business actors to be heard in international politics. This book aims to evaluate the potentialities of both the Information Society, and the WSIS in supporting and constructing more democratic, just and developed societies. It is the second book arising from the intellectual work of European Consortium for Communications Research members. Foreword: Towards A New Democratic Lingua Franca / Bart Staes -- Introduction: Steps To Achieve A Sustainable Information Society / Jan Servaes & Nico Carpentier -- The Unbearable Lightness Of Full Participation In A Global Context: Wsis And Civil Society Participation / Bart Cammaerts & Nico Carpentier -- Communication Governance And The Role Of Civil Society: Reflections On Participation And The Changing Scope Of Political Action / Claudia Padovani & Arjuna Tuzzi -- Civil Society's Involvement In The Wsis Process: Drafting The Alter-agenda / Divina Frau Meigs -- Wsis And Organised Networks As New Civil Society Movements / Ned Rossiter -- How Civil Society Can Help Civil Society / Stefano Martelli -- What Price The Information Society?: A Candidate Country Perspective Within The Context Of The Eu's Information Society Policies / Miyase Christensen -- Peer-to-peer: From Technology To Politics / Michel Bauwens -- From Virtual To Everyday Life / Paulverschueren -- Shifting From Equity To Efficiency Rationales: Global Benefits Resulting From A Digital Solidarity Fund / Claudio Feijóo González [and Others] -- Psb As An Instrument Of Implementing Wsis Aims / Barbara Thomass -- Afterword: Towards A Knowledge Society And Sustainable Development: Deconstructing The Wsis In The European Policy Context / Peter Johnston -- Recommendations On The Subject Of Research And Education In The Area Of The Information Society. Edited By Jan Servaes & Nico Carpentier. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Table of Contents 4 Foreword: Towards a New Democratic Lingua Franca: Opening Speech at the ECCR WSIS conference, European Parliament March 1, 2004 6 Introduction: Steps to Achieve a Sustainable Information Society 10 1: The Unbearable Lightness of Full Participation in a Global Context: WSIS and Civil Society Participation 22 2: Communication Governance and the Role of Civil Society: Reflections on Participation and the Changing Scope of Political Action 56 3: Civil Society’s Involvement in the WSIS Process: Drafting the Alter-Agenda 86 4: WSIS and Organized Networks as New Civil Society Movements 102 5: How Civil Society Can Help Civil Society 122 6: What Price the Information Society? A Candidate Country Perspective within the Context of the EU’s Information Society Policies 134 7: Peer-to-Peer: From Technology to Politics 156 8: From Virtual to Everyday Life 174 9: Shifting from Equity to Efficiency Rationales: Global Benefits Resulting from a Digital Solidarity Fund 190 10: PSB as an Instrument of Implementing WSIS Aims 200 Afterword: Towards a Knowledge Society and Sustainable Development: Deconstructing the WSIS in the European Policy Context 208 Recommendations on the Subject of Research and Education in the Area of the Information Society 212 Notes on Contributors 216 The World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS) has become a test-case for the 'multi-stakeholder approach'. This collection, which presents the work of members of the European Consortium for Communications Research (ECCR), attempts to discuss the major issues for a sustainable future of Knowledge Societies.