Boletín Informativo

Education: A Universal Moral Commitment

The consensus reached by the Ministers of Education during their recent meeting in Mexico under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS) to begin negotiations for exchanging public debt for investment in education is of great importance and supports a theory that UNESCO has defended in numerous international fora. The same proposal was also made by the Ministers of Education of Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela, and by the President of Peru, Alejandro Toledo, during the 32nd General Assembly of UNESCO in Paris, where it was widely received, as well as in the UN's World Summit for an Information Society, held December 10-12 in Geneva, Switzerland. The difficult social and economic situation of the majority of Latin American and Caribbean countries does not currently allow for investments in education - investments that can help to reverse, in the medium term, the critical situation of education. For more on this topic, please visit our Topic of the Month.

http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/tema/editorial/ene04.aspx?culture=en&tabindex=36&childindex=0

Nourishment and education: a right for young children in the Americas

Achieving coordinated action between health and education is one of the most important challenges in the world today. This is true for schools and for the communities in which schools are found because of learning difficulties that result from malnourishment, deficiencies or excesses that affect an increasing number of our region's youth.

Latin America is affected by a "Nutritional Transition", a phenomenon characterized by a prevalence of chronic malnourishment. This results in diminutive height since children can not fully develop their genetic growth potential due to lack of nourishment for extended periods of time during their early years of life. Overweight children and obesity, as well as alarming rates of anemia from iron deficiency, are also widespread. For more on this important subject, visit:

http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/tema/editorial/feb04.aspx?culture=en&tabindex=36&childindex=0

13th Biennial Congress of the Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE)

The theme of this event, which was held November 9-12 in Boca del Río, Veracruz, Mexico, was "Higher Education, Continental Integration and Human Development: Networks, Associations and Strategic Alliances". In addition to high-ranking national, regional and international authorities, over 1,500 participants from 420 universities of 25 countries of the Hemisphere participated. The results of the Declaration of Veracruz and the General Assembly of the IOHE can be found at: http://www.oui-iohe.qc.ca/Congres/Highlights.pdf

Professional Training for the English-speaking Caribbean

A group of specialists from Guyana, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, among others, are cooperating with the IACD in the review of the English version of the online course "Quality in Basic Education". Tutors will be trained for the course during February-March. In addition 1,200 full scholarships will be offered to the 13 English-speaking Caribbean countries. The course is scheduled to begin in May and will take place within the framework of the Hemispheric Project on Teacher Training, under the coordination of Dr. Marva L. Ribeiro of Trinidad and Tobago and with the support of the Unit for Social Development and Education of the OAS.

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD)

In the framework of the agreement signed with the IACD, the President of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Republic, has opened the Foundation's US and Canadian office in Washington, DC, within the offices of the IACD/OAS. Ms. Natasha Despotovic has been appointed Executive Director of the Foundation, which will also open offices in New York and Miami.

Inter-American Committee for Educational Evaluation and Accreditation

This Committee was created at the end of 2003 in order to advise the IOHE and the IACD/OAS on the academic quality of distance learning programs offered by universities and higher education institutions in the region for their subsequent recognition and certification by INEAM as part of its program for training human resources in 2004-2005. The committee is composed of Charles M. Cook, Director of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges (Massachusetts, USA); Pierre Casaliz, Academic Coordinator of the Institute for University Management and Leadership (Canada); Jorge Luis Ibarra Mendívil, Executive Secretary General of the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES of Mexico); Errol L. Miller, Director of the Institute of Education, University of West Indies (Mona, Jamaica); José Revelo Revelo, Executive Secretary of the National Council of Accrediation (Colombia); João Carlos Teatini de S. Clímaco, Secretary of Distance Education, Ministry of Education (Brasilia, Brazil); Carlos Tunnermann Berheim, President of the Central American Council of Accreditation for Higher Education (Nicaragua) and Ernesto Villanueva, President of the National Committee of University Evaluation and Accreditation (Argentina).

