Progress in communication and transport technology during the 20^th century has enabled us to overcome geographical boundaries and revolutionize our way of living. The World is now linked to such an extent that a local happening cannot take place without impacting on the international community and vice versa.

Globalization is not just about increasing the worldwide circulation of information and ideas. Economically speaking, it entails an increase in capital flow, transnational investment and international trade, thereby integrating all countries into a single giant world market. In terms of politics, the social, economic or environmental orientation of States is being increasingly determined by regional and international structures.

In terms of Culture, is Globalization an opportunity or a threat ?

Globalization itself is neither positive nor negative: it may be either of them depending on our viewpoint. Nonetheless, Culture in general, and cultural diversity in particular, is facing 3 challenges:

a) Globalization, in its powerful extension of market principles, by highlighting the culture of economically powerful nations, has created new forms of inequality, thereby fostering cultural conflict rather than cultural pluralism.

b) States are increasingly unable to handle on their own the cross-border flow of ideas, images and resources that affect cultural development.

c) The growing divide in literacy (digital and conventional) have made the cultural debates and resources an increasingly élitist monopoly, divorced from the capabilities and interests of more than half the world’s population who are now in danger of cultural and economical exclusion.

• The approximately 6000 languages that exist in the world do not all have the same number of speakers: only 4 % of the languages are used by 96 % of the world population.
• 50 % of the world languages are in danger of extinction.
• 90 % of the world’s languages are not represented on the Internet.
• Some 5 countries monopolize the world cultural industries trade. In the field of cinema, for instance, 88 countries out of 185 in the world have never had their own film production.