World Syntegrity Project
Collated Statements of Importance
Topic: Information
INFORMATION - Purple - BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
Knowledge is the prime drive of human development. Mankind must search stimuli and retribution for the knowledge generator, without hindering its fast diffusion and social appropriation.
Knowledge of social interest for mankind must be freely available, even though knowledge of private interest can still be tied to market forces. Mankind must foster forms of organization that promote research development throughout the world, as well as the appropriation of resources to allow the materialization and expansion of research and ensure the diffusion of its results through the mass media.
In order to prevent knowledge from being used against mankind, ethical education for the planetary citizen must be promoted - and mass media may not be used as an additional power tool.
NEED TO DEVELOP WAYS OF COMMUNICATING WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF DECISIONS ON "UNSEEN OTHERS" - White - LONDON, ENGLAND
Decisions are made for economic and power benefit of decision makers and groups, for others excluded from decision process and benefits.
Solution a) Give involves a say, or be a part of the decision making process (patronising World Bank things, i.e. they think they know best. )
Solution b) Not to have select groups (i.e. no catholic church). Reason for select groups: greed, self interest, the need for fear and deception.
Comments: Are there no practical approaches to putting people in contact with each other?
It is not just decision makers involved in the decision-making process. It is 'all of us' who allow decision/action to take place and ignore the consequences.
GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS - META-NETWORK - orange - MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA PROPOSAL
To establish a global organization to coordinate and facilitate networks, encouraging their integration and development.
- Their establishment will facilitate: informed decision making, the use of technology to live simply and cleanly, prioritising global issues, needs and concerns.
- This involves coordinating networks with similar aims and objectives and
the establishment of new, more efficient networks, covering the widest
range of information network channels including:
- personal contact
- Networks, Associations NGO's etc.
- Print media - Daily Press - Publications
- Film/audio visual) videos, cable, satellite
- Telephone/computer networks (including software/CD ROM developments)
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
- Priority: determine methods to evaluate equitable input and output in terms of access, content, language, censorship and costs.
- Endeavour to balance the "right to privacy" with freedom of information.
OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
- Analyse more equitable ways of supporting original ideas and developments, and also address the costs involved in establishing patents, terms and time frames of royalties, commissions etc. - to do so while endeavouring to switch the emphasis from the ethics of ownership to custodianship.
- This network will develop public availability of ideas and information crucial to quality of living and sustainability.
CONTENT
Content is to be selected and developed through the existing networks encouraging the collection and global accessibility of data.
FUNDING
To support the development and maintenance of the global meta-network funds are to be sought from:
Donations -philanthropic, NGO's, Corporate
Sponsorships - computer and hi-tech industries
Global, national, state, and local government.
Local community facility development through local governments and encouraging the use of existing equipment (time-share after hours, relocation of superseded equipment etc.) are seen as priorities.
PROCESS
Coordinating mutual support of the many networks and proposals already moving towards global communications. To support the UN (1982) proposal for an International Satellite Monitoring Authority (ISMA) which will foster the establishment of an international network of continual public displays. This proposal, could cover ecology, resources, communications, armaments etc. using about 1% of the present arms budget.
MEDIA - NEW HARTFORD, NEW YORK
All media should be nonprofit. All interested groups shall have media access. There shall be no censorship of media for those of legal age, but adults may censor for minors in their care. The news media shall be de-sanctified as "makers of news". There should be an international free news distribution service which shall provide accurate, unbiased news with access for unpopular views.
TRANSFER OF POWER/DOES AMERICA RULE THE WORLD - Yellow - SWANSEA, WALES
The dissolution of control from the hands of those primarily now in control may achieve by subversive information networks which supply information to those who are denied power. Small initiatives and campaigns can have a global impact because they give people the experience of acting together for a common cause. Through the subversive information networks these people can see that their isolated local campaigns can have effect upon the global power structure.
INFORMATION - White - SWANSEA UNIVERSITY
We agree that there are many different types of technology, each with different consequences, both beneficial and dangerous. Information is not available in a form which allows us to gauge and determine the criteria for assessing appropriateness of technologies and how they ought to be used.
Freedom of information, particularly governmental, is particularly important to enable people to make decisions. The present system is not accountable enough. We should be able to take a politician back to shop in a more accountable political framework.
What can we do immediately?
- Use marketing techniques both positively and negatively to confront consumers with the consequences of their purchasing actions.
- Promote networking between bodies, including watchdogs and other popular groups - consumer, the WI, political etc. with a view to reclaiming representative organizations.
- Marketing should be used to directly undermine political and capitalistic unaccountability and thus restore control to consumers. Whether buying square deal surf is in fact good or bad is merely the vehicle for the mechanism to be effective.