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The following article is from the most recent issue of
Videazimut's publication CLIPS.  The theme of the issue is
"Organizing for Democratic Media."  CLIPS is published three times
a year in separate English, French and Spanish editions.
Subscriptions are $US 10 a year in northern countries and $US 5 in
southern countries.  If you would like a sample copy, please
contact Videazimut with your surface mail address.

HARNESSING THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES


A G7 ministerial meeting was held February 25 and 26, 1995 in
Brussels to discuss the technical, economic and financial aspects
of projects to implement the information highway. Since the social
implications of this undertaking are considerable, the Fondation
pour le progres de l'homme (FPH) and Transversales Science Culture
launched an appeal to the effect that scientific and technical
advances be placed at the service of social and cultural
development. A declaration entitled Multimedia: ways to
appropriate them socially was released at a press conference to
draw the G7 countries' and public opinion's attention to the
subject. The declaration is a summary of statements received from
groups and individuals the world over who are involved in
different ways in the issues raised by these new technologies.
Among invited guests were Rajive Jain (CENDIT, India), Lavinia
Mohr and Alain Ambrosi (Videazimut, Canada), Joachim Tankoano
(Higher School of Informatics, Burkina Faso), Alain d'Iribarne
(LEST/CNRS, France) and Amalia Souza (APC International
Secretariat, Brazil). Over 50 organizations signed the
declaration.

The signatories wanted to show their concern to the G7 and stress
to these governments, to big business media and to public opinion
the importance, at both the national and international level, of
the issues and the principles that should govern mastery of the
technology. Since citizenship and democracy are closely linked to
the nature and advancement of communications systems, no one
really knows exactly what the economic, social or cultural effects
of the new communication technologies will be. The basic principle
of responsibility toward the future means that the accompanying
risks must be weighed in the decision making process: risks such
as an exclusively commercial approach, the marginalization of
diversity, heightened inequality, segregation and social
isolation.

At the same time, however, the new information technologies open
up opportunities to strengthen social bonds and citizenship and to
provide an inexhaustible source of individual and collective
enrichment. This is an approach that would incorporate the social
and cultural into the new systems; in which forward-looking forces
would be involved; exchange and sharing of information, ideas and
practices would occur; public interest services would be provided;
and local networks at the service of democracy would emerge.

By signing the declaration, participants committed themselves to
facilitate and support collective experimentation, to gather and
exchange their knowledge and practices concerning the new
technologies, and to help organize relevant international
meetings.

Copies of the declaration are available from:

Fondation pour le progres de l'homme 38, rue Saint Sabin, F 75011
Paris, France Tel.: (33 1) 43 57 44 22 Fax: (33 1) 43 57 06 63
Email: ahis@fph.rio.org

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