The WSIS: whose freedom, whose information?

In Geneva, more than 130 of the world's governments are meeting in the first phase of the UN World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS), to discuss how to bridge the "digital divide" and bring more telephone and computer technology to poor countries. But the summit has already hit a roadblock, as civil society groups formed an alternate body and wrote an opposing declaration after being locked out of key meetings. And the conference is bringing to light clear divisions between the north and the south which have almost led to a breakdown of negotiations. Attendees are divided over how to finance infrastructure for developing countries, with rich nations resisting requests to contribute and calling for private sector development instead. Other contentious issues include intellectual property rights, open source software, and internet security and governance. Because access to information and communication technologies can deliver clean water, medical help, education and employment, overcoming these divisions is crucial for international development. - YaleGlobal