Horizontal University Cooperation

Over the past several months, various cooperation agreements have been signed with universities and institutions of the Hemisphere to promote the formation and training of human resources in the region, including:

- Argentina: Universidad de San Andrés (UDESA) http://www.udesa.edu.ar/
- Chile: Universidad de Chile http://www.uchile.cl/
- Mexico: Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada http://www.cicese.mx/
- Mexico: Universidad de Colima http://www.ucol.mx/
- Fundación Aragón http://www.aragon.org.ar/html/index.html
- Oficina Internacional de Educación http://www.ibe.unesco.org/
- IIPE http://www.iipe-buenosaires.org.ar/
- The International Council for Open and Distance Education http://www.icde.org/

INEAM News

Several officials have been invited to join INEAM's Board of Directors. To date the following people have agreed to serve on the board: Patricio Aylwin Azócar, former President of Chile; Eugenio Beaufrand, Vice President of Microsoft Latin America; Cristovam Buarque, Senator, Brasilia, Brazil; Lawrence D. Carrington, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Director School of Continuing Studies, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica; Leonel Fernández, former President of the Dominican Republic and President of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD); Rafael Rangel Sostmann, President of the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Monterrey, Mexico; Viviane Senna, President of the Ayrton Senna Foundation, San Pablo, Brazil; y Fernando Villalonga, President of the Telefónica Foundation of Spain, Madrid, Spain.

L@titud: Latin American Initiative toward Understanding and Development

L@titud is a network of professionals that aspires to promote understanding and intelligent action in various learning environments by favoring local initiatives and generating regional expertise. To do so the network, which is directed by Dr. Veronica Boix Mansilla, employs conceptual frameworks and practical tools developed by Project Zero, a research institute of the School of Graduate Education of Harvard University. To accomplish its goals, L@titud uses subregional nodes to promote the principles of teaching for understanding. The Portal will begin to host this site at the end of January. In particular the Portal will focus on the work of L@titud's southern node, which is led by Inés Aguerrondo and Paula Pogré, in the framework of the agreement signed between the IACD/OAS and the Universidad de San Andrés, under the initiative of Dr. Silvina Gvirtz, Director of the Education School of UdeSA.

Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE)

As a result of the agreement signed between the IACD/OAS and the Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE), various working meetings will be held in early 2004 to develop a plan of activities for the period 2004-2005. Such activities include: making the Educational Portal of the Americas and its various services available to IOHE, surveying member universities of IOHE regarding their distance learning programs, promoting IOHE's services, organizing two seminars for university presidents, evaluating courses on university management and leadership, and preparing project profiles for execution with external financing.

Second stage: La Educ@ción

The high costs of printing, production and circulation forced the Inter-American Journal of Educational Development, La Educación, to be discontinued in 2001. In circulation since 1956, the journal was the only one its kind in the inter-American system and included articles in the four official languages of the OAS. In response to the thousands of letters and messages received from educators, research centers and libraries throughout the region, we are pleased to announce that the journal will be re-introduced exclusively online and free of charge through the Educational Portal of the Americas. Additionally, a very limited number of copies will be made available on CD-Rom, primarily as reference material for libraries and research centers. Information on the publication norms and criteria will be included in the first issue of La Educ@ción.

Successful Course on Electronic Government

During November and December 2003, the first edition of the course "Basic Concepts for the Formulation of Electronic Government Strategies", was offered through the Virtual Classroom of the Educational Portal of the Americas. Over 200 students participated in the course, whose objective was to introduce the basic concepts of electronic government, present the key elements needed for creating an electronic government strategy and provide an overview of the development and implementation of e-government projects, with particular focus on the analysis of best practices. As a final project, the participants applied the concepts developed in the course by preparing a "Draft Strategy for Developing Electronic Government" for application in their individual fields. The projects presented were of very high quality and were representative of the excellent participation in the course. Proof of this is that many of the projects presented have been approved for implementation in their respective organizations. Since the number of applicants for the first course exceeded the actual space available, the course will be offered again in March. The course announcement will be posted in the very near future.

