[Ecommerce] Cool CPSR event in DC Oct. 16 (report card on US policies on information
society)
Manon Ress
manon.ress@cptech.org
Mon Oct 4 12:33:00 2004
FYI: Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility presents
"Making the Grade?
A Report Card on US Policies for the Information Society"
Norbert Wiener Award Reception, and
CPSR Members' Meeting
Washington, D.C.
October 16-17
http://cpsr.org/conferences/annmtg04/
(The three events are separate, and open to the public.
Space is limited. Pre-registration is recommended.
Onsite registration is possible, if space permits.)
***************
Making the Grade?: A Report Card on US Policies for the
Information Society
Building 42 - McCarthy Hall
the McShain - Large Lounge
Georgetown University
Saturday, October 16
9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
With the presidential election rapidly approaching, people are taking
stock of what the Bush Administration has or has not achieved during
its time in office. But with much of the public debate focusing on
national security and the economy, the administration's record
in other critically important policy arenas often receives less
thorough consideration. One such arena is information and
communication technology (ICT) policy and the governance of the
information society. What has the administration achieved with
its policies on telecommunications, radio frequency spectrum, mass
media, the Internet, electronic commerce, privacy protection,
spam and consumer protection, and media convergence? What about
its policies on the application of ICT in fields like privacy
protection and homeland security, electoral voting, and the work
place? What has it done with respect to global policy
challenges like Internet governance, international trade, intellectual
property, and the developing countries? The time is ripe to take stock
of the record in these arenas, and to consider the extent to
which the Bush Administration's policies have promoted the public
interest. Have they helped to foster technological innovation and a
dynamic information economy? Have they increased citizens' ability
to access and use ICT and related services? Have they contributed to
a vibrant and open public sphere of ideas, strengthened our
democracy, protected our civil liberties, and promoted our values
abroad?
This conference will take up these and related questions. Experts
from academia, civil society organizations, and the private
sector will analyze the administration's performance on a variety of
ICT issues and each give a "grade" on the merits. Later in the
conference, these grades will be aggregated and averaged in a
"Report Card"---a big picture overview of and cumulative final
grade on current US policy. The conference will conclude with
an open discussion on how to advance a public interest agenda
that is suited to the current technological and policy environment,
and on the roles that CPSR and other progressive advocacy
organizations can play in such an effort. The conference sessions
will be interactive and offer ample opportunity for audience members
to weigh in with their views.
CPSR's annual conference is hosted on the Georgetown
University campus by the Communication, Culture and Technology
(CCT) Program http://cct.georgetown.edu. This is the second
time that CCT has hosted CPSR's annual conference at
Georgetown; the 1996 conference, Communications Unleashed:
What's at Stake? Who Benefits? How to Get Involved, examined
the ICT policies then being pursued at by the Clinton Administration.
http://www.cpsr.org/conferences/annmtg96/program.html.
That CPSR has critically analyzed the policies of successive
administrations, both Democrat and Republican, underscores that
this event is not a partisan political undertaking. CPSR takes no
position on electoral campaigns and does not support particular
candidates. The focus of the discussion will be on policy, not politics.
