Communication and its economic, technological, cultural and ethical repercussions for society are the themes of the third edition of the seminar. The objective is to assess the impact of both traditional and non-traditional means of communication on a constantly changing society: the effects of new technology on social and economic organisation; its influence on the relationship between the public and "insiders", ranging from public administrators to scientists; the changes induced by the "virtual" in systems based on the physical movement of people and messages; and the transformation of an ever more global and "on-line" system of markets. The development of the information society raises new questions about the relationship between culture and information, between the simple dissemination of data and the creation of an aware and critical approach to information. How can we best exploit new technology in educational systems that seek to reach the greatest number of users of every age group and background? What are the possible risks of the uncontrolled circulation of an increasing quantity of information? The speed with which data and news are generated and the slower rhythms of learning and developing a systematic body of knowledge prompt a further question: how can we ensure that the standardisation of form and content does not erase the identity of cultures and languages? Or that the progressive specialisation of disciplines and languages does not undermine communication between experts from different fields? Responses and new questions can emerge from the exchange of views between scientists, economists, intellectuals and politicians. Dialogue between the disciplines is the most fruitful approach to one of the key problems we face at the end of the millennium: how to guarantee access to the information necessary for the public to participate in an informed manner in decisions involving society as a whole.

The sessions Cultural identity and media globalisation New communications technology has given us the means to bring culture to a vastly larger audience than ever before. However, these very instruments carry with them the unforeseen risk of exclusion. On the one hand, the ability to reproduce and deliver information in whatever form around the world offers unique possibilities for linguistic, cultural or economic minorities to express themselves. On the other, the background noise of the vast mass of information generated by a limited number of homogeneous sources may well drown out non-conforming messages, erasing the original cultural identity of entire generations. It was once the task of the poet to "give new meaning to the words of the tribe", to act as its spokesperson and dare to gaze into the future. What awaits the multiplicity of cultural identities from around the world in a revolution that may prove more radical than that sparked by Gutenberg? Is it possible to ensure (and who will do so) that all inhabitants of the global village have an equal opportunity to make their voices heard in their original form? What education for a global society? In the future of an open society, education and training are destined to transcend the spatial and temporal barriers behind which they have hitherto been confined, becoming a permanent feature in the growth of individuals of every age and from every corner of the globe. The new educational tools available to us will make the exchange of information and in-depth study a far simpler task. It will therefore be essential to give people the tools - and above all the intellectual tools - necessary to navigate the rising and potentially overwhelming tide of information, all of which is capable of directly affecting the lives of individuals in an increasingly interconnected society. It is appropriate that we begin immediately to consider how we are to "teach people to learn" in such an environment, bearing in mind the possible paths of individual personality development and the current and future needs of society. It will also be necessary to adopt rules that ensure equity and pluralism in the management of the various means of communication. Only in this way can the information society be transformed into a society of dialogue and knowledge. Economics and society in the Information Age New technologies are on the verge of radically altering the world of work and the economy as a whole. Decentralisation and flexibility will be key words in a society in which physical interaction is increasingly replaced by communication via computer, with considerable savings in terms of time and resources. Distance will cease to be the determining factor in economic organisation, prompting a redistribution of markets and employment. In many cases teleworking will reduce or modify the need to move from home to work every day, thus revolutionising the concept of time schedules and offering new opportunities to diverse groups of people. The way in which scientists communicate among themselves has already changed, and contacts with the rest of society are finding new channels of expression. Here too we can expect a further acceleration in the spread of specialised knowledge, with unknown implications for its use. What influence will these innovations have on a society without borders? How can we avoid creating new forms of exclusion that isolate marginal areas of the world and all those who are unable to adjust to these new systems? Languages and technologies: a transdisciplinary approach The languages of science are undergoing a profound evolution. The exponential growth in knowledge has led to the steady fragmentation and specialisation of scientific disciplines. With the disappearance of the myth of the Renaissance scientist, able to move effortlessly among the various fields of knowledge, new opportunities for dialogue between humanistic and scientific disciplines and within the various areas of science itself have emerged to take its place. Individual terms are borrowed from one field and the meanings are altered or evolve thanks to the interaction between the diverse sectors of learning. This process is stimulating and even generating entire sectors of scientific research. At the same time, it threatens to make dialogue between researchers from different areas and between scientists and the public ever more difficult. The progress of information technology seems to have an equally ambiguous nature: while redefining the very concept of creativity, it may paradoxically discourage expression if intellectual property cannot be adequately protected. Technologies and human values What is the role of the scientist in answering the questions raised by technological progress? The increase in the quantity of information available and the multiplicity of information sources makes it necessary to provide the public, especially its youngest members, with the instruments needed to interpret the world. In such a situation, the world of research is destined to take on a new and even more important role in which every scientist will not only be a producer of discoveries but also a communicator and proponent of values. It is the values drawn from the experience and practice of science that are being proposed as most relevant to understanding a society as complex as the one in which we live: the critical spirit and the refusal to accept dogmatic truths, the ability to discuss and collaborate without linguistic or geographical barriers, and the search for intellectual and political freedom as the essential condition for the human spirit to express itself to the fullest. Such values can help us face the constantly renewed challenge of new technology and give every individual the opportunity to make a substantive contribution to orderly and collaborative progress. contribuire concretamente ad un progresso ordinato e solidale.