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<DIV><SPAN class=578120806-24122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial>Hakik,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=578120806-24122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=578120806-24122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>The
Universal Service Funds I was referring to were national funds, often set up at
the time of privatization of PTT's. These funds retain a small percentage
of overall telecommunications revenues in national funds generally to be used to
ensure "universal (telecom) service" in otherwise un-serviced
areas.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=578120806-24122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=578120806-24122009><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial>M</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Hakikur Rahman
[mailto:email@hakik.org] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, December 23, 2009 9:38
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Michael Gurstein; governance@lists.cpsr.org; 'Jean-Louis
FULLSACK'; 'William Drake'<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: [governance] Re: AW:
[tt-group] FW: GAID<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>To me major donor agencies have
shifted their prime focus in other wings, not very specific to ICT4D. Are the
Universal Services fund accessible to developing economies? It will be great
to learn about links providing information on them.<BR><BR>Thanking
you,<BR>Hakik<BR><BR><BR>At 10:46 PM 12/23/2009, Michael Gurstein wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>The
issue is only partially one of lack of funding for ICT4D projects... In
fact, in many cases/places there are funds available for ICT4D (particularly
now with ioncreasingly widespread mobile and broadband infrastructures)
either through donor resources or from Universal Services funds but there is
an overall lack of knowledge/experience/capacity to spend this money in an
appropriate and useful/effective way.<BR></FONT> <BR><FONT
color=#0000ff size=2>Doing the assessments, building the knowledge bases,
bringing together those with the experience as developers and end users,
developing the multistakeholder issue oriented dialogues and networks is the
role that is currently lacking and has been lacking since WSIS and before.
The GAID said they would do some of this but they didn't, the IGF
dilettantes at the edges but only muddies the waters, the ITU is too clearly
top-down (in current speak non-multistakeholder...)
<BR></FONT> <BR><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>So where to go from
here...<BR></FONT> <BR><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>Best to all for the
season!<BR></FONT> <BR><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>M<BR></FONT>
<DL>
<DD><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR>
<DD>From:</B> Jean-Louis FULLSACK [<A href="mailto:jlfullsack@orange.fr"
eudora="autourl"> mailto:jlfullsack@orange.fr</A>] <BR>
<DD>Sent:</B> Wednesday, December 23, 2009 7:44 AM<BR>
<DD>To:</B> governance@lists.cpsr.org; William Drake<BR>
<DD>Subject:</B> re: [governance] Re: AW: [tt-group] FW:
GAID<BR><BR></FONT>
<DD>Hello Bill, Wolfgang and all<BR><BR>
<DD>I think there is also another issue to be dealt with very urgently :
financing the ICT4D projects and -first of all- the WSIS Action Plan
objectives. Remember : the two "hot potatoes" of WSIS were Internet
governance and financing for "bridging the digital divide".<BR><BR>
<DD>The fisrt one was (partly) resolved by setting-up the IGF. Therefore I
was asking for a "Financing Mechanisms Forum (FMF)" since the beginning of
the WSIS follow-up process. Without any success. <BR><BR>
<DD>During the the last (or better : the "first") WSIS Forum held in May
my proposal didn't recieve any support from the CS side (except from some
African grassroot orgs). Therefore I submitted a personal request to the
ITU SG for this demand to be taken in consideration, in June after
recovering from my heart attack. I was told by a person of ITU to present
this proposal as a contribution to the September meeting, convened bu the
UNGIS and the ITU, whose topic was precisely the financing mechanisms for
ICT4D. But unfortunately I couldn't go to Geneva, my surgeon having
advised me against, for medical reasons. That's why my "FMF" proposal is
still pending.<BR><BR>
<DD>As Wolfgang mentions, in 2010 we are at the halfway between Tunis and
the deadline of the WSIS Action Plan. We should take profit of this
opportunity to push this proposal in the foreground of our demand.
