!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.

' +'1 -/2$/(" 2u11 (0niveisity of Westminstei, Lonuon),

vol. 8(1): S9-64. ISSN 1744-67u8 (Piint); 1744-6716 (0nline)


"#$% &'()* +%,#)-'.
/)0,#1)(23 45$6'5)7'()$* '*8 9$*0,#:,*-,



;,1<1 ='#(>*?@'#6,#$
Reseaich Associate
Centio ue Estuuios Sociales, 0niveisiuau Nacional ue Colombia

A#'*15'(,8 62 9B'#5$((, "'55$*

+61(#'-(
This papei will consiuei new ways in which uigital technologies emeige as possible naiiatives of
citizen empoweiment, anu exploies the notion of conveigence as uigital connectivity anu cultuial
inteiaction. Befoie appeaiing in the fielu of technology, the iuea of conveigence was known in the
cultuial spheie thiough the iuea of inteicultuiality, which iefeis to the impossibility of cultuial
uiveisity unueistoou fiom above. Inteicultuiality is uesiieu oi iegulateu on the fiinges of
piocesses of communication between uiffeient cultuies anu inteiactions between local
oiganizations, national institutions, global infoimation flows anu uecision-making piocesses. If
communication pioves to be asymmetiic, it implies not only new foims of political anu cultuial
hegemony, but also new foims of political anu cultuial isistance anu ieinvention.

C,2D$#81. cultuial stuuies, citizen empoweiment, globalization, uigital technologies.

Cuiient thinking about the ielationship between cultuie anu technology ieaches
conclusions that aie foi the most pait hopeless, then stops. The cultuially conseivative say that
cable television is the last gift in Panuoia's box anu that satellite tiansmission will ciown the
towei of Babel. At the same time a new class of intellectuals, who iun the centies wheie new
cultuial anu infoimation technology opeiates, speak confiuently of theii 'piouuct'. Neithei of these
attituues iepiesents soliu giounu. !3+$ 4" 3+5" &# + $"((&62" 0.%6&'+$&.' .7 $"03'.2.8&0+2
1"$"(%&'&#% +'1 0/2$/(+2 ,"##&%&#%9 So, as one aftei anothei of the olu anu veneiable institutions
aie taken ovei by the impeiatives of a haishei capitalist economy it is unsuipiising that the only
ieaction is a peiplexeu anu outiageu pessimism. Foi theie is nothing that the majoiity of those
institutions wishes to gain oi uefenu moie than the past, anu the alteinative futuie woulu biing
piecisely anu obviously the final loss of theii piivileges. (Williams, 1997)

:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
"#
AB, E,D F,*1, $G /)0,#1)(2 )* !"#$%&'(#'%)(*#+
The peimanent tiibutes to cultuial uiveisity that we encountei touay, not only on the pait of
goveinments anu inteinational public institutions but also business oiganizations opeiating in the
fielu of cultuial inuustiies, aie inveisely piopoitional to what is happening at the level of policies
that piotect anu stimulate that uiveisity. Foi eveiything, oi neaily eveiything, iemains at levels of
uecision-making to which local playeis uo not even have access anu ieal meuiatois of globalization
aie not incluueu. Nowauays, the suivival of uiveisity is being playeu out in + '"4 82.6+2 0/2$/(+2
&'#$&$/$&.'+2&#% capable of calling global oiganizations to account - a new foim of institutionalism
that will only aiise out of a new style of ielationship with what up to now has been, supposeuly, the
only 'founuing ielationship', that is, the one between cultuie anu state. The question is not one of
substituting the state but iathei of 'ie-establishing' oi 'ie-institutionalizing' it in teims of citizens'
inteiaction with local community initiatives anu calling the new global playeis to account.

B3./83$# 7(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+ .' $3" C"2+$&.'#3&, 6"$4""' B"03'.2.8D +'1 -/2$/("
Between funuamentalist entienchment anu commeicial homogenisation theie is ioom foi
stuuying anu uebating what can be uone fiom the peispective of political cultuie in oiuei to
ensuie that economic alliances uo not seive only to secuie the fiee ciiculation of capital but
also of cultuie. Latin Ameiican cultuie is not a uestiny ievealeu by the eaith oi by bloou.
Rathei, many times it has been a fiustiateu pioject. Touay it is a ielatively open anu
pioblematically possible task. (uaicia Canclini, 2uu2)

In the new Latin Ameiican context a stiongly encouiaging featuie has come to the foie ovei the
last few yeais, namely, the ietuin of politics to centie stage aftei almost 2u yeais of suffeiing a
uistoiteu situation wheie the economy - uisguiseu as science puie anu simple - acteu as the only
anu uncontesteu piotagonist. The %+0(. "0.'.%D supplanteu political economy anu not only
ielegateu politics to a suboiuinate position in the uecision-making piocess but also contiibuteu
gieatly in Latin Ameiican countiies to a symbolic hollowing of politics insofai as politics lost the
ability to biing us togethei anu make us feel as one. This in tuin has a 1"%.(+2&E&'8 effect in the
foim of a giowing feeling of humiliation anu sense of poweilessness, both at an inuiviuual anu a
collective level. The kiunapping of politics by the macio economy also contiibuteu to the ue-
legitimization of the state, tuining it into an inteimeuiaiy caiiying out the oiueis of the
Inteinational Nonetaiy Funu (INF), Woilu Bank anu Woilu Tiaue 0iganization (WT0) in ielation
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


"$
to an incieasingly unequal anu exclusive society, with giowing peicentages of the population living
below the poveity line anu millions foiceu to emigiate to the 0S anu Euiope. Foi, upon setting
itself up as the agent iesponsible foi the oiganization of society as a whole, the maiket seeks to
ieuefine the veiy puipose of the state, anu uoes so by means of a ("7.(% which not only sets goals
of "77&0&"'0D (which has its notably quantitative anu shoit-teimist ioots in the piivate business
mouel) but also thiows it off balance, not in the sense of causing a ueepening of uemociacy but
iathei in the sense of weakening uemociacy as the symbolic biingei about of national cohesion. It
is because of all of this that the ("$/(' .7 ,.2&$&0# bieathes fiesh life into the atmospheie, expanuing
the hoiizons not only of action but also of thought, which has also been stifleu by the alliance
between ',"'#+%&"'$. /'&0.' (one-tiack minueuness oi single-tiack thinking) anu technological
ueteiminism. Politics ietuins with all the ineitia anu emptiness that it entails, but also with effoits
to iechaige it with symbolic uepth anu to be on the aleit foi new angles anu ways of thinking about
it anu uesciibing it.

Thinking about the ielationship between technology anu cultuie fiom a Latin Ameiican
peispective involves stanuing back, as Raymonu Williams points out, fiom the &22;7+$"1 0.%6&'+$&.'
.7 $"03'.2.8&0+2 1"$"(%&'&#% +'1 0/2$/(+2 ,"##&%&#%, a tenuency auopteu by seveial Euiopean
thinkeis of the statuie of the political scientist uiovanni Saitoii oi the liteiaiy ciitic anu cultuial
analyst ueoige Steinei. The ciitical thinking of the Biazilian geogiaphei Nilton Santos who, in the
last of his books publisheu in his lifetime (Santos, 2uu4) tiaces his uefiant vision of globalization as
both ,"(5"(#&$D anu ,.##&6&2&$D, a giuuy paiauox that thieatens to paialyse both the thought anu the
action capable of tiansfoiming its couise, iises up to countei that tenuency. 0n the one hanu,
globalization &'5"'$# the enslaving piocess of the maiket, a piocess which, at the same time as
homogenizing the planet emphasizes uiffeiences at a local level anu causes incieasing uisunity.
Bence the #D#$"%&0 ,"(5"(#&$D that biings with it anu biings about an inciease in poveity anu
inequality, in the now chionic unemployment, in uiseases such as AIBS which become uevastating
epiuemics in the continents that aie not the pooiest but the most iavageu.

:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
"%
Bowevei, globalization also iepiesents an extiaoiuinaiy combination of ,.##&6&2&$&"#, changes that
aie now possible which iely upon iauically new facts, of which two in paiticulai stanu out. 0ne is
the enoimous anu uense combination of peoples, iaces, cultuies anu tastes which occuis on eveiy
continent touay - albeit with gieat uiffeiences anu asymmetiies - a combination that is possible
only to the extent that othei woilu visions emeige with gieat foice anu thiow into ciisis the
hegemony of Westein iationalism. The othei lies in new foims of technology that aie incieasingly
being appiopiiateu by gioups fiom lowly sectois, making #.0&.;0/2$/(+2 ("5"'8" oi a foim of #.0&.;
0/2$/(+2 ("$/(' %+$03 possible foi them, that is, the constiuction of a countei-hegemony all ovei
the woilu.

Foi Nilton Santos (2uu4) that combination of ,.##&6&2&$&"# exposes mankinu foi the fiist time in
histoiy to 'empiiical totality' anu as a iesult to a new histoiical naiiative. But the constiuction of
that naiiative unueigoes a 'political mutation', into a new kinu of /$.,&+ capable of assuming the
magnituue of the following challenges:

the existence of a new technical system on a global scale that ievolutionizes the use of time
insofai as it causes conveigence anu simultaneity in the whole woilu;
the ciossing of olu technologies with new, taking us fiom a position wheie influence was
specific - owing to the effects of each technology in isolation as has been the case up to now
- to a foim of tiansveisal connection anu influence that affects eveiy countiy in its entiiety,
uiiectly oi inuiiectly;
what the inteivention of politics cuiiently involves - foi, although piouuction may be
fiagmenteu by technology as nevei befoie, the political unity that aiticulates the phases anu
commanus the whole by means of a poweiful /'&7&"1 "'8&'", leaving behinu the vaiiety of
motois anu ihythms with which the olu impeiialism functioneu, has nevei been stiongei.
'KL,.'"'$&+2 0.%,"$&$&5"'"##M between enteipiises aiounu the Woilu 'uemanuing moie
science, moie technology anu bettei oiganization eveiy uay' (Santos, 2uu4:27-28) is the
new type of engine poweiing globalization;
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


"&
the peculiaiity of the 0(&#&# that capitalism is facing lies, then, in the 0.'$&'/./# 02+#3
6"$4""' $3" 7+0$.(# .7 03+'8", which now go beyonu the olu limits anu measuiability
oveispilling teiiitoiies, countiies anu continents;
that clash, which is the piouuct of extiemely %.6&2" ("2+$&.'#3&,# anu gieat +1+,$+6&2&$D .'
$3" ,+($ .7 ,2+D"(# ieintiouuces the 'cential natuie of outlying aieas', not only at a countiy
level but also at the level of society, which has been maiginalizeu by the economy anu now
iesumes a cential position as 'the new base in the confiimation of the ieign of politics'
(Santos, 2uu4:12S-126).

What oui time iegaius as a peculiai anu conuitioning featuie of how we think about technology is
its slenuei ielationship with a globalization which, in teims of the speeu anu biutality of the
changes with which 82.6+2 /'&7&0+$&.' is caiiieu out, exposes some of the most peiveise social
aspects of the changes that we aie going thiough. Among these, the one with the gieatest ieach is
the giowing sepaiation of state anu society. Foi, as a iesult of being shapeu anu kept in check by
the iules of play imposeu by institutions of global economic unification such as the INF, the WT0
anu the Woilu Bank, the state finus it extiemely uifficult to iesponu to the neeus, uemanus anu
uynamics of its own society.

In Latin Ameiica, then, we face a stiuctuially bioken society, but at the same time a society in
which its cultuial communities (uaicia Canclini, 2uu2) - fiom inuigenous communities, thiough
some of its small anu meuium-sizeu cultuial inuustiies to the uiban youth, aie becoming a ciucial
setting foi the ie-cieation of a sense of the collective, the ieinvention of iuentity, a ieneweu use of
heiitage, a piouuctive linkage between what is local anu what is global. Even in the miust of the
most biutal piocesses of economic iecession, inequality anu exclusion, Latin Ameiican societies
aie living the global tiansfoimations that combine a new methou of piouuction with a new methou
of communicating which, as Castells (1997; see also Appauuiai, 2uu1)

states, conveits cultuie, the
human faculty of piocessing symbols, into a uiiect piouuctive foice. So, although the technological
ievolution in communication aggiavates the 6("+03 in teims of inequality between social sectois,
:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
""
cultuies anu countiies, it also mobilizes the #.0&+2 &%+8&'+$&.' of communities, stiengthening theii
capacity foi suivival anu association, piotest anu uemociatic paiticipation, foi uefenuing theii
socio-political iights anu activating theii expiessive cieativity.

N'$"(0/2$/(+2&$D +'1 -/2$/(+2 O/#$+&'+6&2&$D
Befoie appeaiing in the fielu of technology the iuea of 0.'5"(8"'0" hau maue itself known in the
cultuial spheie thiough the iuea of &'$"(0/2$/(+2&$D, which iefeis to the impossibility of 0/2$/(+2
1&5"(#&$D unueistoou fiom above, that is uesiieu oi iegulateu on the fiinges of piocesses of
"L03+'8" between uiffeient cultuies. Touay, that exchange takes place in a space beyonu the aiea
uefineu by national, geopolitical boiueis anu its most piofounu foim was uesciibeu by Paul
Ricoeui (2uu4) as the %""$&'8 ,.&'$ .7 &((+1&+$&.' between cultuies, which aie configuieu in
netwoiks. In oiuei to unueistanu the complexity of that 0/2$/(+2 &((+1&+$&.' Ricoeui ielies on the
concept of $(+'#2+$&.'. Foi inteicultuiality finus in tianslation its paiauigm both in histoiical anu
foimative teims, given that in tianslation theie is the cleai possibility of a constitutive meuiation
between cultuial ,2/(+2&$D anu human /'&$D. It is in tianslating fiom language to language that we
have leaineu the tiue possibilities anu also the limits of any foim of exchange between cultuies.
Tianslation iepiesents a uepaituie fiom the iejection of the outsiue woilu, of all that is foieign oi
uiffeient that is a featuie of a wiue vaiiety of languages. Foi what the long histoiy of tianslation
itself has shown is, fiist, the tianslatability of all languages (take, foi example, the uisconceiting
case of Egyptian hieioglyphs, which weie believeu to be untianslatable foi centuiies) anu, seconu,
the emeigence of 0/2$/(+2 3D6(&1&E+$&.' as a piouuct in anu of tianslation. In the face of the failuie
of a long-helu belief in the existence of a common paient language, which woulu spaie us the
aiuuous path of biinging cultuies 'face to face' with each othei, histoiy tells us to woik
simultaneously with 0.'1&$&.'# of what is tianslatable anu what is inuecipheiable in each cultuie,
anu consequently with the insuimountable iequiiement that all cultuies shoulu know one anothei
anu iecognize themselves as such within the possibilities anu limits of theii exchange.

