tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28543539.post3124404229442606809..comments2023-09-20T11:15:28.673+01:00Comments on Transform Drug Policy Foundation Blog: UN asks NGOs for our viewjanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15263261726046054614noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28543539.post-51263607685847061482008-07-24T18:39:00.000+01:002008-07-24T18:39:00.000+01:00Drugreporter states:....it appeared that the oppon...Drugreporter states:<BR/><BR/><I>....it appeared that the opponents of drug policy reform don't really like transparency"</I><BR/><BR/><I>Before the meeting the organizers granted permission for us to use our camera, but on the second day the director of the Vienna NGO Forum asked us to stop filming at the plenary, on the request of an unnamed NGO that was concerned by being filmed.”</I><BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.drogriporter.hu/en/node/1038" REL="nofollow">Link to Drugreporter</A><BR/><BR/>Well, I notice on the Vienna NGO site page entitled <A HREF="http://www.vngoc.org/details.php?id_cat=8&id_cnt=35" REL="nofollow"><B> Information for Donors</B></A> that:<BR/><BR/><B>"Beyond 2008" has already received significant financial support from the European Commission and the governments of Canada, Hungary, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom.</B><BR/><BR/>All these countries are making every effort to be transparent themselves (<I>cough</I>) and they certainly demand transparency from the organizations they give (our) money to.<BR/>One would think therefore, that the official policy of the Vienna NGO Forum would be one of “ If you don't want your presentation to be filmed -–then don't give it.”<BR/>After all, if the forum is going to have any meaning it needs to publish the full verbatim text anyway (the text, is I hope, going to be published isn't it?). <BR/><BR/>I think it would be worth Dugreporter taking this matter up again with the Vienna NGO board, so that the refusal to allow filming this time around does not set a precedent<BR/> that carries on into future years. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Hopefully, (our) donor representatives would also give them their full support in this matter.<BR/>Why not film the whole thing next time and transmit it on Freeview television. Would be a lot more interesting than coverage of the US elections!<BR/> <BR/>PS Onion News Network has a short piece entitled: <BR/><A HREF="http://www.theonion.com/content/video/congress_struggles_to_come_up" REL="nofollow">Congress Struggles To Come Up With Cool Name For Anti-Drug Initiative</A>.<BR/>One can just imagine it really happening this way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com