<BR><BR>
<DD>With my best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful New
Year to all of you<BR><BR>
<DD>Jean-Louis Fullsack <BR>
<DL>
<DD>> Message du 23/12/09 15:31<BR>
<DD>> De : "William Drake" <BR>
<DD>> A : "Kleinwächter, Wolfgang" <BR>
<DD>> Copie à : "Tim Unwin" , "George Sadowsky" , "Michael Gurstein"
, "tt-group@vancouvercommunity.net" , "governance@lists.cpsr.org" <BR>
<DD>> Objet : [governance] Re: AW: [tt-group] FW: GAID<BR>
<DD>> <BR>
<DD>> <BR>
<DD>> Hello<BR>
<DD>> <BR>
<DD>> I understand George's perspective, it's hard not to be
frustrated and <BR>
<DD>> a bit cynical about the way things played out with GAID,
although to <BR>
<DD>> me it's more a matter of missed opprtunities to have a useful
and <BR>
<DD>> inclusive space in the UN for ICT4D than of wasted resources
(costs <BR>
<DD>> were a drop in the bucket, really). The fact that per Michael
we <BR>
<DD>> can't really know what's going on within the UN with the next
(if any) <BR>
<DD>> steps is symptomatic of the long standing problems. Re:
Wolfgang's <BR>
<DD>> suggestion, I would be rather surprised if the ITU were to
accept <BR>
<DD>> making it's "forum" an open multistakeholder process rather
than a <BR>
<DD>> showpiece for itself, they could have done this already and
have <BR>
<DD>> showed no inclination. And It might be risky given the stuff
with IGF <BR>
<DD>> etc. But perhaps it'd be a good way to call their bluff and
feed into <BR>
<DD>> the Plenipot discussion...?<BR>
<DD>> <BR>
<DD>> Bill<BR>
<DD>> <BR>
<DD>> Sent from my iPhone<BR>
<DD>> <BR>
<DD>> <BR>
<DD>> On Dec 23, 2009, at 3:54, "Kleinwächter, Wolfgang" <BR>
<DD>> e> wrote:<BR>
<DD>> <BR>
<DD>> > Dear list<BR>
<DD>> ><BR>
<DD>> > one opportunity to have a more strategic brainstorming
around a <BR>
<DD>> > reasonable Follow up of GAID could be the IGF
consultations in <BR>
<DD>> > February in Geneva. I propose to have on Wednesday,
February, 10, <BR>
<DD>> > 2010, over lunch (1315 - 1500) a meeting of people present
in <BR>
<DD>> > Geneva. We had a similar meeting last year (in the ITU
Montbrillant <BR>
<DD>> > Building) where we identified an "identity crisis of GAID"
with no <BR>
<DD>> > consequences after the meeting. The meeting was chaired by
Bill and <BR>
<DD>> > Sarbulan was online from NY.<BR>
<DD>> ><BR>
<DD>> > Any proposal?<BR>
<DD>> ><BR>
<DD>> > BTW I could imagine to move the "WSIS Forum", which is
emerging from <BR>
<DD>> > the annual meetings of the Actions Lines, into something
which could <BR>
<DD>> > absorb previous UNICTTF/GAID activities. My impression is
that so <BR>
<DD>> > far the "WSIS Forum" is mainly in the hand of the ITU and
other <BR>
<DD>> > IGOs, having the lead position in the Action Lines. The
WSIS Forum <BR>
<DD>> > could be further "multistakeholderised" and the
responsibility to <BR>
<DD>> > organoze the meeting - convened by the
UN/ITU/UNESCO/FAO/ILO - could <BR>
<DD>> > go to a MAG like group. Do not forget that 2010 makrs half
way <BR>
<DD>> > towards 2015m the dateline for the Geneva and Tunis
Commitments.<BR>
<DD>> ><BR>
<DD>> > Wolfgang<BR>
<DD>> ><BR>
<DD>>
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<DD>> <BR>
<DD>>
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