What enhances the piouuctivity of this concept of inteicultuiality is its intiinsic ielationship with
the iuea of '+((+$&5" &1"'$&$D (see Bhabha, 199u see also Naiinas, 199S), that is, the iuea that eveiy
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


"'
iuentity is cieateu anu constituteu in the act of being ielateu, in the piocess of being $.21 $. .$3"(#.
This is what the piecious polysemy of the Spanish veib 0.'$+( (meaning to iecount oi ielate) tells
us. Foi 'contai' means to tell stoiies but also to be $+P"' &'$. +00./'$ by otheis anu also iefeis to a
foim of ("0P.'&'8. In this single veib we finu two constituent ielationships. In the fiist place, the
ielationship between telling stoiies anu counting in the opinion of otheis oi being taken into
account. This means that in oiuei to be iecognizeu by otheis it is essentials to tell oui stoiy, since
the naiiative is not only expiessive but makes us what we aie, both inuiviuually anu collectively.
Especially in collective teims, the possibility of being iecognizeu, taken into account anu counting
in the uecisions that affect us, uepenus upon the capacity of oui stoiies to take account of the
tension between what we aie anu what we want to be. Seconu, theie is the ielationship between
telling (naiiating anu being taken into account) anu ("0P.'&'8, which has a uouble meaning. 0n the
one hanu, this establishes the ielationship between iecognition anu social paiticipation, the
capacity foi paiticipation anu inteivention by inuiviuuals anu gioups in eveiything that conceins
them; on the othei hanu, it establishes the peiveise ielationship between telling a stoiy anu the
maiket co-opting the (commeicial) value of the sense of tianslation of cultuial tianslations anu
exchangeu naiiatives.

Like inteicultuiality, the concept of 0/2$/(+2 #/#$+&'+6&2&$D (vv. AA., 2uuS) is also a concept unuei
constiuction. Baving its oiigin in ecological thinking, the concept of sustainability enteieu the fielu
of cultuie as a consequence of a new peiception suiiounuing the uepth of the ielationship between
cultuial uiffeiences anu social inequality, anu consequently between cultuie anu uevelopment. In
that context, 0/2$/(+2 #/#$+&'+6&2&$D aims at spelling out explicitly, both in teims of thought anu
action, the following. Fiist, the 2.'8;$"(% '+$/(" .7 0/2$/(" insofai as this iepiesents a peimanent
contiauiction with the incieasingly shoit-teim natuie of the maiket anu also insofai as the
woikings of cultuial life have things in common with othei social, community-level piocesses, with
all that that entails in teims of foiesight, planning anu accompaniment. Seconu, it aims to take
account of the possibilities foi social uevelopment that cultuial cieativity geneiates in its
inuepenuent, community spheies anu in the uiffeient aieas of inuustiial cultuie.
:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
"(

Cultuial sustainability moves on thiee basic vectois. The fiist is the +4+("'"## $3+$ + 0.%%/'&$D
3+# &$# .4' 0/2$/(+2 0+,&$+2. An awaieness that until iecently was iepiesseu, oi at best avoiueu, by
instiumental, uiffusionist cultuial policies which saw cultuie as something totally exteinal to
community life, something to which communities hau to be given access anu not something that
those same communities themselves inheiit, ienew, iepiouuce anu iecieate anu which,
accoiuingly, is #.%"$3&'8 $3+$ 6"2.'8# $. $3"% anu which maintains $&"# .7 6"2.'8&'8 out of which
both social anu cultuial iuentities aie woven. In moie geneial teims this vectoi iepiesents a
massive tuining point, one which makes 'civilian society' anu not the state the subject anu the main
playei in teims of socio-cultuial uevelopment, a tuining point that foims pait of the stiategic
uisplacement which puts ,/62&0 %+$$"(# in the place, politically, wheie #$+$" %+$$"(# weie until not
veiy long ago. But theie is one significant uiffeience, insofai as the state was always consiueieu to
be .'" wheieas the public is cleaily ,2/(+2 oi, taking it a step fuithei as Bannah Aienut uiu,
3"$"(.8"'"./#.

The seconu vectoi is the 0+,+0&$D .7 $3" 0.%%/'&$D $. $+P" 1"0&#&.'# $3+$ "'+62" &$# 0/2$/(+2 0+,&$+2
$. 6" ,("#"(5"1 +'1 ("'"4"1. What this means, in othei woius, is that the level of sustainability of a
cultuie is piopoitional to its level of autonomy. We aie talking, then, about a step that ie-situates
cultuie as something in which citizens paiticipate politically anu, in tuin, iepositions them within
the foimulation of 0/2$/(+2 ,.2&0&"#. It is a well stuuieu anu establisheu fact that, unless citizens aie
involveu in classifying theii expectations anu uemanus, anu empoweieu as playeis in the uecision-
making piocesses, theie will be no cultuie that suivives the pioposeu exploitation by the maiket of
all cultuial 1&77"("'0".

Finally, the thiiu vectoi is the 0+,+0&$D $. .,"' /, 0/2$/(" &$#"27 $. "L03+'8" +'1 &'$"(+0$&.' 4&$3
.$3"( 0/2$/("# &' $3" 0./'$(D +'1 $3" 4.(21. What comes into play heie is the twin movement of
sepaiation anu ieintegiation that local cultuies expeiience, moveu by the flows anu uynamics of
economic anu techno-cultuial globalization. What shoulu be highlighteu in this context is the
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


")
ciitically impoitant fact that that exchange, which is necessaiily asymmetiical in teims of the
movement geneiateu by the globalizing hegemony of touay's maiket, finus in communities not a
uefensive iesponse in the natuie of withuiawal (which, although justifieu, woulu be nigh on
suiciual) but iathei a ,(.Q"0$&5" iesponse, capable of aiguing the sense of changes without which
not even a minimum level of sustainability is possible.

Within Latin Ameiican communities cuiient communication piocesses aie peiceiveu as both a
foim of thieat to the suivival of theii cultuies anu at the same time as + ,.##&62" %"+'# .7 6("+P&'8
4&$3 "L02/#&.', an expeiience of inteiaction that caiiies iisks but also opens up new possibilities
foi the futuie (see Alfaio et al., 1998; Quinteio Riveia, 1998; Sanchez Boteio, 1998). This in tuin is
leauing to a situation wheie the uynamics of the tiauitional communities themselves aie
oveistepping the bounuaiies of compiehension elaboiateu by folkloiists anu many
anthiopologists. In those communities, theie is less nostalgic complacency about tiauitions anu a
gieatei awaieness of the inuispensable anu symbolic iewoiking that the constiuction of theii own
futuie uemanus.


/):)('5 9$*0,#:,*-, )* 9H5(H#'5 9$%%H*)-'()$*
viitual exchanges shape new cultuial featuies to the extent that those exchanges uensify
anu expanu towaius a giowing iange of spheies of people's lives. In this iespect people
speak incieasingly of 'viitual cultuies' in oiuei to iefei to changes in communicative
piactice as a iesult of inteiactive, uistance meuia, which altei subjects' sensibilities, theii
ways of unueistanuing the woilu, ielationships with otheis anu means of classifying anu
unueistanuing theii suiiounuings. viitual cultuies aie a way of meuiating between cultuie
anu technology, they iepiesent systems of symbolic exchange by means of which collective
meanings anu ways of iepiesenting ieality aie foimeu. (Bopenhayn, 2uu1)

The intellectual, yet hegemonic view of the ielationship between communication anu cultuie is still
one that sepaiates the high plane of 0/2$/(" fiom anu sets it up in opposition to the munuane anu
commeicial space of 0.%%/'&0+$&.'. A foim of puiism, maue woise by the tiivialization of
communication anu the wickeu commeicialization of communication meuia on a massive scale, is
tuining cultuie into a baie, symbolic iegion, as if that spheie hau not always been ciissciosseu by
:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
"*
the heavy uaikness of the social exchange that links cieation to piouuction anu to exeicise of
powei. Peihaps the best example of the unavoiuable hybiiuization of cultuie anu communication is
founu nowauays in the ielationship between music anu sensitivities among young people (uaicia
Canclini, 2uu2). Pait of the most luciative anu biaseu foim of meuia business, music foims pait of
young people's most expiessive expeiience of appiopiiation, cultuial cieativity anu, at the same
time, social empoweiment.

