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Entitled “The Future of Knowledge Acquisition and Sharing”, the forum will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 11 May from 10.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. (Room IV). It will bring together international experts, decision-makers and private sector representatives to address three main questions: How will we acquire and share knowledge in 2025? How will technology shape lifelong learning in 2025? How will knowledge acquisition and sharing change in higher education and research?

The Forum will be opened by the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura. Roberto Carneiro, Former Minister of Education of Portugal and now Dean of the Institute for Distance Learning at the Portuguese Catholic University, will give the keynote address.

Speakers will include:
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman of the Talal-Ghazalah Organization;
Lidia Brito, Former Minister of Science and Technology of Mozambique;
Brenda Gourley, Vice Chancellor of the Open University of the United Kingdom; Thierry Karsenti, Canada Research Chair on Information and Communication Technologies in Education;
Bruno Lanvin, Executive Director of INSEAD eLab;
Gillian M. Marcelle, Wits Business School, South Africa;
Jai Menon, Vice-President of the Technical Strategy and Global University Programmes of IBM;
Claudia Morrell, Founder and CEO of the Multinational Development of Women in Technology (MDWIT);
Rinalia Abdul Rahim, Former Executive Director of the Global Knowledge Partnership, Malaysia;
Francisco Sagasti, former World Bank Director of Strategic Planning and current Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board to the Prime Minister of Peru;
Michelle Sellinger, of Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group, Asia-Pacific.

UNESCO’s Future Forum series aims to contribute to the understanding of global trends and related societal challenges, to assess their impact and to determine UNESCO’s response.

Nollywood rivals Bollywood in film/video production

India remains the world’s leading film producer but Nigeria is closing the gap after overtaking the United States for second place, according to a global cinema survey conducted by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).

According to the survey, Bollywood produced 1,091 feature-length films in 2006 compared to 872 productions (in video format) from Nigeria’s film industry, which is commonly referred to as Nollywood. In contrast, the United States produced 485 major films.

The three heavyweights were followed by eight countries that produced more than 100 films: Japan (417), China (330), France (203), Germany (174), Spain (150), Italy (116), South Korea (110) and the United Kingdom (104).

These and other findings were collected through a new international survey launched by the UIS in 2007 with financing from the Government of Québec.

“Film and video production are shining examples of how cultural industries – as vehicles of identity, values and meanings – can open the door to dialogue and understanding between peoples, but also to economic growth and development. This conviction underpins the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity” said Koïchiro Matsuura, the Director-General of UNESCO. “And this new data on film and video production provides yet more proof of the need to rethink the place of culture on the international political agenda.”

Overall, the survey yielded data from 99 countries. It is important to note that response rates were limited especially among African countries where there is a general lack of statistical information on cultural issues.

Despite its limited coverage, the survey provides a unique perspective on how different countries and regions are transforming traditional approaches to the art and industry of filmmaking especially in video and digital formats.

In particular, the explosive growth of Nollywood attracts considerable attention, especially in developing countries looking for alternatives to the U.S. or European models of film production and distribution, which require considerable investment. To begin with, Nigerian filmmakers rely on video instead of film to reduce production costs. And as the survey points out, Nigeria has virtually no formal cinemas. About 99% of screenings occur in informal settings, such as “home theatre.”

Finally, the UIS survey reveals another key element of the Nigerian success story: multilingualism. About 56% of Nollywood films are produced in Nigeria’s local languages, namely Yoruba (31%), Hausa (24%) and Igbo (1%). English remains a prominent language, accounting for 44%, which may contribute to Nigeria’s success in exporting its films.

The survey also revealed considerable linguistic diversity in film production in Spain and Canada. In Spain, almost 69% of films were produced in Spanish, 12% in Catalan, about 9% in English, 4% in Basque, almost 3% in French and 4% in other languages. In Canada, 67% of films were produced in English and 31% in French in 2006.

Despite these results, English remains the dominant language in filmmaking globally. In total, 36% of films produced in 2006 were shot in English, according to the survey.

U.S. films continue to dominate admissions globally. Although the survey is not exhaustive, a clear trend emerges when considering the provenance of the top ten films viewed in diverse countries (see Figure 1 below).

All of the top ten films seen in Australia, Bulgaria Canada, Costa Rica, Namibia, Romania, and Slovenia were made in the U.S., according to the survey. There were however some notable exceptions.

Bollywood productions were the obvious favourite in India. In France, seven out of the top ten films were French. And in Japan and Morocco, domestic productions accounted for five out of the ten most widely viewed films.

The survey also addressed additional issues related to the digitalization of films, the types of cinemas available in selected countries and information concerning co-productions and distribution networks. The UIS has prepared a short analytical paper on these data (available in English and French). All of the results can also be accessed at the UIS Data Centre.

