information, public participation & communications for the 1992 earth summit

8/7/2019 Information, Public Participation & Communications for the 1992 Earth Summit

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United Nations Conference on

Environment & Development:

Information, Public Participation &

Communication System

A Preliminary Proposal& Discussion of the Proposal

Information Habitat: Where Information Lives801 Homestead Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA

+1 (301) 243-2131 EcoNet: rpollard

June 1990


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United Nations Conference on Environment and DevelopmentInformation, Public Participation & Communication System

A Preliminary Proposal

BACKGROUNDMaurice Strong, Secretary General of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development(UNCED), has expressed a clear interest in making use of electronic conferencing systems such as EcoNet for

the dissemination of information in preparation for UNCED, and for providing a vehicle for participation byNGOs and other interested parties in the proceedings and preparations leading into the conference.

The following proposal has been developed in response to that interest and with input from conversations withPeter Thacher, Senior Adviser to the UNCED Secretariat, Bill Leland of EcoNet, and Bob Loeb and GalenDixon of the Telecommunications Cooperative Network (TCN). It is proposed that the structure of theelectronic conferencing be developed as a cooperative project between the Institute for GlobalCommunications, through EcoNet, and the Telecommunications Cooperative Network, with the support of theUNCED Secretariat and the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI).

The approach presented here is based on some assumptions as to the nature and significance of the 1992conference, as well as on some premises as to the nature of electronic conferencing.

ACTION ARENAS FOR THE 1992 UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE

The proceedings leading into UNCED have a number of distinct constituencies, action arenas and agendas thatthe design of the UNCED electronic conferencing needs to address. These include the United NationsConference on Environment and Development itself and the workings of the Preparatory Committee, in whichdelegates from national governments will participate, along with non-government organizations (NGOs) inconsultative status to the UN; there is also a need for structuring access to the formal UN proceedings anddeliberations by other NGOs, by private voluntary organizations (PVOs) and by individuals.

In each country, there will be a need for NGOs and others to organize to raise the issues of UNCED on theirnational agendas. In this context, there will be several different areas of focus; some organizations will bedirecting their attention towards government and the development of national legislative agendas; others willbe will be developing action agendas within a variety of grassroots constituencies at a national level; othersstill will be developing local or regional forums in which issues of environment and development will beaddressed.

Furthermore, there have been preliminary discussions about convening a "Congress of the People of the Earth"in Brazil at the time of UNCED (June 1992) as a parallel conference for NGOs and other grassroots groupswith a concern for addressing issues of environment and development. Appropriate use of electronicconferencing could play a key role in preparations and planning for such a gathering.

Within each of these contexts, the use of electronic conferencing can play a valuable role. While there will bea value in having separate electronic conferences within each action arena, all will need to maintain access to acore set of information on the UNCED proceedings, and there will be many areas of overlap and/or need fordialogue between participants in the different action arenas.

For example, groups developing national legislative agendas will want to disseminate information to local andregional groups within their own countries and to be in communication with their counterparts in othercountries. Local and regional groups will need to share information and strategies with each other -- withintheir own countries as well as internationally -- and will likely want to have input into developments at thenational level.

ISSUES IN ELECTRONIC CONFERENCINGThe great strengths of electronic conferencing include timely and ready access to information andopportunities for timely participation and multi-way dialogue. The weaknesses include resistance from a lackof familiarity with electronic conferencing and tendencies towards information overload.

The proposed electronic conferencing structure is designed to support access to the UNCED information, andparticipation in the UNCED proceedings at a variety of different levels. This is to reflect the broad range ofparties with an interest in UNCED -- national governments, non-government organizations (NGOs) inconsultative status with the UN, other NGOs, private voluntary organizations (PVO) and individuals. The


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structure is also intended to provide for various levels of participation from within any of these groups, so thatthose who only have need of basic information, or who are relatively inexperienced in computer conferencing,can make effective use of the system without being overwhelmed or intimidated, while those who wish canproceed to significantly greater levels of information and participation.

In order to take advantage of the strengths, and to minimize the impact of the weaknesses, of electronicconferencing -- which would otherwise result in an unreasonable bias favoring the participation of computerliterate delegates and NGOs -- two issues need to be addressed.

Firstly, the structure of the UNCED electronic conferences needs to be carefully designed, and secondly,adequate support resources need to be available -- including a concise manual geared specifically to theUNCED electronic conferencing, provision for training in the use of electronic conferencing for delegates,along with the availability of telephone (voice) support, and provision for maintenance and facilitation of theconferences.

At present, there is substantial global access to the Telecommunications Cooperative Network, and EcoNet isdirectly accessible from much of Europe, Central America, Australia, etc., via the other networks of theAssociation for Progressive Communications. EcoNet conferences are also accessible internationally throughTeleNet.

The Telecommunications Cooperative Network and EcoNet currently serve somewhat different constituencies,and some of the conferences related to UNCED would tend to belong more naturally on one or the other of

these systems. However, as noted earlier, there are a great number of areas in which there would beopportunities for very fruitful interchange and dialogue between conferences on the two systems. It isproposed that information "windows" be developed to allow ready communication between the systems,including the opportunity to have access to and participate in each other's conferences.

Given the global nature of UNCED, it is important to ascertain that access is available from all over the world.In addition, although this proposal does not address it, there is the issue of dissemination of UNCEDinformation, and opportunities to participate electronically, in languages other than English.

The essence of the design I am proposing as a starting point for discussion would consist of a number ofseparate conferences for different types of information on UNCED, and for each of these types, currentinformation would be separated from archival information so that the size of the conferences with currentinformation remains manageable. While this structure would require additional maintenance, and at first sight,might seem to make for a more cumbersome design, I am confident that the benefits of such a structure would

soon be seen to outweigh the higher maintenance cost.

Perhaps it is worth noting that underlying the design of this conference is the premise that information scienceand technology is a vital to the challenge of developing sustainability, and that intelligent use of informationtechnology is essential to the design and creation of an effective participatory common future.

OVERVIEW OF PROPOSED CONFERENCES AT THE UNITED NATIONS LEVELThe following is a list and brief description of an initial set of conferences envisioned relating directly to theUNCED proceedings. This proposal does not attempt to delineate prospective conferences within the otheraction arenas noted earlier in the proposal, however, many of the reasons for the design of the conferencestructure will also hold true in these other action arenas. And even within the proceedings directly relating toUNCED, this list of proposed conference makes no claim to be complete.

UNCED.UPDATESA read-only conference providing concise weekly updates (2 pages or so) posted at a regular time each week.The weekly updates would identify cross references to conference topics where more detailed information isposted. Only the four most recent weekly updates would be maintained on this conference.

A national delegate (whether or not on the Preparatory Committee), a representative of an NGO (whether ornot in consultative status to the U.N.), or any other interested party, can check in on a regular weekly basiswith the knowledge that he or she will receive a manageable amount of information and guidance as to wherefuller information is available.

By only keeping the updates for the last four weeks, anyone can come into the conference and get a feel ofwhat is going on, without being burdened by having to catch up on everything that has happened. The


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FCNL.UPDATES conference of weekly legislative updates of the Friends Committee on National Legislationis a model for this conference.

UNCED.UPDATES.ARCHIVEA read only conference consisting of the cumulative record of the UNCED.UPDATES conference, providing aconcise history of UNCED developments to date, for easy reference.

UNCED.SCHEDULE

A read only conference with the schedule of upcoming events related to UNCED, the Preparatory Committeeand the Working Groups, with a brief summary of the purpose of the event. I have some questions about howthis would be maintained so that events are listed in chronological order by date of occurrence rather than bydate of posting, but I believe this should be manageable.

UNCED.SCHEDULE.ARCHIVEA read only conference with a cumulative history of UNCED related events that have already taken place,including the brief summary of the purpose of the event, and a brief summary of what actually took place --including any decisions that were made.

UNCED.PROPOSALSA conference describing pending proposals. Write access would be available to national delegations and toconsultative status NGOs. Others would only be allowed read only access.

UNCED.PROPOSALS.ARCHIVEA read only archival conference of non-current proposals, the comments of national delegations andconsultative status NGOs, and a record of the disposition of the proposal.

