All entries for Tuesday 20 May 2008

Gilberto Gil on digital culture

Writing about web page http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/05/19/gilberto-gils-t.html

Joi Ito points to a really interesting speech from Brazilian cultural minister Gilberto Gil (yes, that Gilberto Gil – how cool is that) on the impact of digital tech on culture and the potential for transformation.

Interestingly Gil firmly believes that this is inherently a political issue rather than solely cultural.

we have not only to humanize, but also politicize these technologies, which means thoroughly discuss them and make them available to society and every citizen. Regulations should be there to insure freedom and open access to knowledge, not just for “business as usual” purposes.

It is an interesting perspective. The challenge is clearly set in a cultural/arts/community context but there obvious implications for the social contract between Universities and the communities that sustain them.

Tom Abbott : 20 May 2008 09:44 |  Tags: Culture Digital |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem