UNESCO and the knowledge society

I am currently researching UNESCO policy on the knowledge society. UNESCO promotes the development of knowledge societies as the key to sustainable development in a globalised world.

I'm keen to explore how UNESCO conceptualises the knowledge society, what we can learn about our understanding of what knowledge is and how it can be applied within different cultural contexts. I'm interested in the role of indigenous knowledge and culture within UNESCO's vision. Will the knowledge society reflect diverse cultures and social practices? How can knowledge and culture be nurtured within this framework rather than appropriated and commodified?

I'm working my way through one of the key documents - Towards Knowledge Societies - which fleshes out UNESCO's vision with more human, ethical depth than some of the techno-euphoria of prominant information society utopians.