UNCED.PROPOSALS.NGOThis would be a parallel conference to UNCED.PROPOSALS, but would allow write access to NGOs not inconsultative status and to other parties. Rather than have automatic write access to all users, however, myinclination is to provide write access on request, but subject to adherence to guidelines that would beestablished for responding to topics and the creation of new topics. Write access could then be withdrawnwhere a user fails to meet those guidelines. I am led to this approach by my reading of new topics andresponses in other EcoNet conferences where conference often become unreasonably cluttered by dialogue orcomments that more properly should be handled by direct mail messages to the appropriate parties. I realizethat this may be a sensitive issue for some, but I believe that a sound case can be made for requiring areasonable protocol for participation. An alternative, but more restrictive and cumbersome, process to this

would be a facilitated conference in which topics and responses are directed to the facilitator, who can thenpost them to the conference.

Some kind of review process of the responses -- whether by the Conference Secretariat or by an NGO groupwould be needed, so that the key issues raised can be brought forward to the UNCED.PROPOSALSconference by an NGO in consultative status.

UNCED.RESOLUTIONSA read only conference containing the text of resolutions, whether of the General Assembly, the PreparatoryCommittee, or of the Working Groups.

UNCED.REPORTSA conference containing reports produced by or for the Conference Secretariat, e.g. the 70 page compilation ofsystem wide U.N. programs, services, and capabilities with respect to the UNCED. Write access would beavailable to national delegations and to NGOs in consultative status. As with UNCED.PROPOSALS, aparallel conference with participation open to others could be established.


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From gmarcus Sat Mar 31 17:59 PST 1990To: rpollardSubject: Proposal

Robert,

Just a few quick thoughts prior to deeper study of the revised proposal.

Another weakness of teleconferencing is the common "perceived" lack of access to computers with modems.In a more extensive proposal, the situation of those presently without access will need to be solved. There areseveral ways to address it.

More headings and graphic differentiation could make your ideas clearer and easier to digest.

Don't apologize for archival separation. It's essential. Just state it. I don't know the level of computersophistication of those who will read the proposal, but it might be easier for non-initiates to understand"discussion areas" versus "libraries," "information areas," or other similar terms.

The type of limited access conference you describe is "moderated" on IGC, not "facilitated." You mightconsider having both limited access and moderated access. The former will reduce the load on the moderator.

Does Bill indicate that conference sharing between TCN and IGC is feasible?

I hope at some point, the World Citizens' Assembly will connect up with your proposed conference.

Best,Genevieve

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From rpollard Apr 2 11:21 PST 1990To: gmarcusSubject: ProposalGenevieve,

Thanks for your comments. I have been giving considerable thought to the question of access of those without

computers -- had a good talk with Eileen Nic of International Org. of Consumer Unions on Thursday at abriefing on UNCED at FCNL (Friends Committee on National Legislation) last Thursday. Basically, we needto develop a structure wherein people with modems serve as communication nodes, and then distribute hardcopies of information to those without computers (or without an inclination to use computer conferencing).

Also the question of access for those in areas without ready access to phones -- primarily this would meanareas of Africa. I want to explore finding out about the feasibility of portable satellite dish terminals that couldconnect via geostationary satellites. I know the person to talk to about this, and will do that this week.

It is definitely feasible to connect TCN with IGC. Bob Loeb of TCN called last week and he had been havingconversations with Bill Leland and Geoff Sears about doing this. It turns out both parties thought they werewaiting for the other, and I think the UNCED conference may be the impetus that is needed to establish thatlink, whether it be a generic link, or specific to the conference(s).

Another aspect that I didn't get into with the proposal is its relationship to NGO organizing efforts aroundUNCED. The meetings I attended at the UN and the briefing at FCNL are an important step towards that, butthere are a lot of issues that need to be resolved. Apparently, Chip Lindner announced at the Danubeconference that the Center for Our Common Future has "been given the mandate" (by whom?) to organize theparallel conference in Brazil. It is going to be very important to structure things so that there is an inclusiveparticipatory process throughout what develops.

I would be very happy for WCA to be involved, and I welcome suggestions as to the form for that. As youprobably know, Richard Jordan and Lisynka were at the meetings in NY. Where do you see the Alliance forOur Common Future fitting in -- is anything happening with that?


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By the way, I had another good talk with Peter Thacher on Thursday at the FCNL briefing, and he continues tobe very enthusiastic about the suggestions I am developing.

I will keep you posted as things develop.

In the Light, Robert

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From daslink!uucp Thu Apr 5 09:07 PDT 1990>From dasnet!DCDTCN!TCN001 Thu Apr 5 08:13:18 1990 remote from daslinkDate: 05 Apr 90 08:12:00 PSTFrom: [email protected]: cdp!rpollardSubject: Response to Proposal

Robert,

I've had a chance to review your proposal and am interested to discuss your ideas further.

The structure for the various conferences your propose is quite easy to implement on TCN and could in fact beintegrated with UNISER virtually immediately. It is clear from your description that the distinction I've heard

elsewhere between the UNISER "database" function and the "conferencing" function, really doesn't exist. Theprimary function of what you describe is information dissemination and the structure required is virtuallyidentical to what is already in place with UNISER. Building on the existing base of information in UNISERought to make it easier to attract users as well.

This does not contradict your notion that users should not be overwhelmed by too much information, and thatconferencing dialogue should be controlled so that it does not clutter important information. Such an approachis directly in line with the way we approach networking within the UN through UNISER and other relatedservices. We have a variety of software capabilities that can be applied to specific information functionswithout affecting any other functions. These can all then be integrated via menus for ease of movement fromone function to another.

In this way, each function has it's own integrity, enabling users to seek out just the limited information theywant at any given time in the most straightforward way possible. At the same time, menus provide very easy

access to any other function, including those that may require different software capabilities or informationresources, when and if this is useful. This helps attract the broadest range of users, who may have differentneeds, in that each can effectively tailor the service in differnt ways for their particular requirements.

As you suggest in line with my comments over the phone, an expanded UNISER service could be madeavailable via a "window" to ECONET (and for that matter, many other networks). We could also importservices from ECONET and other networks as desired.

My main question at this point is to understand better who would actually be looking at the conferences youpropose and how often. Have you done any more detailed breakdown of the potential user organizations, whowithin these organizations would actually need the information and why, how many of these organizationshave computers and modems, and how many could be expected to user their equipment for this purpose?

Given the fact that the vast majority of what you propose is "read only" information distribution (which is right

in line with what Peter Thacher told me), it might also be worth looking at providing at least some of thisinformation in two additional modes so as to assure universal access, unlimited by access to computertechnology. This is an area TCN specializes in as our focus is not on computer technology per se, but on thebroadest possible access to information.

1. Voice bulletin boardYou may want to consider setting up a voice information board to provide wide access to your most up-to-dateinformation for anyone with a telephone. The service could provide a simple menu offering a limited numberof audio messages which are updated frequently. Since messages are recorded in a person's real voice, updatesfrom recognizable leaders could have particular impact.


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In addition to providing "listen only" access to information, these services can record information from callers(eg. names, addresses, etc) which could be used to send them more information. Similarly, the service couldbe used to poll caller opinion on specific issues to get feedback from a broad constituency that may not haveaccess to computer technology.

2. Broadcast networkA system could also be set up to broadcast selected hardcopy information simultaneously to any number ofindividuals/organizations, including those who do not have computers and modems, or who are not on a

network like TCN or Econet. Messages could be sent from virtually any pc and could be received via email bythose on a network, while other recipients would receive their messages via telex, facsimile, cablegram ormailgram...ie. in whatever medium is appropriate for the equipment they have (or don't have!).

Various distribution lists could be established for automated broadcasting to different groups. The systemwould be particularly useful for important communications that must be delivered in a timely fashion toeveryone in a group, not just those with access to a given technology.

I look forward to talking to you more about these ideas. Let me know what you think the next step is.

Bob [Loeb]

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From lassuncao Mon Apr 23 17:36 PDT 1990To: bleland enzop jpasztor pthatcher rpollardSubject: Conference on ECONET

NY 23 April

Bill Leland and Bob Pollard,

Further to discussions with Bob Loeb (TCN) and Pollard's proposal submitted to Peter Thacher, we atthe UNCED Secretariat are finally in a position to reply to most of pending questions and propose concretesteps to "create" a UNCED electronic read- only conference. (The Secretary General of UNCED, MauriceStrong announced its establishment yesterday at the UN General Assembly.)

First, let's start with the easy ones: we agree with Loeb that the secretariat's information outreachwhile aiming at reaching the largest number of people should consider using other means such voice bulletinsand hardcopy material. However, the Secretary-General is still assembling his staff and we feel theseinformation services will have to wait for when the secretariat is more appropriately staffed.