Bowevei, communication meuia aie still iegaiueu with suspicion not only among the elite but also
in the %+'+8"%"'$ .7 0/2$/(+2 &'#$&$/$&.'#, as a consequence of a cultuial complex-ieflex that is
baseu moie on nostalgia than histoiy. This, in tuin, is pieventing the 3"$"(.8"'"&$D .7 #D%6.2&0
,(.1/0$&.' (Lahiie, 2uu4; Naigiet anu Nac, 2uuS), as iepiesenteu by cultuie touay, fiom being
taken on boaiu fully in a way that facilitates a iesponse to new cultuial uemanus anu enables the
logic of the cultuial inuustiy to be faceu without fatalism. This in tuin involves assuming that the
inteivention of politics in communication anu cultuie biings into play something that uoes not
have to uo simply with the management of ceitain institutions oi seivices, the uistiibution of
ceitain goous oi the iegulation of ceitain fiequencies but iathei with piouucing a sense of society
anu its means of iecognition among citizens. Theie aie some outuateu concepts of communication
out theie, which continue to fail to iecognize the communicative competence of citizens (see Alfaio
et al., 2uuS; Winocouit, 2uu2). So, communication in cultuie ceases to take the foim of
inteimeuiaiy between cieatois anu consumeis anu takes on the task of uissolving that social anu
symbolic baiiiei, 1"0"'$(+2&E&'8 +'1 1";$"((&$.(&+2&E&'8 the veiy possibilities piesenteu by cultuial
piouuction anu its uevices.

Coiioboiating that oveilap between cultuie anu communication, two piocesses emeige that aie
iauically tiansfoiming the ,2+0" of cultuie in Latin Ameiican societies, the ievitalization of &1"'$&$D
anu $"03'&0+2 ievolution. ulobalization piocesses aie ieviving questions of cultuial iuentity,
whethei ethnic, iacial, local oi iegional, to the point of tuining cultuial iuentity into the leauing
aspect of many of the most violent anu complex inteinational conflicts of iecent yeais, yet at the
same time aspects of cultuial iuentity, incluuing genuei anu age, aie ieshaping the foice anu
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


"+
meaning of social ties anu the possibilities of coexistence at a national anu local level. Noieovei, as
fai as the piocess of inclusionexclusion on a global scale is conceineu, globalization is tuining
cultuie into the stiategic space foi compiession of tensions that iip apait anu ieconstitute the act
of 'being togethei', anu into the place wheie political, economic, ieligious, ethnic, aesthetic anu
sexual ciises all come togethei. Fiom this stems the fact that it is in the cultuial uiveisity of stoiies
anu teiiitoiies, expeiiences anu memoiies that one not only iesists but also negotiates anu
inteiacts with, anu will enu up tiansfoiming, globalization. Foi what makes iuentity a fighting foice
is insepaiable fiom the 1"%+'1 7.( ("0.8'&$&.' +'1 %"+'&'8. Anu neithei the one thing noi the
othei is capable of being foimulateu in puiely economic oi political teims, foi both foim pait of the
veiy heait of cultuie in teims of 6"2.'8&'8 anu #3+(&'8. This is why, touay, iuentity constitutes the
foice that is most capable of cieating contiauictions in the hegemony of instiumental ieason.

0n the othei hanu, we aie going thiough a technological ievolution whose uistinguishing featuie
lies not so much in intiouucing to Latin Ameiican societies an unaccustomeu quantity of new
machines but iathei in shaping a new enviionment oi communicative ecosystem. It is in cieating
this $3&(1 "'5&(.'%"'$ (see Echeveiiia, 1999; Fischei, 2uu1; Levi, 1998)3 which oveilaps with the
natuial anu uibansocial enviionments, that uigital technology is shaping oui ways of inhabiting
the woilu anu the veiy foims of social tie.

!3"' B"03'.2.8D <"0.%"# O$(/0$/(+2
What $"03'.2.8&0+2 0.'5"(8"'0" makes us think of is, fiist, the emeigence of a communicative
ieason whose uevices (fiagmentation which uisplaces anu uisoiientates, flow that globalizes anu
compiesses, connection that uemateiializes anu piouuces hybiius) biing about the futuie maiket
foi the whole of society. In the face of the consensus with which Babeimas (1989) iuentifies
0.%%/'&0+$&5" ("+#.', fiee of political contiauictions that technological anu commeicial meuia
biing, what we neeu to ueciphei is the 0.%%/'&0+$&.'+2 3"8"%.'D of the maiket biinging about a
new mouel of society in which communicationinfoimation enus up being the most effective uiivei
:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
'#
in teims of excluuing oi incluuing cultuies, whethei ethnic, national oi local, intofiom maiket
spacetime.

But globalization is not simply a manifestation of the economy anu the maiket but iathei a
movement which, by making 0.%%/'&0+$&.' anu &'7.(%+$&.' the key to a new mouel of society,
pushes all societies towaius an intensification of contacts anu conflicts, exposing all cultuies to one
anothei as nevei befoie (Appauuiai, 2uu1). Touay, even the nomauic communities of the Amazon,
who flee violently fiom contact with otheis, fiequently encountei those mouein nomaus who
sponsoi 'ecological touiism', that foim of anti-touiism that leaves its own woilu piecisely in oiuei
to go anu meet otheis, in seaich of the expeiiences of otheis! The anthiopological shaping
achieveu by the ielationship between cultuie anu communication, is accentuateu when some of the
most uecisive cultuial tiansfoimations aiise as a iesult of changes that the technological
fiamewoik of communication is going thiough, affecting peiceptions that cultuial communities
have of themselves anu theii ways of constiucting iuentities.

The cuiient ieshaping of inuigenous, local anu national cultuies is above all a iesponse to $3"
#$("'8$3"'&'8 .7 0.%%/'&0+$&.' +'1 &'$"(+0$&.' 6"$4""' $3.#" 0.%%/'&$&"# +'1 .$3"( 0/2$/("# &'
$3" 0./'$(D +'1 $3" 4.(21. Fiom within local communities cuiient communication piocesses aie
incieasingly peiceiveu as an oppoitunity foi inteiaction with the iest of the nation anu the woilu.
Anu while theie is still a fight foi lanu, that fight touay foims pait of a stiuggle foi the state, that is,
the stiuggle to count when the countiy is built.

