In the opening session of the conference, participants were greeted by Judy C. Pearson, WCA President. Francisco Barahona, rector of the United Nations' University for Peace, spoke to the delegates. He emphasized the importance of communication to the search for world peace and encouraged the World Communication Association to apply for official recognition from the United Nations. The opening session was followed by an opening reception.
Sessions were divided into panels organized around topics or regional issues. Many of the panels were related to global issues or intercultural communication. In addition, there were four President's Panels of competitively chosen papers.
On Monday afternoon, there were six panels. The panel "The Global Classroom: Adapting to a Multicultural World" was chaired by Paula Campbell of the University of San Francisco. The papers in this panel dealt with various issues related to teaching minority or intercultural students or teaching intercultural communication in the United States. Another panel was "Global Values: :Diffusion Theory Examined within the Communication Dissemination Systems of Cinema, Technology, and Public Relations," chaired by Bonita Dostal Neff of Valparaiso University. The University for Peace had a multi-media presentation on the university and its programs. "World Views, Global Values, and Effective Intercultural Communication," chaired by Paul E. Nelson, explored five religions and their influences on as a predominant element of cultural orientation and source of cultural values. The speakers discussed some of the basic tenants of these religions and how they influence their adherents. "The Values Communicated by Television" was sponsored by the University for Peace and chaired by Jack Perella of Perella Communication Services. "Addressing Gender Violence and Women's Empowerment: The Experience of the Interdisciplinary Program on Gender Studies, University of Costa Rica," sponsored by the University of Costa Rica, covered the program's mission and structure and addressed discrimination in Costa Rican society and what can be learned from the program's experiences by universities, practitioners, and policy makers.
On Tuesday morning, "Communication and Global Values: Pedagogical Issues in a Global Village" was chaired by Melissa L. Beall of the University of Northern Iowa. It emphasized the role of distance education. David W. Wright of Illinois State University chaired a session entitled "Global Communication in the Year 2000." The papers in this session discussed necessary communication skills for the 21st century in various settings, including educational, political, and organizational settings. "The Effect and the Problem of Communication Education in Japanese Culture," organized by Ayako Sato of Jissen Women's University, included papers related to various aspects of verbal and nonverbal intercultural communication in Japan. "Verbal Communication and Visual Communication in the Global Village: An Assessment of Similarities, Differences, and Effects," was a panel discussion by faculty members of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. It addressed the relationship between Communication and the visual arts. "The Role of Media in Inculcating Caring Society and Enhancing Family Communication" included papers on the relationships between the mass media and family relationships and communication.
During the lunch break on Tuesday, about 20 of the participants went to visit the campus of the University for Peace (UPAZ). This university, which was founded by the United Nations in 1980, offers master's degrees in such topics and International Relations and Cooperation and Ecology and Peace. It also offers workshops on such topics as consensus building and negotiation. The campus, which is located outside of San Jose, has facilities for classes and workshops, administrative offices, and residential facilities. In addition, it has a sculpture monument dedicated to men and women who have worked for peace, with individual monuments dedicated to such people as Mahatma Gandhi, Yitzhak Rabin, Albert Schweitzer, and Riochi Sasakana.
On Tuesday afternoon, "The Impact of Globalization on Communication" was chaired by Seung-Jin Suh of Hallym University of Korea. "Popular Images of Teachers and Students: Views from Three Cultures," chaired by Stephen M. Ryan of the Osaka Institute of Technology, had three papers on how teachers and the educational system are portrayed in the mass media in Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States. "The Role of Celebrities in the Diffusion of Cultural Values," with William J. Brown of Regent University chairing the session, included papers about such topics as the influence of Oshin in Thailand and the cultural values that Elvis impersonators promote. "Spanish Speaking Program: A Transitional Bilingual Education Program" was a description of the bilingual education program for Spanish-speaking students at Kean University. "Candidate Debates and the Value of Democracy," under the sponsorship of UPAZ, was a roundtable discussion of the role that candidate debates play in the United States and Costa Rica.
Wednesday afternoon, "Communication and Global Values: Communication Research and Cultural Perspectives," chaired by Melissa L. Beall of the University of Northern Iowa, included reports of research related to intercultural communication in academic and medical settings. "Communicating the Value of Democracy--The UPAZ 'Culture of Democracy' Program" described a program for the six Central American countries, initiated by the Presidents of those countries and the United Nations, to promote democracy in those six countries. "Communication Applications of Megatrends Asia," chaired by Linda K. Fuller of Worchester State University, looked at topics related to racism, education, and literature in Asia. "The Internet and Education: Bring the Global Village into the Classroom" looked at the Internet and education in the United States and Costa Rica. "The Right of Reply in Costa Rica" dealt with the effects of a law in Costa Rica which allows anyone who is the subject of an unfavorable news article to reply. Perspectives included those of a judge, an editor, and a scholar.
Thursday afternoon, the panel "Teaching Values in Communication Curriculum: A Global Perspective" explored the question of whether values can be taught from the point of view of an American, a Briton, a Japanese, and a Malaysian. "A Postmodern Account of Communication and Global Values," chaired by Judith Hoover of the University of Western Kentucky, looked at modernist assumptions about leadership values, communication world views, and global cultural transfers from a postmodernist point of view. "Communicating the Value of Caring: Foreign Women Contributing in Costa Rica."
In addition to the panels, participants had various opportunities to learn about various aspects of Costa Rica and its culture. Excursions included a trip to a coffee plantation, a city tour of San Jose, and a trip to the rain forest.
The Closing Session included a discussion of where the next WCA biennial convention should be held in 1999. Closing remarks were made by Sharon Ratliffe, WCA Secretary General and Vice President for North/South America; Ron Applbaum, WCA Past-President, who discussed the concept of the global village and emphasized the role of the study of Communication to mutual understanding and peace; J. Jeffrey Auer, WCA Past-President, who reviewed the history of the World Communication Association from its roots in the Communication Association of the Pacific; Myung-Suk Park, WCA Vice President, Asia-Pacific; and Barbara Monfils, WCA Vice President At-Large. The conference ended with the traditional closing banquet.
Copyright (1997) by Dr. Kenji KItao