Contributions from all disciplines that seek to address the ethical and theological issues of communication and digital transformation are invited for a panel to be held at the European Academy of Religion, Bologna, Italy, 22-25 June 2020 (details below).
Proposals for papers should include the name of the presenter, institution, and an abstract of up to 100 words, to be received by 31 December 2019. Please send to Stephen Brown, sbo@wcc-coe.org.
Ethical and theological perspectives on digital transformation
As communication becomes mediated by technology, our understanding of reality and our relationship with society become highly dependent on the way communication and information ecosystems are used, organized and regulated. At one end, processes of digital transformation allow civil society access to means of communication to advocate for their rights and for their voices to be heard. On the other, powerful corporations are able to use digital communication
technologies to develop an unprecedented form of power, at the expense of democracy, freedom, and our human future.
This raises profound ethical issues such as power, justice, equality, participation, sustainable communities, voices from the margins, as well as what it means to be human. How is it possible to envision and work for a communication and information ecosystem based on social justice and principles such as justice, freedom, equality, and solidarity? How can processes of digital transformation enable everyone to fully exercise their human rights, promote justice, and help strengthen a sense of belonging and collective collaboration?
This panel welcomes contributions from all disciplines that seek to address the ethical and theological issues of communication and digital transformation.
This panel is co-organized by the World Council of Churches, the World Association for Christian Communication and the Blanquerna Observatory on Media, Religion and Culture, Barcelona.