The veiy ,2+0" that cultuie occupies in society changes when communication technology meuia
cease to be puiely instiumental, ueepen anu become stiuctuial. Touay, $"03'.2.8D iefeis not only
(anu not so much) to the newness of uevices but also (iathei) to new moues of ,"(0",$&.' anu
2+'8/+8", to new sensitivities anu wiitings. Incieasing the sense of sepaiation piouuceu by
moueinity, technology uislocates knowleuge, mouifying both cognitive anu institutional iules of
0.'1&$&.'# .7 P'.42"18" anu 7&8/("# .7 ("+#.' (Chaition, 1994), which in tuin leaus to a significant
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


'$
bluiiing of the bounuaiies between ieason anu imagination, knowleuge anu infoimation, natuie
anu aitifice, ait anu science, expeit knowleuge anu piofane expeiience. So, at the same time as we
face a giowing wave of technological fatalism coupleu with the most iauical political pessimism,
we finu ouiselves facing technological change that has come to shape a community ecosystem. An
ecosystem in which auuiovisual expeiience thiown into confusion by the uigital ievolution points
towaius the shaping of a 0/2$/(+2 5&#&6&2&$D which is touay the stiategic setting foi a uecisive
political battle against the .21 +'1 "L02/#&5" ,.4"( .7 $3" 2"$$"( which, foi ovei a centuiy anu a half,
has faileu to iecognize the uiffeience anu the iichness of the oial anu visual elements of cultuie,
those same elements that now link theii memoiies to viitual imaginings in oiuei to give new
meaning anu new foim to cultuial tiauitions.

>(.% -.'5"(8"'0" +# -.%%/'&0+$&5" B(+'#,+("'0D $. -.'5"(8"'0" +# -.''"0$&5&$D +'1 -/2$/(+2
N'$"(+0$&.'
Bigital conveigence is the new name foi a piocess anu a mouel which, when it fiist appeaieu in the
late 198us, was known as 'communicative tianspaiency'. It was a 7/22D &'$"8(+$"1 mouel (in the
sense that 0mbeito Eco has given to that woiu) given that what was ieally pioposeu was the
iueology that 'eveiything is communication'. This, tianslateu into &'7.(%+$&.' teims, came to
legitimize the logic behinu ueiegulation of the maikets in a quite shameless fashion. So, the
political impoitance of that fiist foim of technological conveigence is no moie anu no less than
technical justification foi economic concentiation. In the ieuesign of Latin Ameiican states by
neolibeial policies, the uecentialization encouiageu by new foims of technology has seiveu as
iueological covei foi the most shameless concentiation of meuia in oligopolies that woulu have
been unthinkable a few yeais ago. Fiom the puichase of Time-Wainei by A0L in the 0S anu the
meigei between vivenui-Seagiam-Canal+ in Euiope, 3D,"( 0.''"0$&5&$D (Tv-inteinet-mobile
phones) involves the same level of intensification in teims of economic concentiation as
1&8&$+2&E+$&.' 4&$3./$ 6./'1+(&"# involves in the technical fielu.

But this whole piocess of conveigenceconcentiation of meuia powei cannot cause us to block out
oi uevalue its othei aspect, namely, the stiategic impact of technological change that has
:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
'%
stiengtheneu anu ueepeneu the new communicative ecosystem. Thiown into confusion by the
uigital ievolution, the cultuial anu auuiovisual expeiience points towaius the establishment of new
kinus of 0.%%/'&$D (whethei aitistic, scientific oi cultuial) anu a '"4 ,/62&0 #,3"(". Both aie
linkeu to the emeigence of a 0/2$/(+2 5&#&6&2&$D which is the scene of a uecisive political battle. That
battle is going thiough a uisplacement (in Spanish, 1"#;2.0+2&E+0&R') of knowleuge, upsetting olu,
yet still oveibeaiing hieiaichies (Nignolo, 2uu1), uisseminating the spaces wheie knowleuge is
piouuceu anu the ciicuits along which it tiavels, anu making it possible foi inuiviuuals anu
communities to intiouuce theii eveiyuay oial, sounu anu visual cultuies into new languages anu
new wiitings. In Latin Ameiica nevei was the ,+2&%,#"#$ .7 %/2$&,2" 0/2$/(+2 %"%.(D of the people
moie likely to take possession of the 3D,"($"L$ in which ("+1&'8 +'1 4(&$&'8= +($ +'1 #0&"'0"=
+"#$3"$&0 ,+##&.' +'1 ,.2&$&0+2 +0$&.' inteiweave anu inteiact.

Technological conveigence means, then, the emeigence of a new 0.8'&$&5" "0.'.%D goveineu by
uisplacement of the status of the numbei which, fiom being a symbol of uominion ovei natuie is
becoming the univeisal meuiatoi of knowleuge anu technicalaesthetic opeiation, which in tuin
comes to signify the piimacy of sensoiy-symbolism ovei sensoiy-engine. Foi uigitalization makes
possible a new foim of inteiaction between the abstiact anu the sensible (i.e. what is capable of
being senseu oi peiceiveu), completely ieuefining the bounuaiies between uiveisity of knowleuge
anu means of acting.

A 0(&$&0+2 5&"4 pioviues us with a sounu waining of the iisks involveu in cuiient technological
uevelopment in its complicity with maiket logic anu piocesses that aggiavate social exclusion. Anu
it is piecisely because of this that oui inclusion in new global technology cannot be thought of as a
#.0&+22D &'"5&$+62" +/$.%+$&#% .7 03+'8" but iathei as a piocess that is heavily weigheu uown with
ambiguities anu contiauictions, a piocess of auvances anu setbacks, a complex set of filteis anu
membianes (Nanzini, 1991) that iegulate selectively the multiplicity of inteiactions between olu
anu new ways of inhabiting the woilu. In fact, technological piessuie is itself piovoking a neeu to
finu anu uevelop othei iationales, othei paces of life anu ielationships with objects anu people,
ielationships in which physical anu sensoiy uepth become of funuamental value once again. The
seaich foi alteinative meuicines oi attempts to ieconnect with oui own bouies anu those of otheis
speak of this, ieinstating contact anu immeuiacy in communication.
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


'&

The speeu with which mobile telephones anu inteinet access have spieau to the pooiest stiata of
Latin Ameiican countiies maiks an unexpecteu piocess of connecting the majoiity to the uigital
netwoik, who in this way come to inhabit the new 0.%%/'&0+$&.'+2 #,+0" wheie they can connect
places to which people have emigiateu with places in theii own countiy, exchanging music anu
photos with theii ielatives anu fiienus on the othei siue of the Atlantic anu the woilu.

0ne paiticulai anu pioneeiing expeiience of cultuial conveigence that is achieveu thiough
uigitalization, which is still not being given all the attention it ueseives fiom an acauemic
peispective, is that of teenageis anu young people. Foi them, the computei is no longei a machine
but iathei a 0.8'&$&5" +'1 0("+$&5" 7.(% .7 $"03'.2.8D (Baiganza anu Ciuz, 2uu1; Beue, 2uuu;
Scolaii, 2uu4).

0f couise teacheis have eveiy iight to wonuei what happens to the bouy when
someone spenus so many houis in fiont of a scieen, but the ieal pioblem is not what the computei
uoes to the bouy but iathei how new methous of inhabiting the bouy anu new knowleuge about
the bouy, that is to say, techno-biology anu genetics, affect the bouy, both in teims of possibilities
anu peiveisions.

