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	What does 2006 have in store? by Isabel Hilton Open Democracy   In the last days of 2005, leading thinkers and scholars from around the world share their fears, hopes and expectations of 2006.   Forty-eight of openDemocracy’s distinguished contributors, from Mariano Aguirre to Slavoj Zizek, Neal Ascherson to Jonathan Zittrain – offer their hopes, fears and predictions for the coming year. Since this is openDemocracy, we did not expect them to agree. We were not disappointed.   Dave Belden and Michael Edwards take differing positions on faith. Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Ramin Jahanbegloo and Khaled Abou El Fadi see different prospects in the middle east. In the United States, Todd Gitlin, Anatole Lieven, Gregory Maniatis and Colin Greer have divergent hopes and fears.   Eric Hobsbawm takes the long view, Neal Ascherson maps his hopes and fears and Mary Robinson pleads for a change of attitude to migration and development. Read different visions of Europe’s future from John Palmer and Krzysztof Bobinski, find out why a woodpecker matters to Charles Chadwyck-Healey and browse the diverse predictions of Ariel Dorfman, Leszek Kolakowski, Michael Naumann, Gwyn Prins, Roger Scruton, Bill Thompson, Tony Judt and many others..   Click on the link below to access these stories. Visit the related web page
	Canada first to ratify the UN Cultural Diversity Convention by UNESCO   Dec. 2005   Canada has become the first State to ratify an international convention on retaining the rich diversity of the world’s means of cultural expression, now endangered by globalization, which was adopted last October by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.   Welcoming the first ratification of Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, said that "UNESCO has elaborated a range of standard-setting instruments to protect cultural diversity, to be found not only in tangible and intangible heritage, but also in contemporary forms of creativity."   As examples of the kind of cultural consolidation threatened by globalization, UNESCO pointed out that 50 per cent of the world languages are in danger of extinction and that 90 per cent of them are not represented on the Internet.   In addition, it said that some five countries monopolize the world cultural industries. In the field of cinema, for instance, 88 countries out of 185 in the world have never had their own film productions.   Besides promoting diversity in those areas, the Convention seeks to reaffirm the links between culture, development and dialogue and to create a platform for international cooperation, UNESCO said.   The Convention also supports UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity adopted in 2001, which recognized cultural diversity as "a source of exchange, innovation and creativity,” a common heritage of humanity that "should be recognized and affirmed for the benefit of present and future generations."   The new Convention reaffirms the sovereign right of States to elaborate cultural policies with a view "to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions and reinforce international cooperation" while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Convention will enter into force three months after its ratification by 30 States Parties.   16 December 2005   Developing countries lag far behind in cultural trade, says UNESCO report.   Three countries - the United Kingdom, United States and China - produced 40 per cent of the world’s cultural trade products in 2002, such as books, compact disks, videogames and sculptures, while Latin America and Africa together accounted for less than 4 per cent, according to a new United Nations report.   Between 1994 and 2002, international trade in cultural goods increased from $38 billion to $60 billion, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report said.   But “while globalization offers great potential for countries to share their cultures and creative talents, it is clear that not all nations are able to take advantage of this opportunity,” UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura noted. “Without support to help these countries participate in this trade, their cultural voices will remain marginalized and isolated.”   According to the report - Flows of Selected Cultural Goods and Services, 1994-2003 - Latin America and the Caribbean accounted for only 3 per cent of the total trade of cultural goods in 2002, one point more than in 1992, though far behind other world regions. Oceania and Africa have not shown any progress, with a combined share of less than 1 per cent in 2002.   The report analyzes cross-border trade data from about 120 countries and presents new methodology to better reflect cultural trade flows, contributing to UNESCO’s effort to collect and analyze data that clearly illustrate the central role of culture in economic, social and human development.   The United Kingdom was the biggest single exporter of cultural goods in 2002 with $8.5 billion followed by the United States ($7.6 billion) and China ($5.2 billion).   The US was the biggest importer of cultural goods at $15.3 billion, followed by the UK ($7.8 billion) and Germany ($4.1 billion), according to data based mainly on customs declarations. Visit the related web page
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