[eccr] CfP: INFORMATION SOCIETY VISIONS AND GOVERNANCE, 5 - 6 - 7 May 2003, Padova, Italy

Title: CfP: INFORMATION SOCIETY VISIONS AND GOVERNANCE, 5 - 6 - 7 May 2003, Padova, Italy

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

INFORMATION SOCIETY VISIONS AND GOVERNANCE:
THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY AND BEYOND

5 ­ 6 - 7 May 2003
Padova, Italy


The European Institute for Communication and Culture (EURICOM), in cooperation with the University of Padua (Padova), will hold a colloquium on the subject of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).


The first stage of the WSIS will take place in Geneva in December 2003. Many issues are at stake in the ³development of a common vision and understanding of the information society² and the process leading to the Summit is raising theoretical concerns as well as crucial political issues in relation to the development of the global governance in the field of communication.

A EURICOM colloquium will take place in Italy, on the 5th, 6th and 7th of May 2003, and will focus on the World Summit process. It will also devote attention to a multiplicity of issues that are connected to changes in societies due to transformations in information and communication technologies. The colloquium will be part of a series of communication-related events.

CONFERENCE THEMES

A number of scientific institutions have already recognized the importance of the Summit for the future of communication and information. but an even wider dialogue among researchers, activists, and academic institutions could contribute to the Summit process while, at the same time, help in broadening the debate and bringing awareness to the public at large. Among the issues and themes that might be subject to further investigation are:

1.

 Historical perspectives
The legacy and relevance of NWICO and the MacBride Report in the current context, and the evolution of thinking about communication rights. Global change in communication: new issues or values at stake?

2. Contending visions of the information society
The visions state, market, and civil society actors are developing as stakeholders in the WSIS process and beyond: competing and/or common visions of the information society?

3. Governance transformations on the global scene
The roles of governments and other actors at local, national, and transnational levels in creating policy frameworks for regulating a global information society, )or information societies?)

4. European visions
Priorities of the European institutions in promoting ideals as well as normative frameworks for the information society, within a regional and global context (and the WSIS process): tensions and/or common interests, main players, expected outcomes Š

5. Prospects for democracy

The promises made about the uses of ICTs to further direct and more participative forms of democratic -governance at local, national, and transnational levels: challenges to be faced

CONFERENCE GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

ß Promote the exchange of opinions and experiences among scholars and researchers aiming at the collection of written works that should be published within the year 2003 and thus contribute to the WSIS process
ß Facilitate the involvement in the information society debate from communication, social and political sciences scholars from the Southern countries of Europe ad well as from other contexts
ß Develop ideas for coordinated international projects with direct reference to the Summit itself (to name some ideas that might be developed: international media analysis, the study of civil society involvement, the role of ICTs in UN summit processes Š)
ß Identify and map out research efforts that refer to the issues dealt with in the Summit and make them resources for other actors involved or interested in the Summit
ß Develop proposals for action, from the academic community, to take part in the construction or de-construction of the ³common vision of the information society² that is expected to be the Summit outcome.

A contribution for young scholars (36 years and under) attending the conference will probably be available, to be confirmed by April 2003.

Deadline for abstract presentation: 15 February 2003
Deadline for final paper presentation: 25 April 2003

Conference coordinators: Claudia Padovani (University of Padova), Andrew Calabrese (University of Colorado at Boulder, and Wainer Lusoli (London School of Economics)

For information and abstract/paper submission:

Claudia Padovani
Dipartimento di Studi Storici e Politici
Università di Padova
+33.049.8274280 (office)
+33.333.2199718 (mobile)
(claudia.padovani /at/ unipd.it)

Wainer Lusoli
London School of Economics
United Kingdom
(W.Lusoli /at/ lse.ac.uk)