Nevertheless, we understand that there is already some material that can (and should) be madeavailable at this moment at least via electronic conferences. Moreover, with the cooperation of UN/DPI, TCN,Gemnet, Econet and yourselves we could start providing the preparation process of the 1992 UNCED withsome transparency. In reference to an earlier question on who would be using/accessing/demanding suchinformation: I have to tell you that at this very early stage we are already overwhelmed by requests for furtherand more detailed information on all the UNCED related activities. So, we feel it is time to act (globally byenabling governments, UN agencies, NGO's, individuals to dial locally into some existing material on theUNCED).

P. Thacher, Barabas, UNDP staff and myself have agreed on adopting a phased approach at this stage.Pollard's proposal is seen as ideal, but not realistically attainable before the First Substantive Meeting of the

Preparatory Committee to be held in Nairobi on 6-31 August. By then, the secretariat will be physicallyestablished in Geneva with its offices in New York and Nairobi operational and with the necessary staff tosystematically feed a selection of UNCED conferences (pretty much following Pollard's proposal).

Further to the announcement by Mr. Strong on Earth Day of the secretariat electronic conferencingservices, our proposal is to have a read-only conference opened up on TCN with 4 to 5 basic papers with abrief introductory note and index for the sake of clarity. These papers will be available to Loeb,Leland/Pollard and Barabas on Tuesday.


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DECISIONS NEEDED from TCN and Econet:

for Loeb (TCN):What we have to agree with you is in which menu to locate the UNCED conference and how

accessible it will be by all TCN users and UN agencies. Ideally, UNCED should be on the "Gateway to UNAgencies" menu. This would enable all TCN users including, I suppose, those that participate exclusively onUNISER or UNET. I believe they all have access to the menu mentioned above and can enter into otheroptions. If not they should be granted access at least to UNCED at this early stage. This alternative would

make the UNCED more transparent. The other alternative is to post UNCED on the UNISER menu as a newitem, probably as * 4 --UNCED. The user would select 4 and get a brief note with a index of documentslisted. In the future, we should be able to create sub-items such as UNCED.Update, UNCED.Schedule,UNCED.docs, etc. If possible, we would like to see UNCED on both menus.

Now, turning to the issue of accessing: I have just tried from an UNDP account to enter into UNISER.I got as far as the menu. No access exist to any UN database (PR, DHL, SPN) or to UN documents. Why?And how much would it cost for a UNDP staff or any UNISER user to have access to all these services? Increating UNCED as a new item on this menu, can it be "open" free of charge at least initially as we have beendiscussing?

for ECONET:

How soon you can create an initial UNCED conference? I understand from Enzo Puliatti that publicconferences can be created rather easily. How much information you are ready to receive this week to open theconference? Can we the conference immediately available to all IGC nodes, namely Alternex, Greenet,Nicarao, Web, etc. If not, how soon?

I would appreciate hearing from you as soon as possible.

Happy Earth Year. Sincerely,

Lucas Assuncao

on TCN: UDP079on Econet: lassuncaoTel: 212-963 5726

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From bleland Tue Apr 24 00:47 PDT 1990To: enzop jpasztor lassuncao pthatcher rpollardSubject: Re: Conference on ECONET

Lucas,

Thanks for your message. I endorse your approach entirely.

As soon as I receive the initial information to be posted to an EcoNet public conference, I will create theconference, ensure that it is networked to our affiliated networks, and post the information in appropriatetopics within the conference. We should be able to do this within 24 hours after receiving the information. Wesuggest that the first topic be a statement which introduces the conference, describing the intent of theconference, what information a user can expect to find, and how they should use the conference and its

information.

We are pleased to be working on this in collaboration with you and TCN.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can do.

Regards,Bill

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From lassuncao Tue Apr 24 05:10 PDT 1990To: bleland enzop rpollardSubject: FIRST POSTING AT UNCED ELECTRONIC CONFERENCECc: pthatcher

PRESS RELEASE (distributed on Monday 23 April)

Secretary-General of the UN Conference of Environment and

Development establishes Global Electronic Network

On Earth Day 1990 (22 April), the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference ofEnvironment and Development, Maurice Strong, announced that the Conference Secretariat will be providingto all interested parties electronic accessible information related to the preparatory work for the 1992 UNConference.

The Secretary-General of the UNCED acknowledged the growing role of electronic data processingand communications and its potential contribution to sustainable development, and announced the beginningof a UNCED "Global Electronic Network" by which the UNCED secretariat will keep all interested partiesinformed of the preparations for the 1992 Conference.

Using systems that have been developed by the UN Department of Public Information, but on a larger scalethan ever before, the UNCED secretariat in Geneva will "post" information on publicly-accessible electronicbulletin boards of the sort being used world-wide in recent years.

Initially, this service will consist of background information --such as the text of pertinent resolutionsof the UN General Assembly setting up the 1992 Conference and PrepCom decisions -- as well as informationabout scheduled meetings and substantive matters concerning the preparatory process, including, for example,relevant statements at the organizational session of the all-nation Preparatory Committee.

As the Secretariat assembles its staff additional information will be routinely posted about upcoming eventsand documents being prepared for submission to the all-nation Preparatory Committee, which holds its firstsubstantive session in Nairobi starting 6 August. Depending on response, and interest shown, additionalcategories of information will be supplied electronically in such a way as to encourage the broadest access toelectronic "conferencing".

The initial access to this system will be through networks such as Telecommunication CooperativeNetwork (TCN) and EcoNet which have existing arrangements to enable their members to read material postedby the UN, with special menus being created for matters related to UNCED. The secretariat intends tofacilitate access not only by those already accustomed to this technique, but to broaden access throughout thedeveloping regions of the world, and in languages in addition to english. To do this it will take advantage ofprojects supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to promote affordable access for users indeveloping countries, and make information available to the UNDP-sponsored "Sustainable DevelopmentNetwork" recently announced by Administrator William Draper.

In coordination with UNDP and IMO, the UNCED Secretariat will also be exploring existing satellitesystems, such InmarSat and PeaceSat, to enable access to UNCED electronic conferences by those located inremote areas of the globe where this is otherwise difficult and costly.

Mr. Maurice Strong also said the time has come to explore arrangements for a truly international earthobserving satellite system.

*****

HOW YOU CAN USE THIS SERVICE:

Dial Locally, Act Globally

If you have a personal computer, a modem and access through telephone to an electronic network, you canshare information, pool resources and be kept abreast of future events related to the UN Conference ofEnvironment and Development to be convened in Brazil in 1992.

What do you need??


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1. You need a computer, any brand will work, such as IBM, IBM clone, Apple, MacIntosh, Epson, etc.

2. You need a telecommunications software program (most of them come free-of-charge with yourmodem) that will run on your computer, allowing you to use a modem (a computer accessory) tomake the telephone call.

3. You will need a modem.

Who to contact in order to have access to electronic networks??

4. If you are already have access to TCN via a UN agency, Mission, UN Department, etc., just contact:

Telecommunications Cooperative Network505 8th Ave., Suite 1805New York, NY 10018(212) 714 9780

TCN will give you access to the UNISER menu in which UNCED Bulletin Board are announced.

5. If you are not on TCN, please contact any of the following networks at your convenience. All networks aredesigned to be easy and quick to use for those who don't know much about computers, and can't spend a lot oftime learning about them. All of them also offer user support on the end of a phone during office hours andsome evenings.

USA:Global Education MotivatorsChesnut Hill CollegeGermantown & Northwestern Avenues.Philadelphia, PA 19118-2695(215) 248-1150

or

Peacenet / Econet3228 Sacramento St.,San Francisco, California 94115(415) 923 0900 Fax: (415) 923 1665

UK:GreenNet25, Downham Road,London N1 5AATel: +44 1 923 2624 Fax +44 1 2541102

Canada:The Web456 Spadina Avenue, Floor 2,Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2G8 CANADA.Tel: +1 (416) 929 0634 Fax: +1 (416) 461 2886

Sweden:

FredsNaetet, (PeaceNet Sweden; NordNet),Timmermansgrnd 4nb, 116 27 Stockholm, Sweden.Tel: +46 (8) 7200001 Fax: +46 (8) 7200035

Nicaragua:Nicarao, CRIES Equipo de Telecomunicaciones,Apartado postal 3516, Managua, Nicaragua.Tel: +505 (2) 26228 or +505 (2) 25137 (ext. 5)

Brazil:Alternex, c/o IBASE,


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Rua Vicente de Souza 29,22510 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Tel: +55 (21) 286 0348

Australia:Pegasus Networks,PO Box 201, Byron Bay 2481, Australia.Tel: +61 (66) 85 7286

6. If you are on any other system please call Econet or TCN for information on gateways to/from yoursystem.

7. Information on local access from other countries can also be obtained from local PTT's.

*****

From lassuncao Sat Apr 28 10:24 PDT 1990To: pthatcher rpollardSubject: On Pollard's sugestionsCc: jpasztor

Dear Bob,

Thanks for your comments and suggestions for further developments related to the en.unced. I definitelysupport the opening of "affiliated" conferences to enable active interaction among ngo's, interest groups andindividuals. That's the idea: to trigger the widest participation possible. At the same time, it's crucial that anofficial read only is distributed by the UNCED Secretariat to several electronic networks. This will allow for ainstitutional memory on the 1992 UNCED process and makes it easy- to-join-in by new user at any point intime.