Education with a Gender Perspective

The Regional UNESCO Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America has produced materials on "Multimedia environments for quality scientific and technological education from a gender perspective." The materials consist of pedagogical resources to stimulate and renew quality in scientific and technological education at the secondary school level and first years of university. By applying a gender focus on science and technology, the materials can be used: to train teachers (both pre service and in service), as projects in educational centers, to train researchers in science issues, and for seminars or workshops in the area of education, gender, and science and technology. To request a demonstration, advice on developing a project of this nature, or more detailed information on the project's objectives and methodology, see:
http://www.catunescomujer.org/red_catedra_eng.htm

The J. P. Morgan Chase Foundation

At the end of 2003, the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation awarded a significant grant to expand the activities for training human resources through the Educational Portal of the Americas. As a result, new course announcements for professional training opportunities will be announced shortly.

IACD/INEAM and ITESM expand teacher training opportunities

Having helped over 2,500 teachers of the region in 2003, the IACD through its Institute for Advanced Studies of the Americas (INEAM), and ITESM will be announcing the International Program of Teaching Abilities: Educational Competencies for the 21st Century, and the workshop "Development of Administrative Abilities".

The International Program of Teaching Abilities: Educational Competencies for the 21st Century will be offered in early May and will be directed to teachers of any educational level from public or private institutions. Its objective will be to provide teachers with the tools and information and pedagogical competencies demanded by modern education and strengthen their role as facilitators of the learning process through the development of abilities and skills that enrich their teaching practice, including the use of information technology. The nine-month course includes 240 hours of online learning. An introductory course on the use of the educational platform will be offered before the first module.

The workshop on Developing Administrative Abilities is directed to school administrators at any level, as well as teachers, educators and coordinators who wish to develop abilities in line with the direction of their educational institution. in response to the need for more prepared leaders with better tools for the new millennium, for leaders with a more integrated educational philosophy and for leaders that are able to instill motivation, better communication and effective relations in their staff, the workshop aims to reinforce the administrative staff's basic abilities and help them develop more updated skills. The workshop is one month in duration (30 hours total), with six modules of 5 hours each.

Presentation of "CyberAmerica"

The Ibero-American Project for an Information Society "CyberAmerica" was presented on January 28 in Madrid, Spain. The project aspires to create a platform for all things Ibero-American and reinforce the Ibero-American identity by creating a common space for Ibero-Americans to demonstrate their best projects in each of the social areas. It also aspires to strengthen cooperation and increase alliances among Ibero-American entities. The initiative responds to the Final Declaration of the 13th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and of Government that was held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra on November 14-15, 2003, which highlighted the project's advances and approved its conversion to a "Summit Program", entrusting the SECIB with the follow-up and development of juridical and technical matters, as well as the creation of a database of best practices in the area of technical cooperation.

Seminar "Leading a Knowledge University: E-Learning Objectives or Strategies for Managing Change"

The first module of this seminar was offered last November in Barcelona, Spain. Its objective was to train the highest political representatives and managers of public administration responsible for university policy (including ministers of universities, research, information societies, etc) of Latin America and Europe. The program consists of two modules, the second of which will be offered in Barcelona in March. In addition to these two onsite meetings, a series of online activities will be offered. The seminar's main topic of discussion consisted of placing the university in the Knowledge Society. As a result, the university will not only be able to participate in the contemporary dialogue regarding the role and use of new technologies, but also expand its conceptual horizons for designing strategic visions for training in the future. Within the framework of the agreement signed between the IACD/OAS and Open University of Catalunya, the participants of this first meeting will receive a diploma co-certified by both institutions. http://www.uoc.edu/catedra/unesco/esp/index.html

We appreciate your interest and participation in the activities of the Educational Portal of the Americas. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Please send all messages to portal@oas.org. If you have received this message in error and would like to cancel your free subscription, please send a message to portal@oas.org and include "Cancel Newsletter Subscription" in the subject window.



