2. ICT-D STRATEGY UNDP – IDRC MEETING OTTAWA – JULY 2003 Panel: The Right to Communicate Daniel Pimienta pimienta@funredes.org FUNREDES http://funredes.org

3. The RIGHT TO COMMUNICATE? Important matter! * Anti terrorist US Policies (spying us, censorship will) * A LEGAL matter (and a matter for campaigns)  Good people are taking care: APC, CRIS, ARTICLE 19…

4. LIMITS OF THE APPROACH Good will of USA (absent!)Good will of USA (absent!) Vision from the North (top dopwn again!)Vision from the North (top dopwn again!) The weakness of law in the SouthThe weakness of law in the South Social considerations are absentSocial considerations are absent “Traditional media” vision“Traditional media” vision

5. ANOTHER APPROACH? (From our institutional vision) Network culture Network culture Process oriented Process oriented Research-action Research-action Bottom-up Bottom-up Rooted in the South Rooted in the South New paradigm... New paradigm...

6. OTHER QUESTIONS: How to build collective meaning? How to build collective meaning? (& learn to collaborate in the cyberspace…) How to empower virtual communities? How to empower virtual communities? (& enlarge public domain of knowledge…) (& implement participative democracy from the bottom-up) (& open new paths…) How to have influence on ideas and concepts? How to have influence on ideas and concepts? (& reach stakeholders in public policies)

7. THE (right) PROCESS TO COMMUNICATE! Some answers, some collective products, some methodological innovations. Some answers, some collective products, some methodological innovations. Many collective thoughts, a lot of questions. Many collective thoughts, a lot of questions. Trials and errors, permanenet evaluations… Trials and errors, permanenet evaluations…  Check http://funredes.org/mistica (Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar) Antonio Machado – Sevilla - 1890

8. MISTICA????? Methodology & Social Impact of ICT in LA&C Methodology & Social Impact of ICT in LA&C A THINK NET A THINK NET A Multilingual Virtual Community A Multilingual Virtual Community A Human Network A Human Network An Information Network An Information Network A Clearinghouse A Clearinghouse A Community of Practices A Community of Practices A Knowledge repository A Knowledge repository Pilot Applications Pilot Applications A Process oriented project A Process oriented project An IDRC funded initiative started in 1998 An IDRC funded initiative started in 1998 Collective position papers Collective position papers A high signal over noise virtual place A high signal over noise virtual place Methodological experiments for virtual democracy Methodological experiments for virtual democracy 500,000 hits per month 500,000 hits per month  The PROCESS to PARTICIPATE

9. Process to Communicate vs. Right to Communicate? Hey!!! Not in opposition! Rather complementary…

10. TALKING ABOUT NEW PARADIGM: HOW ABOUT A CHANGE IN COOPERATION? Giving a chance to South-South cooperation. Giving a chance to South-South cooperation. Facilitating bottom-up initiatives Facilitating bottom-up initiativesHOW?

11. NEW PARADIGM COOPERATION NEW POSSIBLE ROLE FOR FUNDERS Inventory field players Inventory field players Select field players projects in transparent accountable processes Select field players projects in transparent accountable processes Keep funding successful players Keep funding successful players Incentive collaboration Incentive collaboration Stop funding failures Stop funding failures Support South-South actions Support South-South actions Evaluate impact Evaluate impact (a real challenge indeed!)

12. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE FOUNDATION NETWORKS & DEVELOPMENT WORKING FOR ICT4D IN THE FIELD SINCE 1988… HTTP://FUNREDES.ORG