The idea of having the Center for the Common Future as a focal point seems interesting, but access should alsobe open to any ngo including those from developing countries. So work is needed to make this effective.

Well, I am going to Geneva on Monday for two weeks, come back to New York by May 18 and then move toGeneva by early June for two years. So soon I will be in touch with you possibly through Greenet. In themeantime I believe Peter Thacher will also contact you to comment on your suggestions.

Once again thanks

Lucas Assuncao

*****

To: lassuncaoFrom: rpollardSubject: Re: On Pollard's sugestionsCC: jpaztor pthacher

Lucas,

Thanks for your response to my comments.

On the role of the Centre for Our Common Future, I did not mean to imply that they should be the focal point,rather that they need to be involved -- and that they need to get on line. I had talked with Chip about gettingon line when he was in Washington in January, and he seemed open, but I sense that he needs some hands onsupport to overcome an initial resistance to the unfamiliar. Perhaps when you are in Geneva, you could givethem a nudge towards getting on line.

The Centre's active involvement in and support for the on-line conferences could be helpful in getting the wordout to the large group of NGOs they have been working with in relationship to the Brundtland Report. I alsounderstand that following the Vancouver meetings last month, the Centre perceives itself as having a mandateto play an active role in planning for NGO involvement in 1992. If so, it becomes especially important -- at


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least from a concern with the inclusiveness of the NGO participation -- that they get the word out viaelectronic conferencing so that there is widespread awareness of and access to their planning process.

Also, I feel that a lot of the information that the Centre disseminates via the Brundtland Bulletin might be moreeffectively and timely disseminated via electronic conferencing.

Since sending my response yesterday, I have been thinking a lot more about the need for ways of creatingeffective access among NGOs to the on-line UNCED information and conferences. It seems that it would be

very useful to identify at least one initial organization within each country that would take on the responsibilityfor downloading and making available that information within the country, as well as getting the word outabout the availability of on-line access. I would welcome any thoughts as to which organizations might playsuch a role in Europe and elsewhere.

I agree with you on the importance of creating access to the read-only conferences on as broad a representationof networks as possible. From my earlier conversations with Bob Loeb of TCN, I got the impression that hemay be able to play a significant facilitating role in that step of the process.

I look forward to keeping in touch with you.

Robert

*****

To: lassuncao pthacher belandFrom: rpollardSubject: Re: FIRST POSTING AT UNCED ELECTRONIC CONFERENCE

Dear Lucas, Peter, Bill, Bob and other friends,

It's great to see this electronic conference, EN.UNCED, really happening, and I was very happy to see thepress release from Maurice Strong. I look forward to continuing to play an active role in facilitating thedevelopment of the evolving set of electronic conferences relating to UNCED.

Lucas, I recognize the need for the official UNCED electronic conferences to be on a read-only basis,however, at the same time -- from an NGO perspective -- I expect to continue to be a strong advocate ofparticipatory opportunities. In response to your question on my facilitating role, I would like to focus most ofmy effort into developing the participatory component, while continuing to be attentive to optimal ways ofstructuring the read-only conferences.

It seems that it would be helpful to make clear distinctions between the official read-only conferences of theUNCED Secretariat and the participatory NGO/public conferences. My suggestion is that we reserve the nameUNCED for the official conferences, and use UNCED-NGO-IPPCS (for Information, Public Participation &Communication System) for the participatory ones.

As I have addressed in my "United Nations Conference on Environment and Development ElectronicConferencing Proposal" (that I am presuming Peter has forwarded to you), from an NGO perspective, there isa need for an NGO forum to share responses and comments on the official documents that are posted in theread-only conferences; there is a further need for a some kind of representative NGO group to review andsynthesize these comments, and disseminate them in an accessible format among the NGO community(however that is defined).

As I noted above, I am interested in developing a set of conferences that would fall under the general title ofEN.UNCED-NGO-IPPCS. As you can see from my system of naming in this and my earlier proposal, I have apreference for a hierarchical conference naming system that maintains a fairly narrow focus for eachconference area. By the way, Bob, I have not yet got onto TCN to see how your menu system works, but asI have noted elsewhere, that would seem to be an ideal way to manage the type of conference structure thatI envision.

EN.UNCED-NGO-IPPCS.DESIGNAn interactive forum for the development and implementation of design criteria for a truly effectiveInformation, Public Participation & Communication System (IPPCS) for UNCED. This would includeoptimal ways for structuring information access and dissemination; strategies for generating optimal


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participation; and perhaps inevitably, consideration of some of the economics and politics of informationaccess and participatory decision making processes. This conference would also provide a forum for theexploring the ways that an IPPCS can support sustainable development networks and specific sustainabledevelopment opportunities. In essence, this conference would be a continuation and formalization of what hasbeen happening on an informal e-mail basis between many of the people listed at the end of this message.

Incidentally, while the focus would be on developing an IPPCS for UNCED, it would be my hope andexpectation that the model and structure we would develop would have applicability in many other settings --

both in other global contexts, as well as in the development of local, regional and national IPPCSs

EN.UNCED-NGO-IPPCS.OUTREACHDiscussion and sharing of experiences, methodologies, and approaches to effective outreach and involvementof a much broader constituency with the UNCED IPPCS. I think we are all mindful that integrated interactiveelectronic communication systems are still very much in an embryonic state, and that while the ideals ofuniversal access to information may inspire us in our efforts, the fact of the matter is that those of us whoactually tap into them are a minuscule -- even though steadily growing -- minority of the world's population.

A focussed effort in this respect, and especially one that is grounded in tangible experience, would beinvaluable. In correspondence with me on my proposals for what I am now calling the UNCED IPPCS, BobLoeb has on several occasions raised questions as to exactly who, and how many, the constituency is. Clearlythe NGO community involved in preparations for UNCED is a key element of the constituency; and given therole to date of the Centre for Our Common Future in working with parts of the NGO community, attentioncertainly needs to be paid to involving the Centre in the IPPCS.

EN.UNCED-NGO-IPPCS.REPORTSOne important step in involving NGOs in the IPPCS is creating a structure for posting NGO documents, withthe opportunity for comments and discussion, as well ass disseminating information on NGO meetings that aretaking place in [preparation for 1992. Personally, I find it frustrating to receive only hard copy of documentssuch as, for example, were generated at the Danube NGO conference; not only is it so much easier todisseminate (parts of) such documents in a readable format -- after a few generations, photocopying justdoesn't make it, besides the originals tend to be printed in 10 point Courier which is significantly less readablethan a Times Roman proportional font; it is also easier to share any response when it is simply a matter ofposting it to a conference or to e-mail addresses.

I find that I am much more motivated to respond or comment on such documents, if I know that the response isnot just seen by the creator of the document but is accessible to any other interested parties with access to theconference. Besides, I don't believe that I am alone in finding it so much easier to jot down some quickcomments on computer and send them via e-mail, than it is to go through the process of printing a letter,making photocopies, making up envelopes, etc.

EN.UNCED-NGO-IPPCS.TRAININGThis conference would focus on the development and compilation of training resources and materials forelectronic conferencing in general, and for the UNCED conferences in particular. Initially, this could besubsumed under the OUTREACH sub-conference, but as time develops, I think we would find the need formaintaining it as a separate conference (or sub-conference)

Who are we?As a firm believer in the value of well developed mailing lists as a tool in effective organizing, I havecompiled a list -- alphabetically by EcoNet addresses -- of those who have been participants in the informalconference on the IPPCS, or whose names have been suggested as being a source of valuable contributions.I have taken the liberty of adding people who names are listed as participating in the UNDP.RLA conferences

on EcoNet -- as it seems that these conferences have very close parallels with the UNCED conferences, andwould benefit from cross-fertilization. Obviously this mailing list is just a beginning, and suggestions arewelcome for additional names. Bill (Leland), is it possible to add "UNCED" to the key word listing for thesepeople? Bob, I would especially welcome knowing of key people on TCN who would want to keep up withall of this.

