Call for Papers
 

This conference aims to encourage and foster efforts of researchers and practitioners by sharing cutting-edge
research, innovations, models, theories and strategies that address issues and challenges related to cultivating
online communities for grassroots democracy, equity and social justice.

This will include research that addresses social justice and equity through the cultivation of progressive and open
online communities of interest, which attempt to realize the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.  In
particular, submission of papers the address the following are encouraged:

Topics for this conference include, but are not limited to:
 

Citizenship

• Unleashing the power of citizens in developing countries to use the Internet to drive their own social & political development agenda

Digital divide:

• Achievement of equity by bridging the digital divide and promoting critical and digital literacies

Participation:

• Provision of effective online platforms for meaningful participation of citizens

Access

• Optimization of wider access to democratic dialogues through successful community cultivation

Community cultivation

• Enhance the benefits of social development interventions through the use of digital, wireless and mobile technologies for cultivating communities to conduct inquiry and socio-political action

Sustainability

• Facilitating sustainable grassroots, bottom up co-created solutions and approaches to leadership, human rights, and civil society development

E-mentoring

• Reports and reflections on the successes and failures of deploying e-mentoring strategies for raising political awareness, civic consciousness and community cultivation

Transference

• North-South, South-South, and public-private partnerships and collaboration for co-creation of online communities

Community Ownership & Strengthening

• Studies of efforts of involving citizens as stakeholders in initiatives to promote democracy, social justice and equity by strengthening their capabilities and promoting their involvement in online communities.

OBJECTIVES:

* To evaluate and build consensus on the most recent scientific data on online community participation/involvement/action for promoting social justice and equity in health and education

* To identify additional research required to maximize the benefits of online community cultivation

* To identify key actions by researchers, policymakers and civil society to collaborate in strengthening human and financial investment in capacity-building, resource mobilization and implementation of a robust online community cultivation agenda
 

The conference will also foster interdisciplinary collaboration with the other IADIS multi-conferences in developing capabilities for online community ecologies for adding value to the discourses and practices of e-democracy, social justice and equity using Web 2.0 approaches/paradigm.

The Conference will be composed of several types of contributions:

• Full Papers – These include mainly accomplished research results and have 8 pages at the maximum (5,000 words).

• Short Papers – These are mostly composed of work in progress reports or fresh developments and have 4 pages
  at maximum (2,500 words).

• Reflection Papers – These might review recent research literature pertaining to a particular problem or
  approach, indicate what the findings suggest, and/or provide a suggestion - with rationale and justification -
  for a different approach or perspective on that problem. Reflection papers might also analyze general trends or
  discuss important issues in topics related to the conference. These have 4 pages at maximum (2,500 words).

• Posters / Demonstrations – These contain implementation information or work-in-progress and have two pages
  at maximum (1,250 words) besides the poster itself (or demonstration) that will be exposed at the conference.

• Tutorials – Tutorials can be proposed by scholars or company representatives. A proposal of maximum 250
  words is expected.

• Invited Talks – These will be made of contributions from well-known scholars and company representatives.
  An abstract will be included in the conference proceedings.

• Panels – Discussions on selected topics will be held. A proposal of maximum 250 words is expected.

• Doctoral Consortium - A Doctoral Consortium will discuss in group, individual projects and on going work of
  PhD students. Prospective students should send a report of their PhD projects and work so far with a maximum
  of 4 pages (2,500 words).

• Corporate Showcases & Exhibitions – The former enables companies to present recent developments and
  applications, inform a large and qualified audience of your future directions and showcase company’s
  noteworthy products and services. There will be a time slot for companies to make their presentation in a room.
  The latter enables companies the opportunity to display its latest offerings of hardware, software, tools, services
  and books, through an exhibit booth. For further details please contact the publicity chair - secretariat@mccsis.org .

This is a blind peer-reviewed conference.

Important Dates:

- Submission Deadline (1st call - extension): 24 May 2010
- Notification to Authors (1st call - extension): 14 June 2010
- Final Camera-Ready Submission and Early Registration (1st call): Until 12 April 2010
- Late Registration (1st call): After 12 April 2010
- Conference: Freiburg, Germany, 26 to 28 July 2010

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