	*Click here to see previous Newsletters*
	January/February News: Education: A Universal Moral Commitment Nourishment and education: a right for young children in the Americas 13th Biennial Congress of the Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE) Professional Training for the English-speaking Caribbean Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) Inter-American Committee for Educational Evaluation and Accreditation Horizontal University Cooperation INEAM News L@titud: Latin American Initiative toward Understanding and Development Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE) Second stage: La Educ@ción Successful Course on Electronic Government Education with a Gender Perspective The J. P. Morgan Chase Foundation IACD/INEAM and ITESM expand teacher training opportunities Presentation of "CyberAmerica" Seminar "Leading a Knowledge University: E-Learning Objectives or Strategies for Managing Change"
	Education: A Universal Moral Commitment The consensus reached by the Ministers of Education during their recent meeting in Mexico under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS) to begin negotiations for exchanging public debt for investment in education is of great importance and supports a theory that UNESCO has defended in numerous international fora. The same proposal was also made by the Ministers of Education of Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela, and by the President of Peru, Alejandro Toledo, during the 32nd General Assembly of UNESCO in Paris, where it was widely received, as well as in the UN's World Summit for an Information Society, held December 10-12 in Geneva, Switzerland. The difficult social and economic situation of the majority of Latin American and Caribbean countries does not currently allow for investments in education - investments that can help to reverse, in the medium term, the critical situation of education. For more on this topic, please visit our Topic of the Month. http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/tema/editorial/ene04.aspx?culture=en&tabindex=36&childindex=0 Nourishment and education: a right for young children in the Americas Achieving coordinated action between health and education is one of the most important challenges in the world today. This is true for schools and for the communities in which schools are found because of learning difficulties that result from malnourishment, deficiencies or excesses that affect an increasing number of our region's youth. Latin America is affected by a "Nutritional Transition", a phenomenon characterized by a prevalence of chronic malnourishment. This results in diminutive height since children can not fully develop their genetic growth potential due to lack of nourishment for extended periods of time during their early years of life. Overweight children and obesity, as well as alarming rates of anemia from iron deficiency, are also widespread. For more on this important subject, visit: http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/tema/editorial/feb04.aspx?culture=en&tabindex=36&childindex=0 13th Biennial Congress of the Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE) The theme of this event, which was held November 9-12 in Boca del Río, Veracruz, Mexico, was "Higher Education, Continental Integration and Human Development: Networks, Associations and Strategic Alliances". In addition to high-ranking national, regional and international authorities, over 1,500 participants from 420 universities of 25 countries of the Hemisphere participated. The results of the Declaration of Veracruz and the General Assembly of the IOHE can be found at: http://www.oui-iohe.qc.ca/Congres/Highlights.pdf Professional Training for the English-speaking Caribbean A group of specialists from Guyana, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, among others, are cooperating with the IACD in the review of the English version of the online course "Quality in Basic Education". Tutors will be trained for the course during February-March. In addition 1,200 full scholarships will be offered to the 13 English-speaking Caribbean countries. The course is scheduled to begin in May and will take place within the framework of the Hemispheric Project on Teacher Training, under the coordination of Dr. Marva L. Ribeiro of Trinidad and Tobago and with the support of the Unit for Social Development and Education of the OAS. Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) In the framework of the agreement signed with the IACD, the President of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Republic, has opened the Foundation's US and Canadian office in Washington, DC, within the offices of the IACD/OAS. Ms. Natasha Despotovic has been appointed Executive Director of the Foundation, which will also open offices in New York and Miami. Inter-American Committee for Educational Evaluation and Accreditation This Committee was created at the end of 2003 in order to advise the IOHE and the IACD/OAS on the academic quality of distance learning programs offered by universities and higher education institutions in the region for their subsequent recognition and certification by INEAM as part of its program for training human resources in 2004-2005. The committee is composed of Charles M. Cook, Director of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges (Massachusetts, USA); Pierre Casaliz, Academic Coordinator of the Institute for University Management and Leadership (Canada); Jorge Luis Ibarra Mendívil, Executive Secretary General of the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES of Mexico); Errol L. Miller, Director of the Institute of Education, University of West Indies (Mona, Jamaica); José Revelo