While recognizing that we all tend to wear several hats, as I began to compile a list of who we are, I noticedthat we tend to fit into one of three principal groupings: UNCED Secretariat and/or UNDP; ElectronicNetworks; and non-government organizations. While these groupings may be obvious, I point this out toclarify that there are distinct constituencies even among us, and that we may need to pay attention to the level


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of participation form each of these groups -- as well as others that should be included. Incidentally,considering these groupings makes it very clear that there is a major task of outreach to the NGO community.

amockler Anna Mockler; New York Universitybleland Bill Leland; Director of EcoNetbraiford Bill Raiford, UNDPclmartinez Claudia Martinez, UNDPcmartinez Carlos Felipe Martinez, UNDP

dialcom:141:tcn001 Bob Loeb; President, Telecommunications Cooperative Networkenzop Enzo Puliatti; UNDP (and a mentor of Alternex and Nicarao)etorres Emma Torres, UNDPgmarcus Genevieve Marcus; World Citizens' Assemblyjpasztor Janos Pasztor; Energy Specialist, UNCED member in charge of Data Information

Service, etc.lassuncao Lucas Assuncao; Executive Assistant to the Management Committee of the

UNCED Secretariat and focal point for the Electronic Networkmclements Millard Clements; New York Universitypthatcher Peter Thacher; World Resources Institute; Senior Advisor, UNCED Secretariatrpollard Robert Pollard; Foundations for a Sustainable Common Future

I have sent a FAX copy of this response, with Maurice Strong's press release and my earlier proposal, to theQuaker United Nations Office in New York for consideration at a Monday meeting of the NGO DevelopmentCommittee that will be considering next steps for NGOs. I will also be making available pertinent materialson the UNCED IPPCS proposals for an upcoming NGO working meeting "To decide what can and must bedone now and who will take responsibility for action in preparation for the 1992 UNCED" that will be held inWashington DC at the Friends Committee on National Legislation on May 17. I am also forwarding a copy ofthis to the Centre for Our Common Future (FAX:01141227385046)

*****

From jpasztor Mon Apr 30 08:30 PDT 1990To: rpollardSubject: UNCED Electronic NetworkCc: enzop lassuncao pthatcher

Robert,

I read with interest your proposal concerning getting the NGO's involved in a two-way process. I very muchagree that this is a very important element in the whole preparatory process. I have just a few minor points atthis stage:

1. The involvement of the Center for Our Common Future will be essential, although they may notnecessarily act as the only focal point. The UNCED secretariat will share the same office building with theCenter. This should help considerably our cooperation, and getting the Center on line in terms of electronicconferencing. I will discuss this with Chip Lindner.

2. While getting the NGO input is very important, at this initial stage of the preparations (next 3 months),we must be very careful not to spread ourselves (the very small, and not yet fully formed UNCED secretariat)too thin. We must concentrate our energies to the preparation of the 1st Meeting of the PrepCom in Nairobi(August). This does mean that during the next months we must concentrate on the "official read-only"conference.

3. Having said this, I support your approach of developing a set of conferences, as described in yourApril 27 memo. I will be pleased to work with you in developing further the different conferences, both interms of contents and format. A lot of this will depend on how we set up our own (UNCED) GlobalEnvironment Information system to feed the preparatory process. Will keep you informed on this.

Best regardsJanos Pasztor


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Computer Communications& the

1992 United Nations Conference onEnvironment and Development

Alternative Technologyfor Communication & Participation by

Non-government Organizations

A Concise Guide

Prepared by:

Langston James Goree VI, IPHAE, Porto Velho, Rondonia, Brazil (ax:kimo)Robert Pollard, Information Habitat, Baltimore, Maryland, USA (cdp:rpollard)

Funding for the preparation of this guide has beenprovided by a grant to the Canadian Council for International

Cooperation by the Canadian International Development Agency(CIDA).

August, 1990


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IntroductionIn the coming twenty-two months there will be a flurry of activity in preparation for the UNCED to beheld in Brazil during June of 1992. Many of these preparations will necessitate the exchange ofdocuments, letters, faxes and phone calls between groups scattered throughout the planet, creating amassive communications problem. In order to facilitate the rapid exchange of information and reducecosts a large number of NGOs have begun using an alternate form of technology; computer networking.

This guide has been prepared for distribution at the Preparatory Committee Meetings scheduled forAugust 6-31 1990 in Nairobi, Kenya for the United Nations Conference on the Environment andDevelopment. It is intended as an orientation for participants in the uses of computer networking as acommunications tool. Please feel free to copy this guide, and share it with friends and colleagues in yourcountry and region.

A Little Bit of HistoryThe world has become a much smaller place with the advent of modern telecommunications. Recentadvances in computer mediated data transmission have made it possible for individuals in various placesin the world to carry on multi-party conferences and exchange information quickly and at very low cost.

Both the Secretary General of the UNCED and NGOs internationally have recognized the possible uses ofcomputer networks to facilitate the exchange of information around the 1992 Conference. The CanadianCouncil for International Development with assistance from the Canadian International DevelopmentAgency (CIDA) has begun efforts to stimulate these activities. Of particular interest to CIDA, and toagencies such as the United Nations Development Programme, is the potential for strengthened dialogue,coordination and sharing of information, knowledge and skills between non-government organizations indeveloping nations and their counterparts in industrialized countries.

What is computer networking?Computer networking is simply the exchange of information -- correspondence, policy papers, ideas andstrategies, or quantitative data -- from one computer to another. These computers can be as close asacross the room or as far apart as across the planet. Computers can be hooked together by telephone lines,satellite links, radio waves or infrared beams. In the case of NGO networking, most users connect theirhome or office personal computers by telephone to central computers (called "host" computers) wherethey receive and send information.

How do NGOs network?Several non-profit independent NGO networks sprouted up throughout the world during the last decade.Only in the last three years have these independent networks formed together for the exchange of mailand shared electronic conferences. TheAssociation for Progressive Communications (APC) wasformed in 1988 to coordinate this world-wide NGO effort. The networks that make up the members ofAPC, and the areas they serve, are:

Alternex . . . . . . . Latin AmericaEconet/Peacenet U.S.A.The Web . . . . . . . CanadaGreenNet . . . . . . United Kingdom, Europe &

Africa

Nicarao . . . . . . . . Central AmericaFredsNaetet . . . . SwedenPegasus . . . . . . . . Australia, New Zealand, Asia

& the South Pacific

Each network is actually a powerful host computer that acts as a central storage facility for information.The individual users connect their personal computers to the host where they can pick up and deliver theirelectronic mail (e-mail) as well as read entries in public conferences.


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What do the APC networks offer?The APC networks provide a reliable way to communicate at high speed and low cost with thousands ofNGOs in over 70 countries worldwide. Each network has electronic mail that allows individuals to sendprivate messages to other users and electronic "conferencing" that permits shared messages. To send amessage to a user on another system or post a message to be read on a conference, the user needs only toconnect to his "home" network host. Each host on the APC system connects to each of the other hosts --some as often as every hour, but at least once a day -- for the exchange of mail and additions to sharedconferences.

Several of the networks offer other services. On most of the nodes it is possible to send and receive Telexmessages, send fax messages, and exchange e-mail with users at universities throughout the world on theacademic networks such as BITNET and the Internet.

What is electronic mail?Electronic mail is the use of the computer network to send messages or files to other users. Each user hasa unique user name that makes up part of his mail address. The other part of the address is theabbreviation for the system or host where the user collects his or her mail. Each user has a privateelectronic mailbox on the host computer where his incoming mail arrives. In order to collect the mail theuser simply gives commands to the host computer and the messages appear on his or her home computerscreen.

In order to send a computer message most users prepare their messages with their personal computer

before logging in. When they are connected to the host computer they "address" the electronic envelopewith the e-mail address of the recipient and then command their personal computer to send or "upload"the completed message. The host computer takes care of the rest.

As an example, presented with an unexpected funding opportunity, a Canadian NGO based in BritishColumbia might need a proposal from an NGO project in New Guinea it wants to support. The NGO inPapua connects by phone link to the Pegasus network in Australia and sends the proposal addressed to thee-mail address of the Canadian NGO on The Web. In a matter of hours the proposal has been transferredto The Web host computer in Toronto. When a staff member at the Canadian NGO in B.C. logs in tocheck the daily mail the project update has already arrived in their electronic mail box. The staff member"down-loads" the report onto his personal computer and typesets it on her PC based laser printer when shefinishes her log-in session. A professionally produced clean copy of the proposal The printed projectupdate is delivered to the funding source in less than twenty-four hours at a total cost of approximately

US$0.50.

