We do not see the Internet evolving as a flat network for 7 billion people, equally online without any social structure. Instead we want to create a richer virtual ‘connection landscape' having private, family, sacred and community meeting places - as well as the current Internet ‘market places' and corporate intranets. Cultural identity and ownership, like personal identity and ownership requires privacy and security. Endangered minority cultures deserve protection of their intellectual property rights, just like land rights, against ‘digital colonialism' and cultural piracy, whether bio-piracy or plagiarism. This virtual landscape is completed with common meeting grounds where multi-lingual dialogues are encouraged, shared knowledge and cross-cultural understanding and respect are fostered.

Our vision for 2020 is therefore:

•  The Internet is overlaid with a mosaic of overlapping cultural and ethnic nets . These easy-to-use ‘ Virtual Cultural Networks' support secure distributed communications local content and private cultural resources, accessed by a variety of appropriate devices and channels.

•  Authentication is supported to belong and set the level of participation via cultural processes according to place, birth right, status, initiation rite or by special invitation to trusted outsiders. The solution requires developing a multi-level, multi-faceted access-rights model for communities, groups, families and individuals