DIALOGUE BETWEEN NATIONS GATEWAY

WELCOME

Building upon the successful presentations of Dialogue Between Nations' (DBN) initiatives at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), Tunis, November 2005, the Dialogue Between Nations Gateway pilot project aims to demonstrate the viability of a Virtual Permanent Forum through the establishment of a network of regional electronic communities.

The DBN Gateway will be composed of communities located in the seven official regions of the United Nations Permanent Forum family:

Africa
Asia
Arctic
Central and South America and the Caribbean
Eastern Europe, Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia
North America
Pacific

Each community will host a collaborative e-learning environment based on inter-active communication activities. These will provide for a dynamic sharing of knowledge, information and issues addressed by various bodies of the United Nations and Indigenous representatives, in the context of the mandated themes of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Local participants will then be able to play a vital role, through global dialogue, in shaping new directions for their communities.

The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

Secretariat Web Site



NORTH AFRICA
REGIONAL ELECTRONIC COMMUNITY

We are beginning our adventure together on the African continent. Eight Bedouin tents will become the home of this virtual Dialogue Between Nations Gateway pilot e-learning project. With a view towards the development of a Virtual Permanent Forum to complement and expand dialogue on the mandated themes of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, each tent will be equipped with programs to be supported by an integrated mix of information and communications technology.

This prototype of connectivity will bring together local communities and independent experts: members of the UN Permanent Forum and other International Actors from the Dialogue Between Nations' Roll Call of Nations (currently in development) This network of experts, advisors and facilitators will be invited to participate in a program, to be known as Mentors in Electronic Residence. The role of these individuals will be to facilitate learning and decision making at local, regional and international levels.

It is envisioned that the Dialogue Between Nations Gateway project pilot will support the development of a feasibility study for a Virtual Permanent Forum, which already has received confirmed interest from the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

All sectors of civil, academic, government and corporate society, individuals and institutions alike, are invited to participate in this project.

A WORLD OF E-LEARNING IN THE TENTS

A designated activity related to each thematic topic will be hosted within each tent:

Gateway Administration Tent
General Information, Registration, Technical Support
Library, Links and Archives

Plenary Tent
Hosting of Interactive Roundtables
based upon Discussion Outcomes from groups
participating in the main Thematic e-learning Tents

Thematic Tent 1
Economic and Social Development

Thematic Tent 2
Culture

Thematic Tent 3
The Environment

Thematic Tent 4
Education

Thematic Tent 5
Health

Thematic Tent 6
Human Rights

Socializing and Informal Discussions
at a refreshing, nearby Oasis

At the present time, we invite you to CLICK on the CULTURE TENT below, or in the Panorama at the top of this page. There you will find a statement given to the international press by Hassan Id Balkassm, Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous issues. Mr. Id Balkassm and his colleagues, Leila Ben M'Charek and Saoudata Aboubacrine were official delegates in attendance at the WSIS in Tunisia. If you wish to proceed to a discussion forum to share your ideas about Mr. Id Balkassm's statement, please CLICK the graphic of the FOUR HANDS next to his photo. You will then discover DIABLOGUES and the possibilities of our first collaborative community.

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