What is an electronic conference?Conferences are not unlike a large community bulletin board. Each conference is organized on specificsubjects such as global warming, women's issues, tropical rainforests, or around a common problem suchas the elaboration of a large project. Within each conference the users post messages in the form of newtopics or responses to existing topics. Conferences can be private, where only a designated list of userscan read, or public. Some public conferences are limited to who can read or post messages while othersuse a moderator to control inappropriate postings.

Because the APC host computers connect to one another by high speed telephone links there is a constantflow of information to and from each host. This data consists of electronic mail and additions to theconferences. Due to a special software developed for this type of conferencing, the conferences on the

host computers around the world are continually updated with new messages posted on other networks.What that means is that a user in Brazil can respond with a message to a topic on the Alternex system thatwas posted by a user in Sweden. The Swedish system would have that message from Brazil as an updateto their conference in less than twenty-four hours.


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What does this have to do with UNCED?The preparations for the upcoming United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in June1992 in Brazil offer a unique opportunity for effective and creative use of electronic conferencing. It isenvisioned that the networks can serve as a vehicle through which a broad based coalition of independentorganizations and people can communicate in preparation for these and parallel meetings.

Maurice Strong, Secretary General of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment andDevelopment (UNCED), has expressed a clear interest in making use of electronic conferencing systemssuch as those of the APC system for the dissemination of information in preparation for UNCED, and for

providing a vehicle for participation by NGOs and other interested parties in the proceedings andpreparations leading into the conference.

A group of individuals on each of the APC hosts have begun preparations for the electronic discussionssurrounding UNCED. The following computer conferences have been created:

EN.UNCED, EN.UNCED.UPDATES, & EN.UNCED.SCHEDULE

These conferences are "official" conferences of the Secretariat of the United Nations Conference onEnvironment and Development. It is here that the most important documents in preparation for UNCEDwill be posted for reading and downloading. These conferences are read-only conferences. TheSecretariat is responsible for the posting and maintenance of these conferences.

EN.UNCED.GENERAL

The purpose of this conference is to create a public forum for the sharing of ideas, plans, activities, andother relevant matters that organizations are involved in before, during, and after the UNCED 1992Conference. EN.UNCED.GENERAL is a public conference, and thus provides a unique opportunity foropen access to participate in the most significant international conference addressing the survival ofpeople and the earth

Because the 1992 Conference spans a broad range of distinct, though related topics, and is anunprecedented opportunity to participate in international dialogue between non-governmentorganizations, the EN.UNCED.GENERAL conference is being designed in a way that will allow it to bestructured into a number of sub-conferences. As and when the restructuring occurs, participants will beable to focus their attention in those areas where they can be most effective, and develop close-knit"electronic working groups" with their counterparts in substantive areas, in their region, or around the

world.


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What do you need to participate?You need five things to "log-in" to the UNCED conferences:

1) A personal computer. Any type will do; Mac, PC, Atari, or even an inexpensive laptop.

2) A modem. This is a device that connects your computer to a telephone line. Modems canbe bought for as little as US$80 or as much as several hundred dollars. Shop around!

3) A communications software package. This can be bought commercially or obtained

from your APC network host. Some thoughtful programmers have even provided "share-ware" programs for free or for a small voluntary donation.

4) Access to a telephone line. If you are in the local calling area of a major metropolitanarea, this will frequently only involve a local telephone call,

5) An account with one of the APC networks. These systems are non-profit and have alarge number of volunteers so the costs are very low. Here is who you contact forinformation on connecting up:

AlternexIBASE

Rue Vincente de Souza 292251 Rio de JaneiroBRAZIL+55 (21) 286 0348

Fredsnaetet (PeaceNet Sweden)Timmermansgraend 4S-116 27 StockholmSWEDEN+46 (8) 720 0001

GreenNet25 Downham Rd

London N1 5AAGREAT BRITAIN+44 (071) 923 2624

Institute for Global CommunicationsNetworks (IGC)(PeaceNet, EcoNet, HomeoNet, ConflictNet)3228 Sacramento StreetSan Francisco, CA 94115U.S.A.+1 (415) 923-0900

NicaraoProyecto de Telecommunicacion/Nicarao

CRIESApartado 3516ManaguaNICARAGUA+505 (2) 26228

Pegasus Networks (EarthNet)PO Box 424The Epicentre, Border StreetByron Bay 2481 NSWAUSTRALIA+66 (8) 56789 (support)

The Web456 Spadina Avenue, 2nd floorToronto, Ontario M5T 2G8CANADA+1 (416) 929-0634


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How do I log-in if I don't live close to a host computer?

Most countries in the world (either by private or government initiative) have developed special datatransmission networks. These systems, called Public Switching Networks or Packet-Switching Networks(PSN) are special high quality telephone lines that allow hundreds of computer-to-computer"conversations" at the same time. These PSNs drastically reduce the cost of sending data in comparisonto conventional telephone calls.

Most of the national PSNs are connected to the PSNs of other countries, allowing international datatransfer. In this way it is possible for a user in Buenos Aires to make a local telephone call and connectdirectly into the Alternex system in Rio de Janeiro, without paying for a long-distance telephone call.

In some countries you have to set up an account with your country's PSN network. Your APC host canassist you in doing this. In other countries the charges for using the PSN are charged on your monthly billfrom the host.

How do I learn how to use the network once I get an account?

Each of the APC hosts publishes a user manual. In addition to this manual there are hundreds of userswho volunteer to help out new users. If you should have any problems there are many of us out theremore than willing to help you out. Remember: computer networking is so new that even the most

experienced user of today was a novice only a few years ago.

It will make a difference!

It was not so long ago that many of us began to make use of computers for word processing -- or writing,as it used to be called. As we overcame what was often an initial resistance, we discovered a dramaticincrease in our ability to develop, fine-tune, and present written communication.

Those who have taken the next step with a computer, into electronic conferencing and electronic mail, areincreasingly discovering that as we learn to make effective use of this process, the transition from usingconventional mail, or even fax machines, to electronic networking is as powerful an advance in effectivecommunication, planning and participatory decision-making as was the transition from writing to wordprocessing.

The Canadian Council for International Cooperation and the all of theindividuals involved in electronic networking in preparation for the 1992 UnitedNations Conference on Environment and Development look forward to meetingyou on-line.

Please share this guide with others who might have an interest in electronic conferencing.The text of this guide is posted on the EN.UNCED.GENERAL conference, so that if you

are already on-line, you can obtain an electronic copy of the text, so that you can

reprint all or part of it in a format of your choice.


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On The Line: Interactive Preparations for the First Earth Summit#1, August 12 1991 Editor: Robert Pollard; Guest Editor: Ida KissE-mail: igc:rpollard, gn:rpollard, [email protected], [email protected]

1Exponential networking: Please make two or more copies of

On The Line, and give them to others committed to a humane,sustainable common future. Let's create a contagious process.

On The Line Issue #1, August 12 1991Issue #1, August 12 1991Interactive Preparations for the First Earth Summit

On The Line: Interactive Preparationsfor the First Earth Summit is the first

newsletter ever designed for globalelectronic distribution in a "camera ready"format to be printed from a personalcomputer. It seeks to integrate the powerof electronic communications with thepower of desktop publishing, and to placethat power in service of the evolvingnetworks of individuals and non-government organizations (NGOs)committed to a humane, sustainablecommon future.

The principal goals ofOn The Line are:to serve as a guide to the use of on-line

resources in preparations for the EarthSummit; and to support strategies thatenable the effective, interactiveco n t r ib u t io n o f o n - l i n e an dmicrocomputer resources to the EarthSummit.

There are other newsletters that areavailable on-line; most of those only reachpeople who are already familiar with the

use of electronic communications. OnThe Line is addressed as much to peoplewho have no previous experience withon-line communications, or who have just

been introduced to electronic networks.

On The Line will seek a balance betweenan overview of what on-linecommunications are about, a summary ofwhat is available on-line, andrecommendations on how to makeeffective use of electronic networks -- toobtain information and as a means ofcommunication.

That balance may not always be easy to

find, so On The Line needs to hear fromyou, the reader, to know how that balance

needs to be adjusted. ForOn The Line'ssuccess depends not only on being aboutinteractive processes, it depends as muchon an interactive relationship between thispublication and those it serves.

