CLIHC

Many of the research issues in the agenda for the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) relate to the culture, language and work practices for specific communities. In Latin America, there have been a number of efforts to promote research and development in HCI. Workshops and colloquia on HCI have been organized on a regular basis, particularly in Brazil and Mexico.A small group of Latin American researchers gathered in the CHI 2001 Development Consortium in Seattle. The consortium resulted in various specific projects with the aim of strengthening our community.One of the main actions to be undertaken by the group was the organization of this conference: the Latin American Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (CLIHC, after its acronym in Portuguese and Spanish).Thanks to the hard work of an international team, CLIHC is now a reality. The marvelous city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, provides an incomparable scenario for our conference, whose major goals are:•to provide a forum for the discussion of recent developments and findings at research centers throughout Latin America working on HCI;•to foster communication and collaboration among HCI researchers and professionals from countries in Latin America;•to offer a venue for people interested in internationalization to meet HCI researchers and professionals from Latin American countries; and•to promote further consolidation of a Latin American community in the field of HCI.Top-level keynote speakers and a high-quality technical program are but two of the main components for the success of our conference. Another key ingredient is the active involvement and participation of each of the conference delegates.