Revelo, Executive Secretary of the National Council of Accrediation (Colombia); João Carlos Teatini de S. Clímaco, Secretary of Distance Education, Ministry of Education (Brasilia, Brazil); Carlos Tunnermann Berheim, President of the Central American Council of Accreditation for Higher Education (Nicaragua) and Ernesto Villanueva, President of the National Committee of University Evaluation and Accreditation (Argentina). Horizontal University Cooperation Over the past several months, various cooperation agreements have been signed with universities and institutions of the Hemisphere to promote the formation and training of human resources in the region, including: - Argentina: Universidad de San Andrés (UDESA) http://www.udesa.edu.ar/ - Chile: Universidad de Chile http://www.uchile.cl/ - Mexico: Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada http://www.cicese.mx/ - Mexico: Universidad de Colima http://www.ucol.mx/ - Fundación Aragón http://www.aragon.org.ar/html/index.html - Oficina Internacional de Educación http://www.ibe.unesco.org/ - IIPE http://www.iipe-buenosaires.org.ar/ - The International Council for Open and Distance Education http://www.icde.org/ INEAM News Several officials have been invited to join INEAM's Board of Directors. To date the following people have agreed to serve on the board: Patricio Aylwin Azócar, former President of Chile; Eugenio Beaufrand, Vice President of Microsoft Latin America; Cristovam Buarque, Senator, Brasilia, Brazil; Lawrence D. Carrington, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Director School of Continuing Studies, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica; Leonel Fernández, former President of the Dominican Republic and President of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD); Rafael Rangel Sostmann, President of the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Monterrey, Mexico; Viviane Senna, President of the Ayrton Senna Foundation, San Pablo, Brazil; y Fernando Villalonga, President of the Telefónica Foundation of Spain, Madrid, Spain. L@titud: Latin American Initiative toward Understanding and Development L@titud is a network of professionals that aspires to promote understanding and intelligent action in various learning environments by favoring local initiatives and generating regional expertise. To do so the network, which is directed by Dr. Veronica Boix Mansilla, employs conceptual frameworks and practical tools developed by Project Zero, a research institute of the School of Graduate Education of Harvard University. To accomplish its goals, L@titud uses subregional nodes to promote the principles of teaching for understanding. The Portal will begin to host this site at the end of January. In particular the Portal will focus on the work of L@titud's southern node, which is led by Inés Aguerrondo and Paula Pogré, in the framework of the agreement signed between the IACD/OAS and the Universidad de San Andrés, under the initiative of Dr. Silvina Gvirtz, Director of the Education School of UdeSA. Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE) As a result of the agreement signed between the IACD/OAS and the Inter-American Organization of Higher Education (IOHE), various working meetings will be held in early 2004 to develop a plan of activities for the period 2004-2005. Such activities include: making the Educational Portal of the Americas and its various services available to IOHE, surveying member universities of IOHE regarding their distance learning programs, promoting IOHE's services, organizing two seminars for university presidents, evaluating courses on university management and leadership, and preparing project profiles for execution with external financing. Second stage: La Educ@ción The high costs of printing, production and circulation forced the Inter-American Journal of Educational Development, La Educación, to be discontinued in 2001. In circulation since 1956, the journal was the only one its kind in the inter-American system and included articles in the four official languages of the OAS. In response to the thousands of letters and messages received from educators, research centers and libraries throughout the region, we are pleased to announce that the journal will be re-introduced exclusively online and free of charge through the Educational Portal of the Americas. Additionally, a very limited number of copies will be made available on CD-Rom, primarily as reference material for libraries and research centers. Information on the publication norms and criteria will be included in the first issue of La Educ@ción. Successful Course on Electronic Government During November and December 2003, the first edition of the course "Basic Concepts for the Formulation of Electronic Government Strategies", was offered through the Virtual Classroom of the Educational Portal of the Americas. Over 200 students participated in the course, whose objective was to introduce the basic concepts of electronic government, present the key elements needed for creating an electronic government strategy and provide an overview of the development and implementation of e-government projects, with particular focus on the analysis of best practices. As a final project, the participants applied the concepts developed in the course by preparing a "Draft Strategy for Developing Electronic Government" for application in their individual fields. The projects presented were of very high quality and were representative of the excellent participation in the course. Proof of this is that many of the projects presented have been approved for implementation in their respective organizations. Since the number of applicants for the first course exceeded the actual space