http://cpsr.org/conferences/annmtg04/
Please pre-register via https://secure.privaterra.org/cpsr/am2004.html
************************
(Program as of Sept. 23)
9:00 - 9:15am Welcome
Linda Garcia, Director, CCT Program, Georgetown University
William Drake, President, CPSR
9:15 - 10:30am Session 1: Telecommunications, Internet, and Mass Media
Kathleen Wallman, CCT Program, Georgetown University (Telecommunications)
Michael Calabrese, New America Foundation (Spectrum management)
Jeff Chester, Center for Digital Democracy (Internet, broadband)
Andrew Schwartzman, Media Access Project (Mass Media)
10:30 - 10:45am Coffee Break
10:45 - 12:00pm Session 2. Electronic Commerce and Information Policy
Moderator: Brian Kahin, University of Michigan
Elliot E. Maxwell (Electronic Commerce)
Jim Dempsey, Center for Democracy and Technology (Spam)
Gigi Sohn, Public Knowledge (Intellectual Property)
Anthony Rutkowski, Verisign (IP-enabled services, convergence)
12:00 - 1:30pm Lunch (on your own in GU cafeteria or local restaurants)
1:30 - 2:45pm Session 3. Civil Liberties, Democracy, and Work
Marcia Hofmann, Electronic Privacy Information Center (Privacy,
Surveillance)
Lillie Coney, Electronic Privacy Information Center (voting technology)
Nancy Brigham, CPSR (labor, outsourcing)
2:45 - 3:00pm Coffee Break
3:00 - 4:15pm Session 4. Global Policy
Moderator: David W. Maher, Public Interest Registry
William Drake, CPSR (WSIS, Internet governance)
Manon Ress, Consumer Project on Technology (WIPO, UNICTRAL, Hague
Conference)
J.P. Singh, CCT Program, Georgetown University (WTO, digital trade)
Ernest Wilson IIIrd, U. Maryland (Developing countries)
4:15 - 4:30pm Coffee Break
4:30 - 5:00pm Session 5. The Report Card
5:00 - 5:30pm Session 6. Building a New Public Interest Agenda
Please pre-register via https://secure.privaterra.org/cpsr/am2004.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2004 Norbert Wiener Award Reception for
Barry Steinhardt, Director Of The American Civil Liberties Union's
Program On Technology And Liberty
Mr. Smiths of Georgetown
3104 M Street NW
Saturday, October 16
6:00- 9:00 p.m.
Following the annual conference, CPSR will host a reception to honor
Barry Steinhardt, the 2004 recipient of the Norbert Wiener Award.
Barry has been a prominent advocate for privacy and other civil liberties
in the face of technologically-oriented threats. In addition to testifying
before the U.S. Congress, he has addressed audiences ranging from
the National Conference of State Legislatures to the UNESCO
Conference on Intellectual Property. As the latter suggests, his activism
has not been confined to the U.S. He was a co-founder of the Global
Internet Liberty Campaign-the world's first international coalition of
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) concerned with the privacy
and free speech rights of Internet users-and a member of the US
delegation to the G-8 Government and Private Sector Tokyo
Conference on Cyber Crime. His advocacy also extends to the media.
His essays have appeared in such diverse publications as USA Today,
CIO magazine, and the journal of the Davos World Economic Forum
and he has appeared on a variety of news and talk shows on major
television networks.
See http://www.cpsr.org/conferences/annmtg04/wiener.html
Please pre-register via https://secure.privaterra.org/cpsr/am2004.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual CPSR Members' Meeting
Building 42 - McCarthy Hall
the McShain - Large Lounge
Georgetown University
Sunday, October 17
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Free
Please pre-register via https://secure.privaterra.org/cpsr/am2004.html
Discussion Topics to Include, inter alia:
1. Introduction of board members
2. New Web Site, Publications
3. The State of CPSR
4. Reports from the CPSR Office
5. Ford Foundation Grant and CPSR Financial Conditions
6. Promoting Member Engagement
7. Working Groups and Chapters
8. Coalition Building with Other Public Interest Groups
9. New Programmatic Initiatives
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Volunteers for many aspects of the events are needed.
Please contact Susan Evoy - evoy@cpsr.org
For logistics and updates, see
http://cpsr.org/conferences/annmtg04/
>> --
Susan Evoy * Managing Director
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
P.O. Box 717 * Palo Alto * CA * 94302 USA
Phone: (650) 322-3778 * (650) 322-4748 (fax)
Email: evoy@cpsr.org
http://www.cpsr.org/
--
Manon Anne Ress
Consumer Project on Technology
www.cptech.org
PO Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
manon.ress@cptech.org, voice: 1.202.387.8030, fax: 1.202.234.5176