[Commlist] Call for Abstracts Reminder: “Communicating Narratives, Imaginaries and Epistemes of Hope” Conference

This is a reminder regarding abstract submissions for the conference
‘Communicating Narratives, Imaginaries and Epistemes of Hope,’ to be
held on 7 September 2026 in Prague.

This is a joint Communication, Social Justice and Democracy IAMCR
Working Group conference & ECREA 2026 pre-conference, endorsed by the
International and Intercultural Communication ECREA section.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 10 May 2026.

You may find more information in the text below.

____________________________

Conference “Communicating narratives, imaginaries and epistemes of hope”

Joint Communication, Social Justice and Democracy IAMCR Working Group
conference & ECREA 2026 pre-conference

7 September 2026, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Call for contributions
Political ideology, religious faith, science and art are all informed
by visions of hope, the promise or prospect of a good state of affairs
in the future. While hope is shaped by ideas of the present (and the
past), it is mainly forward-looking, articulating visions of possible
futures.

Hope can be a powerful motivator for mobilisation and societal change.
At the same time, aspirations for a better future may be
instrumentalised or manipulated for political gain or financial
profit. This conference focuses on the constructive force of hope,
addressing visions, discourses, and practices of hope for democracy,
peace and justice, as articulated in media representations and
communicative practices.

By focusing on hope, the conference aims to foster intellectual
reflection and dialogue, through diverse approaches and methods, on
how spaces, practices, cultures, and technologies of communication can
give visibility to or help articulate claims and inform struggles for
fairer societies, dignity, and freedom.

A wide range of settings, fields and practices may serve as objects or
loci of study (e.g., journalism, political communication, campaigning,
activism, popular culture, art, history, education, religion),
exploring how hope is represented, negotiated, rearticulated and
performed by actors and groups in the social realm.

We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following
thematic areas:

· how societal phenomena, challenges, and crises (e.g., climate
change, migration, war and conflict, extremism) are mediated and
reconfigured through narratives of hope at national and international
levels;

· how different actors, social groups, and institutions (e.g.,
media, political parties, education, religion, art) negotiate their
visions of hope in mediated environments;

· how visions of peace and justice are communicated in public
discourse and through people’s struggles;

· how history is mobilised in communicative practices and public
debates in articulations of better presents and futures;

· how space, time and technology inform narratives and
imaginaries of hope;

· how imaginaries of hope are constructed in contexts of
persistent curtailment of freedoms and rights, and increasing
authoritarianism;

· how viable democratic presents and futures are imagined, under
dire conditions of ongoing conflict, violence, or war;

· how struggles against injustice, oppression and
authoritarianism inform, and are informed by, cultures and epistemes
of hope.


Abstract length and submission deadline

Abstracts of 400–500 words should be submitted by 10 May 2026 via
email to (vaia.doudaki /at/ fsv.cuni.cz)

Please note that this conference will be held in person only; no
arrangements will be made for online participation.

Decisions will be announced by 10 June 2026.

Date and location

Date: 7 September 2026
Location: Centrum Voršilská, 5th floor, Charles University /
Voršilská 144/1, Prague, Czech Republic

The conference is scheduled for the day before the ECREA 2026 main
conference begins. Brno, the host city of this year’s ECREA
conference, is approximately a 2.5–3 hour train ride from Prague, with
very frequent connections.

Conference organisers

This is a joint Communication, Social Justice and Democracy IAMCR
working group conference & ECREA 2026 pre-conference.

The conference is endorsed by the International and Intercultural
Communication ECREA section, and is hosted by the Culture and
Communication Research Centre (CULCORC) @ the Institute of
Communication Studies and Journalism(ICSJ) (Charles University)


Contact: Vaia Doudaki, (vaia.doudaki /at/ fsv.cuni.cz)


Scientific Committee
Vaia Doudaki (Charles University, Czech Republic)
Nico Carpentier (Charles University, Czech Republic)
Ilija Tomanić Trivundža (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Andrea Medrado (University of Exeter, UK)
Fernando Oliveira Paulino (University of Brasilia, Brazil)
Tania Cantrell Rosas-Moreno (Loyola University Maryland, United States)

For more information:
https://iksz.fsv.cuni.cz/en/research/conferences/communicating-narratives-imaginaries-and-epistemes-hope


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