The British Columbia Library Association presents the sixth Information Policy Conference:

GLOBALIZATION, MEDIA CONCENTRATION, AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Sponsored by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, SFU School of Communications, and the UBC School of Library, Archival & Information Studies; and with the generous support of Vancouver Public Library

GLOBALIZATION, MEDIA CONCENTRATION, AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Friday & Saturday, April 7 & 8, 2000

Vancouver Public Library
350 West Georgia St.
Lower Level Auditorium

Globalization is most often presented as a simple question of economic efficiency. Recently, the premises of globalization and the growth of international capital/multi-national corporations have been challenged. These challenges played a significant part in the defeat of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) and the recent delay in Seattle in achieving a "Millennium Round" agenda for the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Much of the criticism of globalization has focused on the unrestricted power of multi-national companies, their lack of transparent and democratic decision-making and the impact on agriculture, environment, sustainable development, biotechnology, and labour. All are important areas.

The debates on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) pose very real threats to public education, public libraries, and public healthcare. Further, global trade rules in intellectual property rights plus huge mergers in media and information technology companies threaten to reduce access to accurate news and free public information while creating an international entertainment mono-culture.

This Information Policy Conference will explore these issues from the perspective of libraries and cultural organizations. Globalization and trade agreements, such as the WTO, threaten libraries and local, regional, and national cultures. Individuals and organizations from all sectors must work together to assure a vibrant and diversified cultural and intellectual environment, a healthy public sector, and an economy that serves all people.

For further information about this Information Policy Conference please contact:

To register for this Information Policy Conference please contact:

Or print out the Registration Form (soon to be posted) and mail it in with payment to: