The first in a series of events and activities investigating and evaluating the implications of new technologies for political participation around the world. New technologies have not only changed the way in which people learn about political events and crises, but have become a part of the way in which political events develop and play themselves out. From the dissidents in China, to East Germans learning about the fall of the Berlin Wall, to reactions to the Russian coup, to the revolt in Indonesia, to the creation of electronic debates for the new Welsh National Assembly, and to the Starr Report and the issues facing the U.S. Presidency, new technologies have been central and powerful forces.