NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS ANNUAL UN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL STUDENT CONFERENCE AT HEADQUARTERS, 6 - 7 MARCH

Press Release

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS ANNUAL UN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL STUDENT CONFERENCE AT HEADQUARTERS, 6 - 7 MARCH

The twenty-first annual United Nations International School/United Nations Student Conference, entitled "Technology & Communications in the Twenty-first Century: Impact on Society", will be held in the General Assembly Hall at Headquarters from 6 to 7 March. The two-day symposium, coordinated by students at the International School, will offer more than 200 students from around the world a unique peek at the future, with experts and technological innovators offering glimpses of cutting-edge technologies and the inevitable implications, good or bad, of those technologies on global society.

The Conference's extensive list of speakers includes: the Vice-President of The Washington Post, Franklin Havlicek; Professor of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Lee Silver; Director, Library and Publications Division, Department of Public Information, United Nations, Angela Kane; Assistant Professor of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Daniel Kammen; Director, Division of Sustainable Development, United Nations, Joke Waller; Author of the The Jobless Future and Professor of Sociology, City University of New York, Stanley Aronowitz; Professor of Clinical Medicine, Cornell University, Dr. Stephen Scheidt; Author of Media Virus, Douglas Rushkoff; Associate Professor of Music and Media, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, Tod Machover; Producer, United Nations CyberSchoolBus, Abouali Farmanfarmaian,; Director of Information Services, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Kirsten Leitner; International Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care, Dr. Devidas Menon; and, of the United States Agency for International Development, Judith Chambers. The Conference will open with the Editor-in-Chief of Scientific American, John Rennie.

The speakers will be addressing, among others, such questions as: Can an economy support the latest life-prolonging innovations in medical technology? Will the burgeoning information technologies create a greater schism between the "haves" and the "have-nots"? Will technology rob our future of much- needed jobs? Can agricultural biotechnology solve the world's food shortage problem? What exactly is the "new" technology for millions living in developing nations? Can we generally engineer our offspring? How can youth today use the media technology of tomorrow to promote a global vision for the future?

- 2 - Note No. 5397 4 March 1997

The annual Conference reinforces the commitment of the International School to promoting global awareness and a spirit of cooperation among youth. With two days of speakers, discussion and debate, students will leave with a broader knowledge of today's technology. That knowledge could help them form a vision of the future that will include improving the quality of life for all in the shared global society.

In 1997, the International School is celebrating its fiftieth year of providing the United Nations community, as well as the community at large, with a truly international education. In grades kindergarten through 12, the unique curriculum leads to the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The school offers excellence in all subject areas and provides a wide range of extracurricular activities, from soccer to Hindi dancing to the annual Conference.

For additional information call Frederika Van Eyndhoven at 212-584-3053, Marian Ferrara at 212-584-3087 or David Evans at 212-584-3025.

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