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. Not only should we reach for technology that can be used and appreciated by the widest range of people, but also for means to promote inter-cultural exchange and cross-fertilization among people with diverse backgrounds and needs.

Language barriers, economic hardship, lack of critical mass and other factors have prevented researchers in various areas of the Latin American continent from establishing a professional or academic HCI community and sharing results and experiences with colleagues from other regions.

By the same token, HCI researchers and practitioners from well-established communities have had little opportunity to learn about the work and potential of the Latin American community, especially in view of internationalization and universal accessibility issues.

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.

Still, much work is needed to consolidate the Latin American HCI community and to start reaping on the synergy of cooperation and collaboration among researchers and professionals from countries with so many common needs and cultural traits.

Under the auspices of ACM SIGCHI, researchers from Latin America gathered in the CHI 2001 Development Consortium in Seattle on April 31st and May 1st, 2001. 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).

CLIHC will take place in the marvelous city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its main 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
• to promote further consolidation of a Latin American community in the field of HCI.