UNESCO-Meeting on Multilingualism for Cultural Diversity and Participation of All in Cyberspace
Multilingualism for Cultural Diversity and Participation of All in Cyberspace
Bamako, Mali, 6-7 May 2005
UNESCO, in partnership with the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), the Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie (AIF) and the Government of Mali and other international institutions, is organising a Conference on “Multilingualism for Cultural Diversity and Participation of All in Cyberspace” in Bamako, Mali, on 6 and 7 May 2005. The event is one of UNESCO’s thematic meetings in preparation for the second meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (Tunis, Tunisia, 16-18 November 2005).
“Cultural and linguistic diversity, while stimulating respect for cultural identity, traditions and religions, is essential to the development of an Information Society based on the dialogue among cultures and regional and international cooperation”, as stated in Chapter 8 of the Plan of Action adopted by the participants of the first meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society in December 2003, in Geneva.
UNESCO, in advocating the building of plural and inclusive knowledge societies, recognises that language is a critical factor in the ability to communicate. Peoples’ ability to share and access knowledge, to become empowered in knowledge societies and to be able to participate in a digital world, will increasingly depend on the availability of multilingual solutions.
Therefore, this thematic meeting on multilingualism in cyberspace will build on the WSIS recognition of the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity in the digital world and will highlight the fundamental importance of removing barriers to access and participation of all on the Internet. The meeting will draw on the expertise of all stakeholders, including governments, international, regional and national organizations, academic, scientific and professional communities, non-governmental organizations and other actors. It will identify and present concrete actions in the area of linguistic diversity that governmental and non-governmental players can implement, both on the policy and application level, to achieve a multilingual cyberspace. The dialogue will be comprehensive and will include major actors on issues such as international, regional and national linguistic policies, multilingual domain names and digital content in local languages. The discussions will focus on multilingualism from two perspectives:
Policies and standards needed to ensure inclusive knowledge societies; and
Global experiences in building a multilingual cyberspace. The meeting is open for the participation of experts from governments, international organizations, academia, the private sector and civil society. The results of the meeting will be disseminated at international fora and will be made available to the participants of the second phase of WSIS in Tunis through a Report, including recommendations on the implementation of activities in the field of linguistic diversity in cyberspace, as advocated in the WSIS Action Plan.
Agenda
Background Document
Bamako, Mali, 6-7 May 2005
UNESCO, in partnership with the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), the Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie (AIF) and the Government of Mali and other international institutions, is organising a Conference on “Multilingualism for Cultural Diversity and Participation of All in Cyberspace” in Bamako, Mali, on 6 and 7 May 2005. The event is one of UNESCO’s thematic meetings in preparation for the second meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (Tunis, Tunisia, 16-18 November 2005).
“Cultural and linguistic diversity, while stimulating respect for cultural identity, traditions and religions, is essential to the development of an Information Society based on the dialogue among cultures and regional and international cooperation”, as stated in Chapter 8 of the Plan of Action adopted by the participants of the first meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society in December 2003, in Geneva.
UNESCO, in advocating the building of plural and inclusive knowledge societies, recognises that language is a critical factor in the ability to communicate. Peoples’ ability to share and access knowledge, to become empowered in knowledge societies and to be able to participate in a digital world, will increasingly depend on the availability of multilingual solutions.
Therefore, this thematic meeting on multilingualism in cyberspace will build on the WSIS recognition of the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity in the digital world and will highlight the fundamental importance of removing barriers to access and participation of all on the Internet. The meeting will draw on the expertise of all stakeholders, including governments, international, regional and national organizations, academic, scientific and professional communities, non-governmental organizations and other actors. It will identify and present concrete actions in the area of linguistic diversity that governmental and non-governmental players can implement, both on the policy and application level, to achieve a multilingual cyberspace. The dialogue will be comprehensive and will include major actors on issues such as international, regional and national linguistic policies, multilingual domain names and digital content in local languages. The discussions will focus on multilingualism from two perspectives:
Policies and standards needed to ensure inclusive knowledge societies; and
Global experiences in building a multilingual cyberspace. The meeting is open for the participation of experts from governments, international organizations, academia, the private sector and civil society. The results of the meeting will be disseminated at international fora and will be made available to the participants of the second phase of WSIS in Tunis through a Report, including recommendations on the implementation of activities in the field of linguistic diversity in cyberspace, as advocated in the WSIS Action Plan.
Agenda
Background Document
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