This is the question that Bonna }. Baiaway (1991) hau the auuacity to ask heiself when she
thought not about the possibilities foi tiansfoiming the bouy cosmetically but iathei about the
possibilities of the 0D6.(8 6.1D, that hybiiu that teiiifies all the auults of my geneiation because it
is the alloy that piesents the gieatest challenge to the iationalist stoiy that we have tolu ouiselves
in the West. Foi while the whole histoiy of the evolution of mankinu is a stoiy full of hybiius, of
tiansfusions of natuie anu aitifice, anu vice veisa, the iationalism that uevelopeu fiom olu iuealism
has puipoiteu to keep ",&#$"%" anu $"03'", knowleuge anu technique, in sepaiate woilus,
enuowing the foimei with all the positivity of invention anu ieuucing technique to a meie
instiument oi tool. This has funuamentally affecteu oui ability to think of the 0.'#$&$/$&5"
("2+$&.'#3&,# that have always existeu between science anu technology but that have nevei maue
:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
'"
themselves appaient until now. Bence the existence of $"03'.;#0&"'0" challenges us to think not of
the 'woilu of technology' in the singulai but iathei, as Beiueggei (1997) noteu, the $"03'.2.8D .7
$3" 4.(21, that is, technology as a constituent uimension of humanity. Effoits to think of
technological conveigence as an "'5&(.'%"'$ anu a 0.%%/'&0+$&5" "0.#D#$"%, as stiategic in social
teims touay as the natuial ecosystem, aie aimeu at meeting this challenge.

Bigital conveigence intiouuces into cultuial politics a fai-ieaching ienewal of the communication
mouel, foi we have moveu fiom the one-way, lineai anu authoiitaiian &'7.(%+$&.' $(+'#%&##&.'
mouel to the '"$4.(P mouel, that is, to a mouel of 0.''"0$&5&$D anu &'$"(+0$&.' which tiansfoims
mechanical foims of communication at a uistance into an &'$"(7+0" .7 ,(.L&%&$D. This is a new
mouel which finus its foim in a policy that favouis syneigy between many small piojects ovei the
complicateu stiuctuie of laige, heavy equipment both in teims of technology anu opeiation.

B.4+(1# */62&0 *.2&0&"# .7 -/2$/(+2 -.'5"(8"'0"
At the moment, cultuial uiveisity is going thiough a veiy stiange #&$/+$&.'. 0n the one hanu, uigital
conveigence iepiesents two ciucial oppoitunities. Fiist, the oppoitunity piesenteu by
uigitalization, making it possible to put uata, texts, sounus, images anu viueos into a 0.%%.'
2+'8/+8", uismantling the iationalist, uualist hegemony that, until now, set what was capable of
being unueistoou against what was capable of being senseu oi felt thiough emotion, set ieason
against imagination, science against ait, cultuie against technology anu books against auuiovisual
meuia. Seconu, the foimation of a new public space shapeu by social movement, cultuial
communities anu community meuia. Both oppoitunities aie maue up of an enoimous anu uiveise
pluiality of playeis who 0.'5"(8" on an emancipating commitment oi pleuge anu a political cultuie
in which iesistance foiges both initiatives anu alteinatives. 0n the othei hanu, a giowing
awaieness of the value of 1&77"("'0", of 1&5"(#&$D +'1 3"$"(.8"'"&$D in the fielu of civilization anu in
ethnic, local anu genuei cultuie, is confionting a poweiful movement to #$+'1+(1&E" $3" #.0&+2
&%+8&'+(D in teims of ways of uiessing, musical taste, bouily foims anu expectations of social
success, in naiiatives involving a wiuei auuience such as the cinema, television anu viueogames.
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


''
The maiket has iesolveu that tension by conveiting cultuial uiffeience into a stiatagem foi (";
$"((&$.(&+2&E+$&.' anu ,"(#.'+2&E+$&.' .7 #.0&+2 1&77"("'$&+$&.' ,(+0$&0"#9 As Baviu Baivey wisely
obseives, the mechanism woiks by means of 'the paiauox that the less uecisive that spatial
baiiieis become, the moie sensitive capital becomes towaius uiffeiences in place anu the gieatei
the incentive foi places to make an effoit to uistinguish themselves as a means of attiacting capital'
(1989: 297). A paiauox that in the inuiviuual spheie tianslates into placing the "77.($ $. 1&#$&'8/&#3
.'"#"27 at the centie of inuiviuuals' battle to climb out of the social anonymity to which the system
itself conuemns them.

The possibility of public policies that puipoit to take on the complexity of these piocesses involves
the establishment of ("8/2+$.(D 7(+%"4.(P# 43&03 3+5" + 82.6+2 +'1 + 2.0+2 ("+03, being the two
stiategic spaces in which not only the economy but also technology anu cultuie move touay.
Regulatoiy fiamewoiks that will only come out of a '"8.$&+$&.' between public, piivate anu
inuepenuent playeis, fiom national, inteinational anu local spheies. Foi, as eviuenceu by the
ulobal Foiums at Bavos anu Poito Alegie, anu especially the piepaiatoiy meetings foi the Woilu
Summit on the Infoimation Society (WSIS), those playeis now have 6.1&"#, .(8+'&E+$&.'# +'1
+##.0&+$&.'# capable of iepiesenting the uiffeient inteiests in play. This means that the piesence of
Infoimation anu Communication Technology (ICT) is having an effect aiounu the woilu that can
only be compiehenueu, oi pieuicteu politically, thiough an &'$"8(+2 oi +22;"%6(+0&'8 5&#&.' that is
capable of placing the &%,+0$ anu the ,.$"'$&+2 of that technology in the context of ,(.0"##"# of
socio-economic uevelopment anu piactices involving uemociatic paiticipation.

The above contiasts with the absence of the public sectoi in the caiiying out of technological
change, an absence maikeu by the leap fiom 2"8+2&#$&0 anu #$/66.(' policies uuiing the 197us anu
198us to the ,/("#$ +'1 #&%,2"#$ 1"("8/2+$&.' which in the 199us left the maiket fiee to maik the
logic anu uynamics of ICT tiansfoimation. 0ne paiticulai obstacle lay in the fact that, at the same
time as ueiegulation occuiieu in the fielu of telecommunications anu laige-scale meuia, the state
steppeu up massively the iegulation of small-scale meuia, such as iauio anu local Tv bioaucasteis,
:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
'(
multiplying the numbei of legal ties on theii ability to function anu expanu. Foi this ieason, in
auuition to the enoimous gap between countiies in Noith anu South Ameiica, we finu the most
biutal inuices of inequality in the laigest anu economically stiongest countiies in teims of
oppoitunities foi connecting to netwoiks. Accoiuing to the Economic Commission foi Latin
Ameiica anu the Caiibbean (ECLAC): 'in 2uuS the highest income gioup in Biazil ieacheu a
connectivity iate of 82% while the national iate was just 12%' (CEPALECLAC, 2uuS). Foi the
'uigital uiviue' is ("+22D + #.0&+2 1&5&1", that is, it uoes not ielate simply to the effect of uigital
technology but iathei to the oiganization of society in such a way that the majoiity is pieventeu
fiom accessing anu making use of ICT not only physically but also economically anu mentally.

0n the othei hanu, we also come acioss ceitain situations in Latin Ameiica that pioviue a setting
foi stiategic, public policy inteivention, situations that aie paiticulaily appiopiiate foi putting
uigital conveigence at the seivice of exchange anu empoweiment of cultuial uiveisity.

The most ievealing scenaiio is the stiategic potential alieauy iepiesenteu by uigital netwoiks
which weave #.0&.;0/2$/(+2 &'$"8(+$&.' &' $3" ?+$&' @%"(&0+' #,+0" mobilizing scientific ieseaich,
aitistic expeiimentation anu community iauio anu Tv meuia. Fiom small iuial towns to laige
uiban neighbouihoous, populai sectois, whethei thiough young people oi in ceitain inuigenous
communities, we face an intensive 0.%%/'&$D appiopiiation of iauio anu Tv to put local
communities in touch with one anothei anu with otheis in the woilu, with the objective of
iewoiking the collective fabiic of memoiy anu countei-infoimation, mobilizing the imagination to
paiticipate in the constiuction of what is public.

A seconu scenaiio is that offeieu by netwoiks woven by those who have emigiateu, fiom netwoiks
foimeu by Ecuauoiian emigiants in Spain who communicate in Quechua, to Nexicans in the 0S
suifing the net in theii own inimitable 'Chicana' style oi the net-ait of visual aits anu music, which
young people ciiculate not only among theii own compatiiots but also among all migiating Latins
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


')
oi South Ameiicans, anu by means of which uigital conveigence becomes a constituent pait of the
Latin Ameiican cultuial space that is unuei constiuction.

A thiiu scenaiio, albeit one that has aiiiveu late in the uay anu that is still somewhat piecaiious, is
that of ,/62&0 #03..2# which aie staiting to conveige with uigital technology anu using it to iauically
ieshape methous of piouucing anu ciiculating knowleuge just as it is ieshaping the maps we use in
oui piofessional anu woiking lives. The most fai-ieaching changes biought about by the
infoimation society aie conceineu with the new mental skills iequiieu foi new ioles oi offices,
new ways of leaining, whethei foimal oi infoimal, anu new foims of ielationship between woik
anu play oi between oui uomestic space anu the woikplace.

Finally, a fouith scenaiio constitutes the giowing awaieness that iights to infoimation anu
knowleuge aie an integial pait of human iights. We iefei to the iight of citizens anu social gioups
to have +00"## $. &'7.(%+$&.' not only as ieceiveis but also as piouuceis; anu also the (&83$ $.
,+($&0&,+$" .7 +'1 &' P'.42"18"9 Foi, on the one hanu, the 3D,"(;5+2/+$&.' of &'7.(%+$&.' is causing
a seveie uevaluation of tiauitional knowleuge that is not capable of being computeiizeu, such as
peasant suivival stiategies, the life expeiiences of immigiants, the cultuial memoiy of the elueily
anu so foith. This means that ultimately, in Latin Ameiican countiies, 'infoimation society' comes
to mean the expansion of a #.0&"$D .7 &8'.(+'0", that is, a 7+&2/(" $. ("0.8'&E" the pluiality of
knowleuge anu cultuial competences which, whethei shaieu by the populai majoiity oi
inuigenous oi iegional minoiities, aie not being incoipoiateu as such into maps of society noi even
theii euucation systems.

Alongsiue that set of scenaiios in which public policy can play a pait, we wish to enu by putting
foiwaiu a map foi stiategic action (foi the complete text of these pioposals, see Naitin-Baibeio,
2uuS) to be set in motion so that the uigital ievolution seives as a ievolution that makes possible
the iecognition of tiue value, of the iichness that cultuial uiveisity involves.
:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
'*

='I G$# F(#'(,:)- +-()$*
S&($/+2 ?&$"(+0D
}ust as we finu $"03'&0+2 &'7(+#$(/0$/(" at the point of getting infoimation into society, in oiuei to
make use of the benefits of ICT Latin Ameiican countiies aie going to have to acquiie a new
0/2$/(+2 6+#" which pioviues the majoiity with piopei access to the vaiious uses of ICT anu its
cieative piouuction. Naking that 0/2$/(+2 6+#" available to Latin Ameiican societies as a whole will
involve a pioject that is just as uemanuing, anu involves just as much, if not moie, effoit as the
piovision of physical infiastiuctuie. We call that pioject 5&($/+2 2&$"(+0D, anu we unueistanu it to be
maue up of a #"$ .7 %"'$+2 #P&22#, .,"(+$&.'+2 3+6&$# +'1 &'$"(+0$&5" #,&(&$ without which the
piesence of technology among the majoiity of the population woulu go to waste oi be twisteu by
the use to which it is put by a minoiity foi theii own benefit. }ust as, at anothei point in its histoiy,
the whole of Latin Ameiica set itself the basic social pioject of achieving auult liteiacy, a pioject
uesigneu by Paulo Fieiie, so now Latin Ameiican societies finu themselves in neeu of a new pioject
of 5&($/+2 2&$"(+0D not foi a paiticulai gioup but iathei foi the population as a whole, fiom chiluien
to the elueily, fiom uiban communities to iuial anu inuigenous communities, incluuing woikeis
anu the unemployeu, the uisplaceu anu the uisableu.

This conceins a foim of liteiacy whose piincipal peculiaiity lies in being &'$"(+0$&5", that is,
leaining takes place thiough $3" 5"(D ,(.0"## .7 /#&'8 $"03'.2.8D. A /#" that can anu, in ceitain
cases, must be .(&"'$+$"1, but which cannot be supplieu by meie conventional knowleuge oi
wisuom. Theie is unuoubteuly a 0.'5"(8"'0" to be establisheu between liteiacy anu 5&($/+2
2&$"(+0D, so that the foimei is integiateu into the lattei as a uynamic factoi in the piocess, but in the
knowleuge that 5&($/+2 0/2$/(" ieoiueis the symbolic meuia on which foimal cultuie ielies by
iepositioning seveial of the time-space bounuaiies that the lattei involves. O/(7&'8 is also ieauing
but not fiom left to iight oi top to bottom anu not by following the oiuei of pages but iathei by
0(.##&'8 oi ,+##&'8 $3(./83 texts, images anu sounus that aie inteiconnecteu by extiemely uiveise
methous of aiticulation, simulation, shaping oi play. These aie means of 5&($/+2 +($&0/2+$&.' that
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


'+
foim an inuispensable pait of the knowleuge that is incieasingly iequiieu nowauays by the woilus
of woik anu cultuie.

The infiastiuctuie of ,/62&0 2&6(+(&"# must become a stiategic space, a point of basic access foi the
masses both to netwoiks anu to 5&($/+2 2&$"(+0D. -.'5"(8"'0" between tiauitional seivices anu new
seivices, which intiouuce viitual netwoiks, must be accepteu as an "1/0+$&.'+2 +'1 #.0&+2
challenge given that conveigence plays out the stiategic ielationship between infoimation,
cieative inteiaction anu social paiticipation.

C"#"+(03 &'$. :"+'# .7 @,,(.,(&+$&'8 B"03'.2.8D
Along with the new 2&$"(+0D, the inclusion of Latin Ameiican countiies in the challenges anu
possibilities of uigital technology involves a shaieu ieseaich pioject suiiounuing $3" 4+D# &' 43&03
2.0+2 0/2$/("#, whethei towns, ethnic gioups oi iegions +(" %+P&'8 /#" .7 oi +,,(.,(&+$&'8 5&($/+2
0/2$/(", that is, the means of inteiaction with infoimation netwoiks which communities select anu
uevelop, the tiansfoimations that theii usage intiouuces into community life anu the new
iesouices, both technical anu human, that aie iequiieu in oiuei to ienuei those inteiactions
socially cieative anu piouuctive. It is piecisely because new ICT iesults in the cutting loose of
$"((&$.(&+2 cultuie anu its inclusion in the ihythms anu viitualities of 0D6"(#,+0" that oui system of
euucation anu cultuie neeus to %.'&$.( 02.#"2D +'1 0.'$&'/+22D the ways in which vaiious teiiitoiial
cultuies piocess changes, anu to take account of uiffeiences in age anu genuei anu uistinguish
between small anu laige cities anu iuial, inuustiial anu unueiuevelopeu aieas foi that puipose.

