Plenary Sessions

Plenary Session #1: Reimagining Sustainability in the 21st Century
Thursday, June 21, 2018 • 10:30am–12:30pm • Location: EMU Ballroom

Panelists will explore the role of communication and media in both promoting and impeding sustainability. They will also discuss the role of various actors, including governments, industry, advocacy organizations, community groups, and the environmental justice movement at the global, national, and local level. Of particular interest will be the practices that move beyond merely sustaining, towards thriving societies and cultures.

Chair: Kerrie Foxwell-Norton, Environmental Impact Committee, IAMCR / School of Humanities, Languages & Social Science, Griffith University (Queensland, Australia)

"Mastering the Art of Communication Amidst Complexities: Towards Achieving Sustainable Development"
Hlamalani Ngwenya, Lecturer
Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, University of Free State, South Africa (Bloemfontein, South Africa)
Ms. Ngwenya is also an International Development Consultant with 25 years of experience in the Food & Nutrition Security, Agriculture and Natural Resources and beyond. Her expertise include agricultural education and training, extension & advisory services, research, Policy, organisational development and Communications for Development.

"Planetary Emergency and Sustainable Democracy: What Can Media & Communication Scholars Do?"
Robert Hackett, Professor of Communication
Simon Fraser University (British Columbia, Canada)
Prof. Hackett has written extensively on media democratization, and journalism as political communication.  His most recent collaborative books include Journalism and Climate Crisis: Public Engagement, Media Alternatives (2017), Expanding Peace Journalism: Comparative and Critical Approaches (2011), and Remaking Media: The Struggle to Democratize Public Communication (2006).

"Reaching and Transcending the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals): From the Assembly Line to the Data Mine"
Jack Linchuan Qiu, Professor
School of Journalism & Communication, University of Hong Kong, China (Shatin, Hong Kong)
Prof. Qiu serves as Director of the C-Centre (Centre for Chinese Media and Comparative Communication Research) and Co-Director of the Centre for Social Innovation Studies. Dr. Qui’s most recent publications include Goodbye iSlave (2016), and World’s Factory in the Information Age (2013).

Plenary Session #2: Global Perspectives: Communication, Populism & Democracy
Friday, June 22, 2018 • 10:30am–12:30pm • Location: EMU Ballroom

Neoliberal policies in western economies have resulted in a deregulated and more globalized world economy. This, in turn, has led to number of contradictions including greater social and economic inequality, the displacement of peoples across the world, and the rise of populist movements. The speakers on this panel will explore the tensions between global forces and renewed assertions of nationalism and will offer critical perspectives on the role of media and technology in both enabling and impeding democratic processes. Finally, the speakers will explore the possibilities for the promotion of human rights and moves toward more progressive politics.

Chair: Nico Carpentier, Professor, Informatics and Media, Uppsala University (Uppsala, Sweden)
"The Role of Media in Glocal Times"
Albana Shala, Chair / Program Coordinator
International Programme for the Development of Communication Council, UNESCO / Free Press Unlimited (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Shala is an expert with more than 15 years of experience in the independent media development field. The ethical use of Internet, safety of journalists and media partners, and privacy issues are among the fundamental challenges of Ms.Shala’s work in conflict and crisis regions. She holds a Master degree in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague.

“Donald Trump, Media Spectacle, and the Crisis of White Male Patriarch”
Douglas Kellner, Professor
Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) (California, United States)
Kellner is currently the George F. Kneller Philosophy of Education Chair in the Division of Social Sciences & Comparative Education. He is author of Television and the Crisis of Democracy (Routledge, 2018), Articulating the Global and the Local: Globalization and Cultural Studies (with Ann Cvetkovich, Routledge, 2018), Media Spectacle and the Crisis of Democracy: Terrorism, War, and Election Battles (Routledge, 2016).

"The Role of Community Radio in the Promotion of Women's Citizenship"
Fatoumata Sow
Université du Sine Saloum ElHadj Ibrahima Niass (Senegal, West Africa)
Sow is a journalist and long-time women's rights activist. Dr. Sow was instrumental in creating a community radio station which addresses the educational and development needs of women in Senegal and broadcasts from their perspective. Sow’s doctoral research focused on how citizens' groups can use radio for civic education.