[eccr] WebForce Conference Invitation, Geneva, 6-8 May

WebForce World Conference 2002
Digital Gap to Digital Bridge Solution
May 6,7,8th 2002
Palais des Nations - Room XX- Geneva


You are cordially invited , free of charge to the WebForce Conference 2002,
to be held in the Palais des Nations on 6-8 May, Room XX (Door 40, 3rd
Floor).

WebForce International has the great pleasure to inform you that Mr.Yoshio
Utsumi, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
and Chairman of the High-Level Summit Organizing Committee (HLSOC) will open
the WebForce Conference in presence of Guy-Olivier Segond, former President
 of the State Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva and Special
Ambassador for the World Summit on the Information Society (Geneva
2003-Tunis 2005).

Wishing to bring real solutions to concrete problems, the theme of the
Conference will be the elimination of the global digital divide to be held
at the United Nations in Geneva.
It will propose its contributions to help bridging the Digital Divide and
intends to submit resulting recommendations to the organizers of the World
Summit on the Information Society to be held in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis
2005.
Moreover, in a partnership goal, WebForce International is interested in
bringing its own dynamic to the Project InfoActions developed by
UNITAR/Media Action International.
This project aims to strengthen the abilities of the Least Advanced
Countries to negotiate resolutions for the WSIS.

Concerned primarily with issues such as recycling telecommunications,
environmental waste and the elimination of the digital divide existing in
the world, WFI would be interested in your involvement during the above
stated Conference where various issues regarding information technology will
be discussed. The emphasis of this event will also be placed on the
trans-disciplinary relationships between education, the transfer of
technology, development cooperation and medicine.

Today, 80% of the Internet users are located in the richest countries. Of
the 35 million computers replaced every year, only 5% are recycled.  We
estimate that at least 15 million of these computers could be collected
equipped with Open Source systems and re-distributed to developing
countries, contributing to the elimination of the global numeric ditch in
approximately 3 years..  To bridge this digital divide, we must devise a
plan to collect and re-use the replaced computers coming from developed
countries to redirect them towards isolated regions.

We actively support the establishment of a Global Numeric Network of mutual
aid bringing a global, efficient and homogeneous solution to the imbalance
in North-South communications, which aims to positively impact the lack of
electronic equipment and communication means in still developing countries.
The network envisioned will encourage telecommunications training,
information dissemination, telemedicine, the transfer of technologies, the
recycling and re-use of computers as well as the creation of micro
enterprises, thus generating wealth and social advancement in developing
countries.

If you are interested in attending and do not have permanent access to the
UN premises, you must register directly with the WebForce Secretariat before
25 April 2002.
Conference Coordinator Ms Nesseir Nathalie:  (secretariat /at/ webforce.org)
<mailto:(secretariat /at/ webforce.org)>
More details on our website: <http://www.webforce.org>


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