available, the course will be offered again in March. The course announcement will be posted in the very near future. Education with a Gender Perspective The Regional UNESCO Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America has produced materials on "Multimedia environments for quality scientific and technological education from a gender perspective." The materials consist of pedagogical resources to stimulate and renew quality in scientific and technological education at the secondary school level and first years of university. By applying a gender focus on science and technology, the materials can be used: to train teachers (both pre service and in service), as projects in educational centers, to train researchers in science issues, and for seminars or workshops in the area of education, gender, and science and technology. To request a demonstration, advice on developing a project of this nature, or more detailed information on the project's objectives and methodology, see: http://www.catunescomujer.org/red_catedra_eng.htm The J. P. Morgan Chase Foundation At the end of 2003, the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation awarded a significant grant to expand the activities for training human resources through the Educational Portal of the Americas. As a result, new course announcements for professional training opportunities will be announced shortly. IACD/INEAM and ITESM expand teacher training opportunities Having helped over 2,500 teachers of the region in 2003, the IACD through its Institute for Advanced Studies of the Americas (INEAM), and ITESM will be announcing the International Program of Teaching Abilities: Educational Competencies for the 21st Century, and the workshop "Development of Administrative Abilities". The International Program of Teaching Abilities: Educational Competencies for the 21st Century will be offered in early May and will be directed to teachers of any educational level from public or private institutions. Its objective will be to provide teachers with the tools and information and pedagogical competencies demanded by modern education and strengthen their role as facilitators of the learning process through the development of abilities and skills that enrich their teaching practice, including the use of information technology. The nine-month course includes 240 hours of online learning. An introductory course on the use of the educational platform will be offered before the first module. The workshop on Developing Administrative Abilities is directed to school administrators at any level, as well as teachers, educators and coordinators who wish to develop abilities in line with the direction of their educational institution. in response to the need for more prepared leaders with better tools for the new millennium, for leaders with a more integrated educational philosophy and for leaders that are able to instill motivation, better communication and effective relations in their staff, the workshop aims to reinforce the administrative staff's basic abilities and help them develop more updated skills. The workshop is one month in duration (30 hours total), with six modules of 5 hours each. Presentation of "CyberAmerica" The Ibero-American Project for an Information Society "CyberAmerica" was presented on January 28 in Madrid, Spain. The project aspires to create a platform for all things Ibero-American and reinforce the Ibero-American identity by creating a common space for Ibero-Americans to demonstrate their best projects in each of the social areas. It also aspires to strengthen cooperation and increase alliances among Ibero-American entities. The initiative responds to the Final Declaration of the 13th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and of Government that was held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra on November 14-15, 2003, which highlighted the project's advances and approved its conversion to a "Summit Program", entrusting the SECIB with the follow-up and development of juridical and technical matters, as well as the creation of a database of best practices in the area of technical cooperation. Seminar "Leading a Knowledge University: E-Learning Objectives or Strategies for Managing Change" The first module of this seminar was offered last November in Barcelona, Spain. Its objective was to train the highest political representatives and managers of public administration responsible for university policy (including ministers of universities, research, information societies, etc) of Latin America and Europe. The program consists of two modules, the second of which will be offered in Barcelona in March. In addition to these two onsite meetings, a series of online activities will be offered. The seminar's main topic of discussion consisted of placing the university in the Knowledge Society. As a result, the university will not only be able to participate in the contemporary dialogue regarding the role and use of new technologies, but also expand its conceptual horizons for designing strategic visions for training in the future. Within the framework of the agreement signed between the IACD/OAS and Open University of Catalunya, the participants of this first meeting will receive a diploma co-certified by both institutions. http://www.uoc.edu/catedra/unesco/esp/index.html We appreciate your interest and participation in the activities of the Educational Portal of the Americas. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Please send all messages to portal@oas.org. If you have received this message in error and would like to cancel your free subscription, please send a message to portal@oas.org and include "Cancel Newsletter Subscription" in the subject window.