Human Communication & Technology Division

This year's theme is Knowledge Societies for All: Media and Communication Strategies. This year's conference (see below for full description) will help establish new insights into the multiple dimensions of the issues and strategies that are related to the 'digital divide' and into barriers to the growth, use and development of information and communication technologies and the media.

We invite the submission of abstracts of 200 to 500 words on a wide range of topics, especially from scholars building experience in the field of communication. We especially look for works in progress from graduate students and new university instructors/professors who are interested in substantial feedback and comments intended to advance their projects. Topics in past years have included papers on new technology and its access, global media perspectives, political economy, journalism, and many more.

We anticipate holding panels in many areas, among them:
-Technology and development
-Media in social issues
-Policy and participation
-Journalism and news

This year JSN will also be making some changes to organization and leadership.

We strongly encourage participation in our business meeting and we need your input to take JSN to its next stage of development. The business meeting will be held at 6:30 on July 24th, location TBA (check announcements board on site for details).

SUBMISSION AND REGISTRATION DATES
Abstracts received by JSN (Rosa Mikeal Martey): March 1, 2006.
Approved Abstracts and Notifications: March 30, 2006 Early Registration Deadline: May 1, 2006 Full Paper Due Date: June 15, 2006

All proposals should include, for all authors: - a 500 word abstract
- title
- name
- institutional address
- email address
Note: No biographical notes or references should be included.

Submissions should be via e-mail to the section chair, Rosa Mikeal Martey at ROSA.MARTEY@COLOSTATE.EDU. Please include submissions as FULL TEXT IN THE BODY OF THE MESSAGE.

See the conference website for deadlines and further conference information.
http://www.aucegypt.edu/conferences/iamcr/main.html

Submissions should be via e-mail to the section chair, Rosa Mikeal Martey at rmikealm@asc.upenn.edu. Please include submissions as full text in the body of the e-mail message.

ABOUT JSN
The Junior Scholars Network http://www.tu-dresden.de/gsn_iamcr/ aims to bring young-at-heart scholars together, to create and maintain lines of communication with researchers internationally, to promote universal values of solidarity, peace, equality and respect, to work on new ideas for research and teaching and to create an umbrella for future projects that are related to the study and analysis of communication.

We are particularly interested in contacting graduate students and young scholars from Africa and South America as well as less privileged areas in Europe and Asia and other under-represented areas of the world.

CONFERENCE THEME:
Knowledge Societies for All: Media and Communication Strategies

This theme is timely and very important because it signals the need to construct a bridge between the growth of knowledge societies in less developed regions, especially since such regions continue to be excluded from many of the benefits of both contributing to and accessing digital sources of information.

This conference will help establish new insights into the multiple dimensions of the issues and strategies that are related to the 'digital divide' and into barriers to the growth, use and development of information and communication technologies and the media. The timing of the conference in July 2006 is very significant because it follows the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia in November 2005.

Plenary speakers and other conference participants will bring critical insights to issues relating to the role of the media and networked communities in contributing to, or challenging, democratic processes in a globalizing world. They will address key issues concerning historical and modern 'knowledge societies', perspectives on the waxing and waning of empires and the role of the media and our means of communication. Debates about media ethics and religious models of communication, global governance in 'knowledge societies' and the role of the media and communication in development will emphasise issues around human rights, gender equality, the obligations of citizens and the responsibilities of governments, the private sector and civil society organizations.

In considering the strategic futures of knowledge societies, an overriding theme for the conference will be that the highest priority must be given to measures aimed at reducing inequalities and injustices of all kinds.