[Commlist] Call for Chapters: SDG18-Communication for all

*SDG18-Communication for All*

Call for Chapters

Abstracts expected by 10 June 2021 <x-apple-data-detectors://0>

Editors: Jan Servaes and Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u

The 2030 agenda for development or what is known as the Sustainable 
Development Goals (SDGs) is perhaps the most ambitious agenda 
collectively agreed by 193 countries in human history. In 2015, the UN 
Member States adopted the 17 SDGs as a framework that would help address 
the challenges being faced by humanity. From eradicating poverty, ending 
hunger, providing universal access to healthcare and education, 
addressing climate change; to the partnering of individuals, 
philanthropists and nation states to achieve the global goals.

Yet, the framers of the 2030 agenda for development comprising key 
stakeholders from all sectors of all life forgot to dedicate one goal on 
the role of communication in achieving the SDGs. Such an oversight has 
attracted the attention of media and communication scholars alike, 
journalists and policy makers who understand that it is nearly 
impossible to achieve the SDGs without the articulation and embrace of 
the role of communication in development.

The COVID-19 pandemic which struck in 2019 has shown why communication 
is essential to human survival. The Pandemic which started as a health 
crisis and later metamorphosed into a full-blown economic crisis is now 
having a direct and indirect impact on the possibility of achieving each 
of the SDGs. The Financing for Sustainable Development Report 2021 says 
the global economy has experienced the worst recession in 90 years, with 
the most vulnerable segments of societies disproportionately affected. 
An estimated 114 million jobs have been lost, and about 120 million 
people have been plunged back into extreme poverty 
(https://developmentfinance.un.org/ <https://developmentfinance.un.org/>).

A major lesson that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic was the role of 
communication in providing support for the survival of the global 
economy and society as a whole. The global community became more 
attached to the traditional and social media in order to understand the 
nature of the virus, how it spreads and measures needed to curtail the 
spread of the infection.

Social, economic and educational life moved from physical to a now 
universally accepted virtual life style. Key global industries resorted 
to working from home. Virtual meetings by heads of states are now normal 
and remote education from primary to tertiary levels are gaining ground 
by the day.

Following the global lockdown, the resilience needed to survive the 
pandemic largely rested on the shoulders of the available communication 
infrastructure. /Zoom,/ which had an average of 19 million daily users 
in December 2019 now averages 300 million users per day. /Teams, 
/developed as a tool for remote work has 145 million daily users as 
announced by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in April 2021.

A study by the /World Health Organization/ shows rapid increase in 
remote consultation in the healthcare industry especially in UK, France, 
Malta, Germany, Poland, Luxemburg and Austria. Between March and April 
2020, 5.5 million people received consultation from 36,000-56,000 
physicians in France (Richardson et al 2020).  The pandemic also exposed 
major development challenges such as digital inequality. According to 
the UN, COVID-19 has forced the closure of schools in 191 countries 
affecting 1.5 billion students and 63 million primary and secondary 
school teachers (UN News 2020).

Essentially development has become a communication issue and 
communication is a development issue. How could such a vital pillar of 
life be missing in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?

Therefore, we invite high-quality submissions from authors that would 
explore the notion of SDG18 (Communication for All).

Building on the works of Lee and Vargas (2020) and Yusha’u and Servaes 
(2021), we see SDG18 (Communication for all) as inevitable in achieving 
the 2030 Agenda for Development. We welcome critical submissions and 
high-quality research that explore this topic in relation to, but not 
limited to the following:

·SDG18-Communication for all, targets and indicators.

·Role of SDG-18 in the realization of each of the 17 SDGs earlier agreed 
by the UN.

Why the SDGs should be revisited to include SDG18-Communication for all.

Why SDG-18 is essential in post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

·SDG18 and remote working (Work from Home).

·SDG18 and Communication for Development and Social Change.

·SDG18 and the new normal in post-COVID-19 World.

·SDG18 and the World in 2030.

·SDG18 and Fake News.

·SDG18 and the role of mass media in development.

·Role of SDG18 in containing future pandemics.

·SDG18, innovation, technology and entrepreneurship.

·SDG18 and the digital divide.

·SDG18, journalism and news reporting during COVID-19

·SDG18, virtual diplomacy and international relations in post COVID-19 
world.

·SDG18 and vaccine hesitancy.

·SDG18, sports and development.

·SDG18 and the politics of COVID-19 vaccine development and distribution.

·SDG18 and the role of faith in development.

·SDG18 and ‘building back better.

The book is expected to be published as part of the Palgrave Macmillan’s 
SDGs series. Authors should submit 300 words abstract to the editors: 
Jan Servaes ((9freenet9 /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(9freenet9 /at/ gmail.com)>) and 
Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u ((mjyushau /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(mjyushau /at/ gmail.com)>) 
by 10 June 2021 <x-apple-data-detectors://5>. Authors whose abstract 
meet the high-quality criteria would be contacted by 10 July 2021 
<x-apple-data-detectors://6>. Full chapters are expected by 1 
<x-apple-data-detectors://7>^st <x-apple-data-detectors://7> November 
2021 <x-apple-data-detectors://7>. All chapters will go through a peer 
review process. Submitted abstracts must contain the following information:

·Name of author(s).

·Affiliation.

·Email address.

·150 words profile.

·Contact number.

·Corresponding author should be specified where there is more than one 
author.

**

*References*

Lee, P., Vargas, L. (2020). /Expanding Shrinking Communication Spaces/. 
Centre for Communication Rights. Penang, Malaysia. Southbound.

Richardson, E., et al (2020). Keeping What Works: Remote Consultations 
During the COVID-19 Pandemic. /Eurohealth/. 26 (2) 1-4.

UN News (2020). /Startling //D//isparities in //D//igital //L//earning 
//E//merge //A//s COVID-19 spreads: UN //E//ducation //A//gency/. 
Retrieved from https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1062232 
<https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1062232>  01/05/2021.

United Nations, Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development, 
/Financing for Sustainable Development Report 2021/. (New York: United 
Nations, 2021), available from: https://development 
<https://development/> nance.un.org/fsdr2021 <http://nance.un.org/fsdr2021>

Yusha’u, M.J., Servaes, J. (2021). /The Palgrave Handbook of 
International Communication and Sustainable Development. /Palgrave 
Macmillan. Cham.

---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------