[Asis-l] Global Information Village Plaza 2003 - cfp

Tue May 13 14:27:59 EDT 2003

Apologies for duplication. Please forward to all relevant lists and colleagues.

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION 

2nd Global Information Village Plaza: Connecting Multi-Cultural, Multi- 
Lingual and Multi-Media Universes  

  -What is the Global Information Village Plaza?

  The Global Information Village Plaza was born out of the idea of going beyond the hype,
  rhetoric and ‘expert’ analysis by the happy few involved in the preparation of policies and
  programs supposed to support the transition into the “information society" or "digital
  economy.” Instead, it sought to give ASIS&T members -and information professionals at
  large- an opportunity to informally and vigorously express their views about the challenges
  and opportunities that the so called "information society" represents in their personal and
  professional lives.

  -Outcomes of the of 1st Global Information Village Plaza:

  Between July and December 2002, individuals were invited to post short position statements
  and engage in discussion about these issues on the SIG-III listserv. The archive of the event
  can be seen at http://www.asis.org/SIG/SIGIII/plaza.htm. The position statements and major
  discussion threads (originating from the USA, Canada, Europe, Africa and Latin America)
  revolved around a number of recurring themes:

  *   Multiculturalism and multilingualism
  *   Lifelong learning for information professionals
  *   Public sphere and its information spaces
  *   Strategies for coping with information overload and pollution
  *   Switching focus from information systems toward interactive learning systems
  *   User-friendliness and reliability of ICT applications
  *   New patterns of work and social life
  *   ICT and information as instruments of domination and/or liberation on the
      international scene
  *   The state of information post 9/11

  -Global Information Village Plaza 2: What is next?

  The goal of this second edition of the Global Information Village Plaza is to deepen the
  definition of the issues and propose research and action agendas. In addition to collecting
  statements about the considered issues, new features are added: multimedia presentations and
  a graphic arts contest.

  1- OPINION STATEMENTS
  All ASIS&T members and information professionals at large are invited to express and share
  their personal views on the list of themes identified at the previous Plaza (see above). The
  statements should articulate what is really new and challenging aboutin the issue; what
  should be investigated and how; what individuals, information services and professional
  societies should do in order for all to better deal with the issue.
  Additions to the list of topics are of course welcome.

  2- MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS
  Since most colleagues around the world have no chance to attend an ASIS&T Annual
  Meeting, we invite digital video testimonies to be recorded and provided for display at the
  Plaza. They should address the selected issues or any relevant one, and provide, as far as
  possible, appropriate background and illustration for people not familiar with the particular
  context to understand the points made. It his hoped that these videos could offer a virtual trip
  to remote corners of the global information village. The videos could be either MPEG films
  or Slideshow compatible with standard software; they may be edited by the moderators for
  content and length.

  3- GRAPHIC ART
  Do you express yourself better through graphic arts? Then, consider entering the contest for
  the best cartoon, poster, drawing, or graphic art pieces of any kind that illustrates the issues
  under discussion at the Plaza. The award for the best poster, cartoon, drawing, etc. will be
  presented during the session.

  -The Plaza Spirit: How to participate?

  In keeping up with the spirit of the Plaza –i.e., the 'public place' or shared community space
  reminiscent of the public sphere- the social interaction between the various participants and
  contributors is an important part of the 2nd Global Plaza. Participate in three easy steps:

  STEP #1:
  Send a short position statement (300 words maximum) to the SIG/III
  discussion list (sigiii-l at asis.org) on the following questions:

  1° Which of the issues listed do you consider most important for your personal or
  professional life?Why? What is challenging about this issue?
  How should this issue be investigated and dealt with?
  What should the information science & technology community do to help you and itself
  cope with the issue(s)?

  2° Are there other issues that are equally or more important in your opinion, and which result
  from the globalization of the information society? What should be done in order to cope with
  these? What can the information science & technology community do to
  address these issues?

  All messages should clearly indicate "Plaza" in the subject line.
  Anyone can post messages to the sigiii-l list but if you wish to see what others have posted
  and participate in further discussion, we recommend that you subscribe to the list (see
  http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sigiii-l for details on how to subscribe). Note that the list
  will be moderated to avoid spamming and unrelated announcements.

  Note: In the case of video shows and graphic art presentations, please send a message to the
  list with a short description of the format, duration (for videos) and content (e.g., relationship
  to the topics under consideration). A copy of all multimedia products should be sent to the
  moderators for display at the ASIS&T meeting. Contact the moderators for more information.

  STEP #2:
  Send your comments about the statements posted on the list.

  STEP #3:
  Attend the "Global Information Plaza" session at the ASIS&T Annual Meeting in Long
  Beach, CA (http://www.asis.org/Conferences/) and participate in the debates.

  -What will happen at the ASIS&T Annual meeting?

  A special session on the Global Information Village Plaza 2 will be held at the annual ASIST
  conference in Long Beach. The moderators, Nadia Caidi and Michel Menou will summarize
  the contributions:

  a) The posters will be placed on the walls around the room showing teaxt and graphic
  contributions; a few laptops will be used to present the video shows. Participants will be
  able to move around the room and contribute to the topics by adding their comments on
  stickers that will be made available at the various panels and booths. They will also be able to
  discuss with other participants.

  b) After 30 to 40 minutes, individual discussions will stop. The moderators will summarize
  the position statements, as well as the main concept(s) and proposals that emerged from the
  contributions.

  c) A presentation of the position statements by the moderators standing on a platform in the
  middle of the room issues and contributions will ensue, followed by a general discussion that
  will be recorded.

  A summary of the session will be subsequently posted on the Sigiii-l discussion list along
  with edited position statement(s). It is our hope to revise and expand these contributions and
  discussion threads for publication in a professional journal, along with reflections on the
  process and outcomes of the experience.

  Don't miss the opportunity to say your word (politically correct language NOT required). It
  might not change the course of history but it may make you feel better.

  THE MODERATORS:
  Nadia Caidi, Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto (caidi at fis.utoronto.ca)
  and
  Michel J. Menou, Department of Information Science, City University London
  (menou at soi.ctiy.ac.uk)

  Check the Global Plaza Archive on the SIG-III website
  (http://proto-www.slis.kent.edu/~yinzhang/sigiii/) and stay tuned!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nadia Caidi
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Information Studies
University of Toronto
140 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G6
Canada
Tel: (416) 978 4664
Fax: (416) 971 1399
Email: caidi at fis.utoronto.ca