_-- Public Policy Network - Posting to [log in to unmask] --_ Athena Alliance announces “New IT-New Equity-New Economy” -- a conference on inclusion in the digital economy and society.

As America moves into the information age, how can we foster  inclusion in all aspects of the information society?
Will all Americans benefit from the new ways of work and the new ways of governance?
Will all share in the potential for new economic development?
Or will communities-left-behind and communities-at-risk slip further behind?

Athena Alliance is sponsoring a one-day conference and workshop at the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, DC on February 1, 2000 to explore the central issues of inclusion of all Americans in the digital economy and society  issues such as:
What are the financial and educational barriers to inclusion?
Is the changing nature of work and skills leaving people behind  or helping them catch up?
What new forms of governance and intergovernmental cooperation are needed to insure equitable growth?
How can communities promote local economic development in the information economy?
The first part of the conference will be a broad discussion of these issues. We have asked Commerce Secretary William Daley to open the conference. Following the opening remarks will be a roundtable discussion to begin the process of exploring the various aspects of the issue. The initial list of invites to the panel include Dr. Vinton Cerf of MCI, Professor Brad De Long of UC Berkeley, ACENet President June Holley, CWA President Morton Bahr, and Larry Irving, former head of NTIA. One or two more individuals will be invited to join the panel in the near future. We have asked the distinguished journalist, and Chairman of the New America Foundation, James Fallows to serve as moderator.

The heart of the conference is a set of workshops in three areas:
· access to technology and information;
· government and governance; and,
· economic development.

Because of space consideration and the dynamics of small group discussions, each of the three workshops will be limited to approximately 30  35 people each. The workshops will be facilitated by experts in the field: Steven Cisler of Tachyon.Net, Professor Todd M. La Porte of George Mason University and the Delft University of Technology, and Dr. Robert Aktinson of the Progressive Policy Institute. The workshops will be specifically designed to produce a set of next steps for government and the private sector to consider.

Athena Alliance will prepare a report based on the results of the conference and will organize subsequent meetings to continue the discussions and research  and will inform policy makers and opinion leaders about the outcome of the discussion

For more information and on-line registration, see our Website at: www.athenaalliance.org or contact:

Athena Alliance
711 10th Street, SE 
Washington, DC 20003
(202)-547-7064
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Kenan Patrick Jarboe, Ph.D.
Athena Alliance
711 10th Street, SE
Washington, DC  20003
(202) 547-7064
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