In recent years the internet and other network technologies have emerged as a central issue for development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

They have shown their potential to increase productivity and competitiveness in the economy, to create new ways to deliver education and health services, and to be driving forces for the modernisation of the provision of public services.

This book examines some of the key unanswered questions:

Will the internet in Latin America and the Caribbean remain open over the next ten years? Will online surveillance increasingly challenge individual privacy? Will open data, social media and new forms of participation improve democracy in the region? Will we be able to harness the collaborative potential of the internet to create more socially meaningful and sustainable economies? Will digital education, science and creativity flourish in the region, reflecting the diversity and culture of its people?

The answers to these questions will be central to determining whether or not the internet will effectively contribute to a more open and developed society in our corner of the world.

The book builds on a seminar, "Open Development: Exploring the future of the information society in Latin America and the Caribbean," held in Montevideo on 2-3 April 2013. Organised by Fundacion Comunica and IDRC, and held alongside the "Fourth Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean," the seminar was an opportunity to reflect on the direction of the changes happening in the region, to bring new themes to the table and to explore how they can better be addressed in regional efforts.

The 25 chapters in the book include the reflections of many of the region's leading experts in the area. Rather than present a single consolidated perspective, the authors dive into the issues, explore new ways to frame the problems and seek new solutions. Despite the considerable diversity, the book highlights many emerging points of agreement about new opportunities and challenges for the information society in the region.

En los ultimos anos la internet y otras tecnologias de red se han convertido en un asunto central para el desarrollo de America Latina y el Caribe. Han demostrado su capacidad de aumentar la productividad y la competitividad de las economias, crear nuevas formas de ofrecer servicios de educacion y salud, y funcionar como fuerzas impulsoras para la modernizacion de la prestacion de servicios publicos.

Este libro examina algunas de las preguntas claves: Internet continuara siendo abierta durante la proxima decada? La vigilancia en linea desafiara cada vez mas la privacidad individual? Los datos abiertos, las redes sociales y las nuevas formas de participacion, mejoraran la democracia en la region? Seremos capaces de aprovechar las posibilidades de colaboracion que ofrece internet para crear economias socialmente mas significativas y sostenibles? La educacion digital, la ciencia y la creatividad, prosperaran en ALC y reflejaran la diversidad cultural de sus pueblos?

Las respuestas a estas preguntas seran claves a la hora de determinar si internet efectivamente contribuira a la creacion de una sociedad mas abierta y desarrollada en nuestro rincon del mundo.

Este libro continua los debates que se desarrollaron durante el seminario "Desarrollo Abierto: Explorando el futuro de la sociedad de la informacion en America Latina y el Caribe," que tuvo lugar en Montevideo el 2 y 3 de abril de 2013. Organizado por Fundacion Comunica y el Centro Internacional de Investigacion para el Desarrollo (IDRC) en el marco de la "Cuarta Conferencia Ministerial sobre la Sociedad de la Informacion en America Latina y el Caribe," el seminario ofrecio una oportunidad para reflexionar sobre la direccion de los cambios ocurridos en la region y los nuevos temas que estan sobre el tapete, analizando como se pueden tratar mejor desde las iniciativas regionales.

Los 25 capitulos del libro presentan una serie de reflexiones y perspectivas de muchos de los expertos de la region en esos temas. Mas que ofrecer una perspectiva consolidada, los autores se sumergen en los temas e indagan nuevas maneras de enmarcar los problemas, a la vez que buscan soluciones novedosas. A pesar de la considerable diversidad, el libro pone de relieve las numerosas concordancias emergentes en cuestiones relativas a las nuevas oportunidades y desafios para la sociedad de la informacion en la region.

This book is a primer on media governance at a global level and the key influencing forces and organizations, such as ITU, WTO, UNESCO, WIPO, and ICANN. Governance oversees regulation, and questions addressed here include: Why do we regulate the various media at all? What currently are the major forms of global regulation, and how do they work? Who participates in, and who benefits from, media regulatory and governance structures? And what are the trends? Anyone interested in the media and its progressively rising influence over so many dimensions of society will sooner or later find themselves confronted with these questions. This book does not pretend to answer all the questions, but it raises key ones and points in directions where more complete answers can be found. Published in cooperation with UNRISD.