Strong: Focus on Food,Emergencies, War, RefugeesIn the Secretary-General's Report (PC/41) Maurice Strong has called on the

Preparatory Committee to go beyond the current agenda, and address fourcritical issues that are "very much within the mandate of the 1992 mandate", as

defined in General Assembly Resolution 44/228.

Food: "The current emergency in Sudan and Ethiopia provides dramatic evidenceand reminds us that the problem is far from solved. Certain dimensions of thisproblem are dealt with in the deliberations of the Preparatory Committee on theissue of poverty as also in the issue of agriculture. However, it is perhaps desirableif the issue of food security ... is taken up as a specific item for programmatic action

by the Preparatory Committee. It is a matter of great concern to a large number ofcountries particularly in Africa. The roots of food security at the household or atthe local or country level lie both in environmental and developmental factors."

Emergencies: "Many other environmental emergencies ... require concertedinternational action. Some of these may be in the nature of natural disasters like therecent tidal wave which caused havoc in Bangladesh, or the volcanic eruption in thePhilippines. Some of these environmental emergencies, however, are the result ofhuman activities like chemical accidents, radiation leaks or oil spills. A certainamount of capacity has been built up for international action in response to suchemergencies. There are also several proposals for strengthening the responsecapacity at the national and international level. It would be worthwhile for thePreparatory Committee to consider this issue of environmental emergencies not just

in relation to specific items but as a generic problem which requires an integratedresponse.

War: "Environmental security ... has two dimensions. The first is the possibilitythat security conflicts could lead to environmental threats and environmentaldegradation. The impact of the recent war in the Gulf on the local and regionalenvironment has clearly shown that this is an issue of major concern. The otherdimension of this is the possibility that environmental degradation and the economicpressures that it generates could become a source of potential conflict. Both ofthese are matters which require systematic discussion in the PreparatoryCommittee."

Refugees: "An area of concern closely linked to the issues that have been referred

to above is that of environmental refugees. It is an issue which is linked to foodcrisis, to environmental emergencies, and to the links between environment andconflict. This issue deserves greater attention within the broad mandate of thisConference which is considering both environment and development."

(The quotes are from PC/41, The Secretary-General's Report. The report is

available on-line on the en.unced.documents conference)


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3Exponential networking: Please make two or more copies of

On The Line, and give them to others committed to a humane,sustainable common future. Let's create a contagious process.

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,we borrow it from our children.

Speaking Truth to Power -- Voice of the Children"There are five billion people in the world today, about twobillion are children." That opening sentence from the descriptionof the Voice of the Children campaign (posted on

en.unced.generalon 7/25/91) should in itself be sufficient reasonfor everyone involved in the UNCED process to take very specialnote of this campaign. So should the admonishment from the

Great Law of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy that: "In ourevery deliberations, we must consider the impact of our decisionson the next seven generations."

Our children may not be the seventh generation, but it is they, notour elders, who will be living with the consequences of theenvironment and development policies and decisions that emergefrom UNCED. And the eyes of a child tend not to be clouded bypreconceptions as to what is "politically acceptable" or"profitable"; what is "right" and "wrong" tend to loom muchlarger.

Voice of the Children, with its theme ofSpeaking Truth to

Power, was initially organized in conjunction with the Bergen

meetings in May, 1990, and culminated in a presentation byNorwegian children -- mostly aged 10-16 -- to political leaders inNorway, including Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. Thesuccess of the Bergen event led to the development of aninternational campaign -- there are presently national campaigncoordinatorsin thirty-three countries,and to endorsementsfrom

the likes of Maurice Strong, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and JamesGrant, Executive Director of UNICEF.

Voice of the Children organizer Kristin Eskeland, however, isclear that no matter how much support there is from "grownups",the key to the success of the campaign depends on children

taking the lead. Perhaps ultimately more important to her eventhan a deeply moving presentation in Rio in the presence ofmany Heads of State is the prospect of children -- in villages,towns, cities and national capitals -- coming to terms with theissues of environment and development and creating ways ofletting their voices be heard in communities around the world.

Contact: Kristin Eskeland, Voice of the Children InternationalCampaign, Langes Gate 4, 0165 Oslo 1, Norway; phone +47 236 20 35; fax +47 2 36 14 54; e-mail: pns:roestlie, or RaulMontenegro, FUNAM, Casilla de Correo 83, Correo Central,5000 Cordoba, Argentina; phone: +54 51 22 62 52; fax: +54 5152 02 60.

o o o o o o

UNCED Conference makesthe Top 20

Since the UNCED conferences got offthe ground in April 1990, there has beena steady increase in the use of theAssoc ia t ion fo r P rogress iveCommunications networks for UNCED-related information -- with peak activitiesoccurring around the times of thePrepCom meetings.

In May 1991, the en.unced.generalconference just made it into the Top 20conferences on the Institute for GlobalCommunications -- the only APCNetwork for which statistics are presentlyavailable -- and in June, the last monthfor which figures are available,en.unced.general moved up to 19thplace.

While the level of activity in theen.unced.general conference has beenimpressive, the statistics look even betterwhen you begin to examine the extent ofusage of the entire family of on-lineUNCED-related conferences.

An Electronic Newsstand --en.unced.news

One of the newer UNCED-related on-lineconferences that is steadily growing in

popularity is en.unced.news. Many whovisit the conference regularly are findingthat it serves as the equivalent of anelectronic newsstand, where you canpick up an edition much earlier than youcan get it on the street. In addition, theinformation on en.unced.news tends tobe better organized than on many otherconferences.

In a striking example of the difference indelivery time, the printed copy of theJune 1991 issue ofNetwork 92arrivedin Baltimore on the very same day thatthe July issue was available on-line.

Helpful Hints:

Do set your conference priorities -- seethe article on "Getting priorities straight"for how to do this.

North-South Dialogue --unced.dialogue

The Canadian Council for InternationalCooperation (CCIC) is administering a"North-South Dialogue" program tostrengthen dialogue between NGOs indeveloped countries with those indeveloping countries. Funded by theCanadian International DevelopmentAgency (CIDA), the North-SouthDialogue program was launched with aseries of meetings with a small group ofrepresentatives from Northern andSouthern NGOs during PrepCom II.

The use of electronic communicationswas central to the planning of theNorth-South Dialogue, and theunced.dialogue conference was set upas the forum for the participants in this

project. After a fairly slow start -- it oftentakes a little while for dialogue in aconference to get going -- there hasbeen a steady flow of papers, notablythose from Maximo "Junie" Kalaw of thePhilippines Green Forum (see separatearticle) and Sanjit Roy from India.


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4Integrating the power of electronic communications with desktop

publishing, in service of evolving networks of individuals andorganizations committed to a humane, sustainable common future.

"Why can't I find it?"Archived topics

At least one of the APC Networks has

begun to "archive" some of the

earlier UNCED topics, especially

topics that people have not been

reading much. If someone has told

you there is a particular topic on a

conference, and you just can't find it

in the index, try typing "a" for

archive, then "i" for index, and there

is a good chance you will find what

you are looking for. You can read an

archived document just the same way

you read any conference topic; the

only difference is that you can't write

a response to it.

UNCED & The Gulf War -- Damage Control or PreventionAs the preparations for war in the Persian Gulf began to escalate,many in the environment and development community expresseddeep concern at the impact of the war on the Gulf environment,and on development in the area, as well as its indirect effects onmany other developing countries.

At the outbreak of hostilities, Ian Peter in Australia contended

that the UNCED agenda would be seriously flawed if it were notamended to address the impact on environment and developmentof the international framework for resolution of conflict. (See"SERIOUS AGENDA FLAW", posted 1/16/91, in theen.unced.general conference).

Meanwhile, a Global Environmental Alliance on Peace in theGulf had been formed in response to the prospects of the massiveoil spills and oil well fires that were predicted to be an almostcertain consequence of the war. A resolution on January 23 atthe annual conference of the Society for InternationalDevelopment in Washington DC, urging Presidents Bush andHussein to make use of win-win conflict resolution processesinstead of military force, drew wide support.

The Norwegian Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends(Quakers) adopted a minute -- subsequently supported by manyother Quakers -- inviting all Friends to call on

Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, Chair of theWorld Commission on Environment and Development, to raisethe issue of peace, environment and development on the UNCEDagenda. And the impact on climate and air quality of the Kuwaitoil well fires is a major focus of discussion in the en.climateconference.