International media professionals adopt Doha Declaration

Some 250 media professionals from around the world adopted a declaration emphasizing the importance of media in communicating across cultural differences at the close of a two-day international conference entitled “Potential of Media: Dialogue, Mutual Understanding and Reconciliation” in Doha (Qatar).

The “Doha Declaration on the Potential of Media: Dialogue, Mutual Understanding and Reconciliation”, was one of the major outcomes of the conference on press freedom organized by UNESCO and the Doha Center for Media Freedom in the Qatar city on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2009.

The Declaration stresses that independent and pluralistic media are essential for ensuring transparency, accountability and participation as fundamental elements of good governance and human rights-based development. It furthermore notes that freedom of opinion and expression are essential for free and democratic societies and contribute to a better understanding of and a dialogue among cultures.

The Doha Declaration urges media and professional associations to commit themselves to improving the professional qualifications of journalists, and to exercise the highest ethical and professional standards in their work.

It calls on States to provide the conditions that will enable journalists and media professionals to do their work freely and safely without intimidation, such as the establishment of legal frameworks that guarantee freedoms of expression, thought, conscience and religion. The Declaration furthermore calls on States to ensure rigorous and independent investigations and prosecutions in cases of harassment and violence against journalists and bloggers, and to put an end to impunity.

UNESCO is called upon to use the Declaration as a reference for the Organization’s activities in the area of freedom of expression.

World Press Freedom Day (2-3 May) celebrations and the award ceremony of the 2009 UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize were held in Doha to mark the 12th anniversary of the creation of the Prize.

The late Lasantha Wickrematunge was awarded this year’s Press Freedom Prize posthumously. Mr Wickrematunge was assassinated on 8 January this year. His niece, Ms Natalie Samarasinghe was at the ceremony to receive the award. “By recognizing Lasantha’s achievement, we are sending the message to the perpetrators that killing the messenger is not the solution,” Ms Samarasinghe said. The award is supported by the Cano and Ottaway family foundations and by JP/Politiken Newspaper LTD.

In his award presentation speech, the Director-General of UNESCO Koïchiro Matsuura stated that the Prize “seeks to draw attention to the importance of press freedom and the danger media professionals face in many parts of the world.” He furthermore added that by challenging attitudes and stereotypes, “the media can help strip away the prejudices and ignorance that breed suspicion. It can promote an acceptance of difference that values diversity as an opportunity for learning and understanding.”

As he handed over the award, Mr Matsuura declared that “today we pay tribute to Lasantha Wickrematunge’s struggle for freedom of expression and give thanks for the life of this remarkable journalist.”

H.E. Dr Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage of Qatar welcomed and addressed the participants at the start of the ceremony.

Also in attendance at the award ceremony were Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned and H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Thamer Al Thani, Chairman of the Board, Doha Center for Media Freedom.

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned later took the floor. In her closing remarks, Her Highness spoke of the essential role of responsible and professional press in bridging cultural divides. “This, in my view, is the path towards achieving reconciliation among people and cultures,” she said.

The Conference was co-organized by UNESCO with the Doha Centre for Media Freedom.

UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee will meet in Mexico City

UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC) will meet in Mexico City (Mexico) from 4 to 6 May. This 16th session, organized in cooperation with the Consejo Consultivo de Ciencias of the Presidency of Mexico, will be followed by a European Commission-UNESCO conference, which will bring together experts and members of national bioethics committees from all over the world from 7 to 9 May.

Three main topics will be presented at this session of the IBC: social responsibility and health, the principle of respect for human vulnerability and personal integrity and the issue of human cloning and international governance. Furthermore, there will be an overview of the situation of bioethics in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The 16th session will be opened on 4 May (9.15 a.m.) by Alonso Lujambio Irazábal*, the Mexican Minister of Education, Pierre Sané, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences and Adolfo Martínez-Palomo, Chairperson of IBC. The opening ceremony will be followed at 10.00 a.m. by a progress report on the UNESCO bioethics programme, especially the REDBIOETICA initiative, which concerns Latin America and the Caribbean. The topic Bioethics in Latin America and the Caribbean: experiences and perspectives will take up the rest of the day.

On 5 May (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) there will be a presentation of the draft IBC report about human cloning and international governance. The IBC was a pioneer in the field of cloning, creating the foundations of the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights (1997), which condemned cloning for human reproduction as contrary to human dignity. Since then, more than 50 countries have passed laws to forbid cloning for reproduction. However, voices have been raised, especially by scientists, to demand a different treatment for therapeutic cloning. At the request of UNESCO’s Director-General, an IBC working group has started to consider this issue in order to determine whether the latest scientific, ethical, social, political and legal developments justify a new initiative at the international level. The afternoon session will be devoted to the draft IBC report about social responsibility and health.

The session on 6 May will concern the principle of respect for human vulnerability and personal integrity (morning) and the IBC’s work programme for 2010-2011 (3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.), before the closing by Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pierre Sané, Adolfo Martinez Palomo, and the new IBC chairperson, to be elected during this session.

