This year the CIRN conference will be online, and we propose a series of virtual events consisting of keynotes, presentations, and discussions. We hope that this virtual event covers a wide range of themes that reflect the richness and diversity of the fields of Community Informatics, Community Archives, and Development Informatics. We are also interested in climate and environment and their interaction with people and ICTs.
As an outcome, there will be conference proceedings, and selected papers will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Community Informatics in 2022.
We also intend, as soon as it is possible to meet physically, to organise a follow up event in Prato.
We call for contributions for the following themes, that could be individual or multiple virtual sessions, depending on the response. Sessions will be offered at a range of times in support of participants from different time zones. Submissions can be made via the Conftool database. But read the information below first.
The conflict or tensions between the individual and collective use of ICT and the implications for design and security issues.
What are individual and community rights, responsibilities, and responses to the age of data breaches, manipulation, and social, health, environmental and other crises?
Who is left behind from the decision-making processes related to ICTs and information practices and uses?
Data justice and digital equity in the age of COVID.
What have the past two years (or more) shown us? How can communities have influence upon policy, design, and practice;
What will remain of privacy and work-life balance after the last two years of “smart” working? How can we ensure the rights of the digital workforce?
How does the pandemic affect different communities differently? Which existent social divisions might be intensified by measures such as lock-downs and social distancing? How can community informatics support people not only to survive but to live and thrive in a time full of uncertainties?
Action, agency and technology: participatory design at this time.
The (new/emerging) relationship between face-to-face and action at a (mediated) distance.
Has the virtual replaced face-to-face and for what? Has much of our existence in fact become centered around virtual transactions? What has been strengthened? What has been weakened?
What happens when people are forced to interact through particular platforms, and the effects on unimpeded communication? What about surveillance?
The future of hybrid interactions where some are online, some in person. What are the advantages/disadvantages to hybrid setups, who is marginalized, who is enabled or disabled?
Religion, faith, belief.
What is the place of religion, faith, belief & culture in the current digital area in the life of communities?
How do we deal with what can be materially and socially damaging beliefs, fake news, conspiracy theories and so on?
Climate change and environment.
Significant climate and environmental actions and decisions are now made at different levels through generating environmental and ecological data and this continues in the COVID-19 era.
This is particularly important in the international development context, but in developing countries as well What is the relationship with the community informatics agenda?
Can there be a community informatics response to this moment in history?
Is it possible to even think theoretically about this moment? Have all the previous paradigms fallen apart?
What has been the Community Informatics response to date?
You can only submit an abstract via the Conftool database - now open (submissions sent via email will NOT be accepted)
Submissions should be formatted according to the format document
Call for submissions. Now open via the Conftool database. Past users should be able to login with their old password or ask for another. If you have changed emails/jobs you will also need to go in and change contact details. New users: Just create a new account.
30 June 2021 Call closes/notification to follow.
By 30 July 2021 - confirm your participation
15 September 2021 - full papers for refereed track due. If you require a reasonable extension, let us know ahead of time, ok! (notice the revised date)
30 September 2021 - referee reports due
mid-October 2021 - resubmitted papers due (notice the revised date)
15 September 2021 - all other papers and submission forms due (notice the revised date)
8-12 November 2021-Virtual conference
January 2022 - conference proceedings available
2022 Selected papers in a special issue of the Journal of Community Informatics.
Traditional papers full papers (7-10,000 words)
Peer-reviewed / refereed
Non peer-reviewed / non-refereed
Short-papers, presentations, posters, or installations, 3000 words limit /websites/media
PhD paper ( best paper award) 3000 word limit and/or PowerPoint/media presentations.
Completed works and works in progress
Proposals for workshops/panels with a facilitator/chair.
Submissions should be formatted according to the formatting instructions in the guide
As much as possible, interactivity between presenters and participants will be encouraged!! Traditional talking-at is discouraged. Innovate!!
We will seek to organise sessions across time-zones for different parts of the world, while encouraging time-zone hopping.
Participation in the virtual conference is free, but we will be asking everyone to make donations to different charities and causes in different countries, as well as student prizes.