With the publication of PC/72 -- Environmental Assessment ofthe Gulf Crisis, posted on en.unced.documents on 7/26/91,prepared in response to a request from the second session of thePrepCom, the presence of an official UNCED document providesa clearer context for addressing concerns on the impact of warand conflict resolution processes on environment anddevelopment, especially given Maurice Strong's recommendationthat the issue of environmental security be given a clear place onthe UNCED agenda.

However, many will be disappointed unless UNCED takes a farbroader view of than the scope of PC/72. For itsrecommendations are limited to ways of improving internationalresponse to the damage that has already been done in the Gulf,

and fail to speak to the challenge of developing processes andinstitutions for resolving conflict in ways other than the use offorce, so as to "save succeeding generations from the scourge ofwar which ... has brought untold sorrow to mankind" (Preambleto the United Nations Charter).

Coping with InformationOverload -- en.unced.infox

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by theamount of UNCED-related information?Take a deep breath to relax, and knowthat the flood of information is not likelyto slow down until after June 1992.Relaxation is a valuable tool to respondto the stress that can be induced byinformation overload. So relax again andknow that you are not alone.

The en.unced.infox conference wascreated in recognition of the problem ofinformation overload, and the challengeof helping people find the informationthey need. It has been a forum fordiscussion of strategies to make themass of UNCED-related informationmore readily available, especially to

those who do not have access tocomputers and sophist icatedcommunications resources.

Much of the discussion leading to theNGONET '92 project took place inen.unced.infox. (see NGONET article).

UNCED-related events --en.unced.readit

Funded by the Dutch and Norwegiangovernments, and administered by theEnvironment & DevelopmentResource Center in Brussels, theREADIT project -- Rapid EnvironmentAnd Development Information Timetable-- is compiling and disseminating amaster directory of the growing numberof UNCED-related events.

An updated READIT schedule will beposted in early August, on theen.unced.readitconference, in a formatthat will make it easier to find out detailsabout what conferences and meetingswill be taking place, on what topics, andwho to contact for additional information.

Printed copies of the READIT schedulecan be obtained from EDRC at 26Boulevard Louis Schmidtlaan, 1040Brussels, Belgium. Phone +32 2 736-8050; fax +32 2 735-8895; e-mailgn:edrc or geo2:edrc.

By finding the right place tostand, I can move the world.

Archimedes


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6Integrating the power of electronic communications with desktop

publishing, in service of evolving networks of individuals andorganizations committed to a humane, sustainable common future.

On The Line: Interactive Preparations for the First Earth Summit is an independent project that

began as a project of EcoNet / Institute for Global Communications. The first issue ofOn The Line

was made possible through funding from the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

A quick guide to the UNCED conferences on-lineIf you can not find one or more ofthese con fe rences on theAssociat ion for ProgressiveCommunications network you use,send a note to "support" on yournetwork, and request they be madeavailable.

ax.unced -- Spanish andPortuguese language publicconference

cnu.ethics -- U.S. Citizens Networkon UNCED Working Group onEthics

cnu.information -- U.S. CitizensNetwork on UNCEDClearinghouse andCommunications Committee

cnu.steering -- U.S. CitizensNetwork on UNCED Steeringand Executive Committee

(private)cnued.documents -- Official

UNCED documents in French

cnumad.documentos -- OfficialUNCED documents in Spanish

en.unced -- introduction andorientation to the UNCED-related conferences

en.unced.binary -- Binary files,including "typeset" documentsand program files

en.unced.documents -- OfficialUNCED documents in English

en.unced.general -- Generaldiscussion and NGO documents

en.unced.infox -- Discussion ofNGO information strategy

en.unced.news -- UNCED-relatednewsletters and publications

en.unced.readit -- Extensiveschedule of UNCED-relatedevents

en.unced.schedule -- OfficialUNCED Schedule & someUNCED-related events

en.unced.topics -- Overview of

UNCED organized bysubstantive topics

unced.agenda21 -- Opendiscussion on Agenda 21 issues

unced.canada -- Forum forCanadian NGOs and officialCanadian documents

unced.dialogue -- South-Northdialogue, with a focus onPoverty, Development andEnvironment issues

unced.earthcharter-- Opendiscussion on Earth Charterissues

unced.usgovt -- Dissemination ofUS Government documents,including the draft US NationalReport

Some related conferences

inc.climate -- Official documentsfrom the IntergovernmentalNegotiating Committee onGlobal Climate Change (INC)

climate.news -- Newsletters onclimate change, including the

ECO newsletter producedduring the INC meetings

en.climate -- general discussion ofclimate related issues

en.energy -- general discussion ofenergy issues

On The LineInteractive Prep ar ations for th e First Earth Summit

801 Homestead StreetBaltimore, MD 21218-3536 USA

E-mail: igc.rpollard & gn.rpollard (APC Networks)[email protected] (Internet & BitNet)


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Da Zi Bao Vol 1 #1An Interactive Exchange Process Paris, 17 December 1991

UN & Global EnvironmentAn Environmental Council should be The Global Ecocity Network of pioneers is If there are no fruits

established by the U.N. parallel to the working to build a sustainable civilisation. It was good for the beauty of flowersSecurity Council. UNEP replaced by UN The network is planning a presentation at the If there are no flowersagency along lines of FAO, UNESCO, ' 92 Global Forum and Earth Summit in Rio It was good for the shadow of the leavesHabitat, etc. A world ecological ombudsman de Janeiro, Brazil, June 1-12, 1992. The If there are no leavesshould be appointed by the Environmental Cerro Gordo ecovillage maintains databases It was good for the intention of the seedCouncil. #1 Let' s make our intentions fruitful #13Josef Tamir, Haim and Eviva, ISRAEL Muriel Saragoussi, Brazilian Forum of

World SolidarityAll people on earth will immobilize cars oneday a week as global solidarity. The 5th ofJune will be declared a day of prayer forsalvation of Earth and mankind. #2Josef Tamir, Haim and Eviva, ISRAEL

Just a message ...In the endwe will conserveonly what we love,we will loveonly what we understand,we will understandonly what we are taught ... Yugoslavia. #14(From a 19th century hand embroidery) #3Lily Venizelos, MEDASSET/Hellenic Societyfor Protection of Nature, GREECE

Gandhi said"It is a fundamental law of nature", Gandhiwrote that "nature produces enough for ourwants from day to day and if everybody tookenough for their own needs and nothing more

there would be no poverty in this world."#4Krishna Murti Gupta, Himalaya Seva Sangh,INDIA

International Ecology RebuildingProgramUrban Ecology, Inc. is developing anEcological Rebuilding Program for PlanetEarth based on the need to rebuild our citiesusing ecological principles #5Stuart Chaitkin, Urban Ecology, USA

Success of NGO ConferenceSuccess of the NGO Conference will depend

on how open Western NGOs are to thedevelopment and environment realities ofThird World, and how radical a position istaken. #6Ashish Kothari, KALPAVRIKSH, INDIA

Anti-Nuclear NetworkingThere will be a meeting on 18th Decemberfrom 14h to 18h. Address to be giventomorrow. Please contactThe Ecologist attheir stand. #7Etienne Vernet

Global Ecology Network If there are no fruits

for networking, referrals, resources andeducation. Contact Cerro Gordo TownForum, Dorena Lake, Box 569, CottageGrove, Or 97424 USA. Phone (503)942-7720, EcoNet: cerrogordo #8Stuart Chaitkin, Urban Ecology, USA

Conservation and manSea turtles are in the way of modern man...some people think: if we get rid of turtlesthey won't be endangered any more, they will

be extinct! Curious that man is only oneanimal who befouls his environment ... whatis for sure is that this planet could survivevery nicely without him ... #9Lily Venizelos, MEDASSET/Hellenic Societyfor Protection of Nature, GREECE

International Conference onCities: AustraliaThe 2nd International Ecological CitiesConference will be held April 16-19, 1992 inAdelaide, Australia. It will focus on ecocityprograms and projects aground the worldwhich can be achieved this decade.Additional representation is especially soughtfrom developing countries and Eastern

Europe. Contact Urban Ecology Australia,P.O. Box 3040, Genfell Street Adelaide SA5000, Australia. Phone 61-8-3791984, Fax61-8-4100142, E-mail Pegasus/Earthnet peg:pdownton #10Stuart Chaitkin, Urban Ecology, USA

International Conference onEcocitiesUrban Ecology, Inc. promotes the formation all together to the Paris conference isof "ecocities". The 1st International "people' s participation, democraticEcological Cities Conference, held in representation and consensus building".Berkeley, California in March 1990, These are the things which are equally neededcatalyzed the ecocity movement. The for social ju

information, public participation & communications for the 1992 earth summit

Documents