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Eberhard Wenzel ... I hope you have made your comments "tongue in cheek"!

I quote ... "What can electronic participation in the Jakarta Conference
> possibly accomplish? To comment on what papers are given or what
> recommendations are decided upon?"

WHO may relate to government but it works on behalf on PEOPLE.  Guiding
principles of health promotion include equity and access for all, without which
PEOPLE can not increase control of their health and the factors (determinants)
that affect and effect it.

As all are well aware, it is very difficult to make decisions / declarations
with collective voices from across the world.  Much easier to do it with a few
"respresentative voices".  HOWEVER ... voices from the world could be poled at
the same time as delegates, electronically.  The ultimate decision would still
rest with the delegates but input could be rapidly collected through electronic
means (read e-mail or web site).  A bias sample to be sure, but many minds make
better decisions.

Dissemination of the declaration(s) would also occur much more quickly if those
implementing the direction were involved in deciding the direction.  We have the
technology ... I for one, think we should use it!!

Debbie Bang
Coordinator/Researcher
St. Joseph s Community Health Centre
Consumer Health Information Centre
2757 King Street East
Hamilton, Ontario  L8G 5E4
(905)  573-7777 ext. 8054
(905) 573-4828 FAX
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> From:                 Self <Single-user mode> Anne, Craig, Steve, Bo
> & some others, who asked for participation in the Jakarta Conference:
>
> as a matter of fact, WHO relates to governments (who pay the
> membership fees) rather than to people. It's an inter-governmental
> organization, not an NGO. That's why its conferences are almost always
> exclusive in terms of participation. One may not like this fact but
> that's what WHO is all about.
>
>  The conference will be prepared
> excellently in terms of WHO's own standards, i.e. no further input
> from the outside will be necessary in July 1997. Again, this is not an
> open forum, this is a closed shop!
>
> Individual input could have been given on national level, whatever
> that means. I never heard about a national conference here in
> Australia, in which the preparation of the Jakarta Conference was an
> agenda item. Well, that's not true, I heard of a meeting in December
> 1996, but then, that seemed to be a closed shop as well, since I have
> not received an invitation or read a public announcement.
>
> Don't worry - everything will be taken care of.
>
> Eberhard Wenzel
> Griffith University
> Faculty of Environmental Sciences
> Nathan, Qld. 4111
> Australia
> Tel.: 61-7-3875 7103
> Fax:  61-7-3875 7459
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>