The European Commission-UNESCO Conference, which will follow on 7 May, aims at strengthening the capacities of bioethics committees. It will bring together experts and members of national committees at all stages of development. The conference, organized with the financial support of the European Commission, will be structured around three major themes: emerging bioethics issues, building an international network of national bioethics committees and the committees’ engagement in ethical discourse.

UNESCO Executive Board meets from 14 to 30 April

UNESCO’s Executive Board, chaired by Ambassador of Benin Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yaï, is to meet from 14 to 30 April in Paris for its 181st session. The session will be marked by the visits of the President of Benin, Boni Yayi, and the United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, former President of Portugal Jorge Sampaio. It will also feature a thematic debate on UNESCO’s role as lead agency in Education for All (EFA).

The Board’s plenary sessions will take place from 20 to 22 April, and then on 25, 29 and 30 April. President Yayi of Benin will address the Board on 20 April at 3 p.m. and the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations will speak on 23 April, also at 3 p.m. The thematic debate on UNESCO’s role as the lead agency for EFA and coordination among convening agencies, with special emphasis on progress on EFA in Africa, will be held on 25 April.

Notable items on the agenda of the 181st session include: consideration of the procedure to be followed for the nomination of the Director-General of the Organization; the global economic and financial crisis and its effects on education; the Draft Programme and Budget for 2010 2011; the establishment of institutes and centres under the auspices of UNESCO; and the report by the Director-General on a detailed plan of action for UNESCO’s strategy for action on climate change.

During its two yearly sessions, the Executive Board brings together 58 of the 193 Member states of UNESCO to oversee the execution of the programme adopted by the Organization’s General Conference. The Secretariat, under the leadership of the Director-General, is responsible for the implementation of the programme.

World Press Freedom Day 2009: Dialogue, mutual understanding and reconciliation

The way the media influences thought and action and its capacity to foster dialogue, understanding and reconciliation will be the focus of discussions at a UNESCO conference marking World Press Freedom Day 2009, to be held in Doha (Qatar) on 2 and 3 May.

In his message for World Press Freedom Day 2009, the Director-General of UNESCO Koïchiro Matsuura stressed that: “We must strengthen our efforts to build a media that is critical of inherited assumptions yet tolerant of alternative perspectives; a media that brings competing narratives into a shared story of interdependence; a media that responds to diversity through dialogue.”

Based on the premise that only a free media will innately contribute to the dialogue and understanding across divides, the two day programme will be divided into four sessions, during which media professionals from around the world will discuss:

• The capacity of the media for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding;
• The need to establish ethical and professional standards in order to build models of accountability as well as effective self regulation for journalists;
• What specific place for media in promoting interreligious dialogue and mutual understanding?
• Media and enhancing dialogue as a tool for empowering citizens.

The conference has been organized under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al- Missned, consort of His Highness the Emir of Qatar Shiekh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.

H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, Chairman of the Board, Doha Center for Media Freedom (Qatar) will open the event with George Anastassopoulos, President of UNESCO’s General Conference, and Abdul Waheed Khan, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information.

South-African journalist Allister Sparks, the author of several critically acclaimed books on his country’s transition from apartheid including, most recently, Beyond the Miracle: Inside the New South Africa, will present the keynote speech.

During the conference, Mr Matsuura will present the 2009 World Press Freedom Prize, awarded posthumously to murdered Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge. Mr Wickrematunge’s widow, Sonali Wickrematunge, will accept the prize, which is supported by the Ottaway and Cano foundations and JP/Politiken Newspaper LTD.

Education for All (EFA) International Coordination

The Big Read: Global Action Week 2009
Puts Spotlight on Literacy

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• © GCE

Global Action Week 2009 (April 20 to 26) focuses on youth and adult literacy and life-long learning to raise awareness about the global literacy challenge.

Worldwide, some 776 million adults lack literacy skills, 75 million children are out of school and millions more leave school early without acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills. Literacy is a basic right. It is a fundamental condition for being part of today’s knowledge societies. Literacy is a key to reduce poverty, increase economic opportunities, improve child and maternal health, prevent HIV and AIDS and encourage political participation.

Global Action Week, led by the Global Campaign for Education, will send a strong signal to policy-makers and the international community on the importance of one of the most neglected Education for All goals. More political commitment, more effective literacy programs and more funding are required to make literacy a basic right for all.

The highlight of the campaign is the “Big Book”, a collection of short stories about how education changes lives. “Big Read” events will be organized, during which individuals will read from this book and sign a statement at the back of it calling for more commitment and investments to ensure that everyone is able to read and write.

The Global Action Week is an advocacy campaign organized each year by the Global Campaign for Education. UNESCO, as coordinator of the EFA movement and of the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012), supports this campaign and will be organizing activities around the world related to the “Big Read.”

Check this site regularly for stories, videos, presentations and studies about literacy and Global Action Week 2009.