The problems we face today regarding climate change, terrorism, pandemics, and deep fractures in world trade and commerce are unlikely to be solved quickly. Where as in the past, we were able to increase food production over a few cropping cycles, or establish income generating ventures in a couple of years, the "new" problems we face may take years, and in the case of climate change, several generations for the world community to resolve. How do we build consensus and muster the altruistic intent of the present generation to consume less, de-escalate conflict, and subject ourselves to medical research so that future generations who will exist long after we are gone may inherit a habitable planet?
The tried and tested methods of agriculture extension, social mobilization, community participation, and multi-lateral negotiation are unlikely to succeed on their own as these systemic problems grow in their severity and people submit to innate human instincts for self-preservation and compete even more keenly for rapidly dwindling natural resources, ratchet-up violence, resist Hippocratic principles to share limited supplies of vaccines and medicines, hoard energy and water, and close markets to international commerce.
We do not have appropriate strategies to begin addressing these "new" and highly complex challenges..At the 2012 edition of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the background report on the global risks our world faces clearly stated that three common, crosscutting observations emerged from the varied groups of experts
consulted:
— Decision-makers need to improve understanding of incentives that will improve collaboration in response to global risks;
— Trust, or lack of trust, is perceived to be a crucial factor in how risks may manifest themselves. In particular, this refers to confidence, or lack thereof, in leaders, in the systems which ensure
public safety and in the tools of communication that are revolutionizing how we share and digest information;
— Communication and information sharing on risks must be improved by introducing greater transparency about uncertainty and conveying it to the public in a meaningful way.
In other words, more and more one considers communication and culture to be crucial to effectively tackle the major problems of today. The challenge for us is to assess the role and importance of Communication and Culture in the new Sustainable Development Goals, especially for the ASEAN region.
We herewith call for papers that outline and assess these future challenges for theory and praxis from a number of inter-related and transdisciplinary perspectives.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSIONS:
1. Abstracts of about 800 words, in English, have to be send to the organizers of the conference at <9cssc9@gmail.com> before 15 July 2015.
2. Panel Proposals are welcome for submission. A minimum of three papers centering on a specific topic will be accepted for submission under Panel Category.
3. Abstracts will be assessed by the scientific committee. Applicants will receive a reply before 15 August 2015.
4. Full papers have to be submitted by 1 October 2015 the latest. Papers submitted must be original and have never been published in any format before. The paper should be of a length of 8000 words maximum.
The submission must be in Word or rtf. format and sent to <9cssc9@gmail.com>
Specific guidelines on formatting will be provided upon request. This is to facilitate compilation of papers for publication and anonymous review.
PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES:
A selection of the best papers will, after peer review, be published
either as special issues in the following academic journals:
– Telematics and Informatics. An Interdisciplinary Journal on the
Social Impacts of New Technologies < http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/703/description#description>
– Asian Social Research ASR. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities of Chiang Mai University http://cmuj.cmu.ac.th
or considered for the following book series:
– Communication, Culture and Change in Asia, Springer Publisher, Singapore
– Communication, Globalization, and Cultural Identity, Lexington Books, Rowman & Littlefield.
MEMBERS OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE include:
Dr. Maria Francesch-Huidobro (City University of Hong Kong)
Prof. Rico Lie (Wageningen University)
Dr. Patchanee Malikhao (Fecund Communication, Hong Kong),
Prof Jan Servaes (City University of Hong Kong),
Prof. Marianne Sison (RMIT Melbourne)
Dr. Song Shi (McGill University, Montreal)
Prof. Jo Tacchi (RMIT Melbourne)
Prof. Chayan Vaddhanaphuti (Chiang Mai University)
Prof. Karin Wilkins (University of Texas at Austin)
Prof. Loes Witteveen
Prof. Rachel E. Khan (University of the Philippines)
PRACTICAL INFORMATION AND UPDATES:
The conference will be hosted by the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) at Chiang Mai University in partnership with the BGreen Project, City University of Hong Kong, Connect4Climate/World Bank, RMIT Melbourne, University of Texas at
Austin, Wageningen University.
Detailed information on fees, access and hotel possibilities will be provided in due time. Please check http://rcsd.soc.cmu.ac.th for regular updates.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Abstracts submission deadline: 15 July 2015 at 9cssc9@gmail.com
Final Paper (Camera-Ready) Submission Deadline: 1 October 2015 at 9cssc9@gmail.com
Early Bird Registration Deadline: 1 November 2015