The globalized world in which the new information

society is born cannot procure its security using the same

concepts and structures as last century’s industrial society.

The necessary reformulation must finally do away with

reactive, basically repressive security and give way to

preventive security with culture and coexistence as

indispensable vectors.

“Security is a common good and an indispensable

factor in progress, development and freedom”. None of those

attending the Dialogue on promoting coexistence and

security in the information society disagreed with these

words. By way of an irrefutable axiom, these words headed

the presentation made by the Councilor of the Department of

the Interior of the Catalan Government, Monserrat Tura, in

the inaugural session, as well as the Declaration of Barcelona

approved in the closing session of the Dialogue.

After this unanimous starting point, the Dialogue

dealt with the various conceptions of security and how to

promote it in a new globalized world. The so-called new

technologies are transforming the industrial society of this

century into what is called the information society. This new

globalized world offers new opportunities but, at the same

time, poses new challenges and perils if, as Marcel A.

Boisard, Director General of UNITAR, said, “security is a

taboo issue”. At least in this Dialogue, that premise was not

true.

do away with – get rid of or to destroy

Internet: http://www.barcelona2004.org (with adaptations)