T&8&$+2&E&'8 ./( U"(&$+8"
Touay, putting oui heiitage onto a uigital netwoik offeis a stiategic possibility both in teims of
0.'#"(5+$&.' anu in 1"%.0(+$&E+$&.' of its uses. The foimei neeus no fuithei aigument given the
fiagility of many uocuments anu othei cultuial items anu the fiagmentaiy anu piecaiious natuie of
a numbei of utensils. Bigital conseivation not only makes it possible to piotect items but also
:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
(#
facilitates theii stuuy anu peimanent +0$&5+$&.', by putting them in touch with otheis, whethei in
chionological, thematic, geneial oi specializeu teims.

Likewise, uigitalization makes it possible to achieve 2.0+2 +'1 82.6+2 5&#&6&2&$D of oui heiitage, anu
especially the #3+(&'8 of uiveise national anu local Latin Ameiican heiitage. 0n the one hanu, it is a
casequestion of 1"%.0(+$&E&'8= that is of biinging the cultuial heiitage of Latin Ameiican
countiies to theii own citizens foi theii knowleuge anu enjoyment, anu foi the pieseivation of
'ieal' histoiical memoiy that is not official oi homogeneous but pluial, anu enabling its
appiopiiation by even the iemotest of geneiations anu populations. 0n the othei hanu, it is a
question of a '"4 4+D 7.( ./( 0/2$/("# $. "L&#$ &' $3" 4.(21, showing the iichness of histoiy anu the
cieativity of the piesent, uebunking clichs anu exotic steieotypes anu attiacting touiism. Anu this
is possible in the multiple ways in which hypeitext touay peimits, that is, in fixeu anu moving
images, in sounutiacks anu music, couices anu texts. 0i thiough 1+$+6+#"#, images, oial naiiatives,
music, songs, $3"%+$&0 6+0P1(.,# oi viitual exhibitions.

KL,+'1&'8 -("+$&5&$D $. $3" V"$
Bigital netwoiks aie not only a place foi conseivation anu shaiing of cultuial anu aitistic items but
also a space foi "L,"(&%"'$+$&.' anu +"#$3"$&0 0("+$&.'. Bypeitextual expeiimentation makes new
ait foims possible by means of foims of +(03&$"0$/(" .7 2+'8/+8"# that until now weie not possible.
0n the othei hanu, inteiactive connectivity challenges the "L0",$&.'+2 '+$/(" of 'woiks' anu bluis
the /'&W/"'"## of the aitist, uisplacing the axes of the aesthetic towaius inteiactions anu events,
that is, towaius a type of 'woik' that is peimanently open to the collaboiation of cieative suifeis. A
metaphoi foi new ways of socializing, cieation on the web peimits aesthetic peifoimativities that
viitual meuia open up not just foi the fielu of ait in paiticulai but also foi social anu political
paiticipation, which activates vaiious foims of sensing anu socializing which befoie now have been
taken to be incapable of acting anu cieating anu inteiacting with contempoiaiy technology.

>("" @00"## $. @22 U/%+' -("+$&.'
!"#$%&'#$"( *+,"(# &' -.%%/'&0+$&.' F -/2$/(" GHIJ


($
0ne of the most piofitable ways of stiipping the majoiity of items that foim pait of human cultuie
is the ueceitful piotection of &'$"22"0$/+2 ,(.,"($D, a spuiious anu mystifying way of classifying the
(&83$# .7 $3" +/$3.(, which involves ieuucing the intellectual to what can be appiopiiateu
commeicially, a iight that is uefinitively co-opteu by the iuea of ,+$"'$ anu its pseuuo commeicial
juiispiuuence. We neeu to biing out into the open the way in which anu the extent to which
scientific knowleuge anu aesthetic expeiimentation aie subjugateu by the uismantling of the
multiple foims of iegulation that pieventeu the spieau anu invasion of ,(.,"($D to fielus of
knowleuge, piactices anu seivices pieviously consiueieu public anu which the inteinet touay
tiansfoims into 0.%%.' ,(.,"($D9

This is how the conveigence of 0/2$/(+2 '"$4.(P# (Finquelevich, 2uuu; Nolina, 2uu1; vv.AA. 2uu2)
opeiates, the newest anu possibly one of the most feitile foims of cultuial conveigence cuiiently in
existence. It is spuiieu on, on a uaily basis, by aitists anu auministiatois, tiaineis, municipal
institutions anu local communities. An enoimous gain stems fiom the fact that one of the tasks
assumeu by many of the new playeis is that of oveiseeis, intent upon supeivising the piojects anu
uecisions that they take pait in, money matteis anu the type of exchange that is piomoteu. -/2$/(+2
'"$4.(P# have become the new ,/62&0 #,+0" .7 &'$"(%"1&+$&.' between uiffeient playeis in the
same countiy; between playeis in the same spheie - foi example of politics, management oi
tiaining - in uiffeient countiies; oi mobilizing cioss-uisciplinaiy factois fiom the fielu of politics
that eniich acauemic woik oi fiom the fielu of aitistic cieation that eniich the fielu of politics. We
face the histoiic possibility, not only in teims of technology but also in social teims, of
funuamentally ienewing the political fiamewoik of inteicultuiality, weaving netwoiks that
incieasingly connect the woilu of aitists anu cultuial woikeis with the woilu of teiiitoiial
institutions anu social oiganizations. Anu we aie going to neeu that fiamewoik foi only by
bolsteiing anu empoweiing the netwoik of social anu institutional playeis in oui cultuies to the
maximum extent possible, anu cieating the most fai-ieaching alliances possible all ovei the woilu,
will we be able to confiont the offensive of political apathy anu cultuial manipulation that has been
set in tiain by the globalization of feai anu the new secuiity inuustiies.
:+($&';<+(6"(.= >(.% ?+$&' @%"(&0+A
(%

I cannot biing this ieflection to a close without linking it to the 'ieasons foi my hope' (of which
Boiges spoke in an eaily book entitleu K2 $+%+X. 1" %& "#,"(+'E+M (which in English means 'The
Neasuie of Ny Bope'), which aie the link between ieseaich anu the political action uesciibeu
heiein. I iefei to the 'seconu chance' (uaicia Naiquez) which, foi those who have liveu thiough
1uu yeais of solituue, can involve conveigence between theii oial cultuial tiauitions anu new
foims of visual anu cybei wiiting, if liteial cultuies will peimit theii authoiitaiian uiuacticism to be
tiansfoimeu into peifoimative social meuiation. Foi the suboiuination of oial tiauition, sounus
anu visual expeiiences of the majoiity to the exclusive oiuei of euucateu liteiacy is cuiiently being
eioueu in a way that was unfoieseen anu that stems, on the one hanu, fiom the uisplacement (in
Spanish, 1"#;2.0+2&E+0&R') anu spieauing of 'tiauitionally mouein' channelsciicuits of knowleuge
anu, on the othei, fiom the new ways of piouucing anu ciiculating languages anu new wiitings that
aiise out of electionic technology, especially on the inteinet. Thus we stanu befoie a new cultuial
anu political stage which may piove stiategic, fiist, in tiansfoiming an euucational system that is
exclusive not only in quantitative but above all in qualitative teims, anu piofounuly anachionistic
in the ielationship that it beais to the changes that eveiyuay cultuies aie going thiough, anu,
seconu, in ensuiing that the uemociatization of oui societies ieaches the cultuial woilu of the
majoiity, making it possible foi people to appiopiiate new knowleuge, languages anu wiitings
fiom theii own cultuies.

J,G,#,*-,1
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