[Sigiii-l] CfP: Sustainability and Community Technology: What Does this Mean for Community Informatics, Prato Italy 29 Sept-1 Oct 2004

[Michel J. Menou]

Sorry for multiple postings

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Dear Colleague,

The Community Informatics Research Network Inc. (CIRN) calls for papers to
its 2004 Inaugural Conference and Colloquium with the overall theme,
'Sustainability and Community Technology: What Does this Mean for Community
Informatics?, at the Monash Centre, Prato, Italy, 29 September - 1 October,
2004. www.ciresearch.net/prato2004.

The event is meant to provide an opportunity for researchers, practitioners,
and policy makers to present findings and reflect in a convivial atmosphere
on key issues of concern for the future of enabling communities with
Information and Communication Technology (ICT).  It will also be the
founding organisational conference of CIRN.

Further details of the conference will be forthcoming shortly. Please
bookmark the website for updates. CIRN members will receive a conference
discount (see www.ciresearch.net for membership information), and the number
of places available is limited. Please forward this notice to colleagues.

Call for Papers

Papers (full length for blind peer review and discussion or position papers)
from researchers and practitioners are invited. Possible topics include:

.    Defining 'sustainability' in a community technology context: is it an
adequate concept? What are its meanings and how are they relevant?

.    Are there alternate concepts which are more practicable and how are
they linked to the life of communities and community networking?

.    Sustainability and the Digital Divide: Friend or Foe?

.    The political economy of community technology sustainability:
dependency on government, and funders' understanding of
'sustainability'

.    Community Technology Sustainability in different spheres: developed,
developing countries: are     there universal principles?

.    The sustainability criteria of national and international financial
institutions and donors: Explanations and Critiques

.    Indigenous and first nations people and the sustainability of community
networks

.    Gendered technology and the sustainability of community networks.

.    Is there a connection between sustainability and 'social capital'?

.    Time, virtual space, geography and network sustainability

.    Power relationships in networking and their impact on sustainability

.    The policy dimensions (dementia) of sustainability

.    Evaluating 'sustainability'

.    Case studies of 'sustainability' in different community informatics
settings

.    Case studies of the policy frameworks and applications of
'sustainability'

## A special issue of Community Informatics: A Global E-Journal will be
prepared as part of this event and contributors to the event will be
encouraged to submit their papers for either the peer-reviewed or the
commentary section of the journal.

*    Doctoral Colloquium    *

The CIRN Doctoral Colloquium offers PhD students a special forum on 29
September 2004 where they will have a chance to present their research plans
and discuss them with peers and established senior researchers. Interested
students should prepare a 2 page summary of their research. This should
provide a context for the research, describe the methods being used, the
progress to date and expectations and hopes from the colloquium.

Please submit your 2 page application by 1 April 2004 to: Marcus Foth at
m.foth at qut.edu.au

Applicants will be notified of acceptance by 1 June 2004. Successful
applicants will be asked to prepare an 8 page paper on their research by 1
August 2004. For further details please contact the organiser of the CIRN
Doctoral Colloquium, Marcus Foth, at m.foth at qut.edu.au

Key Dates

*    Abstracts of papers (in English only) should be sent as soon as
possible. Please submit abstracts to Professor Michael Gurstein
(gurstein at njit.edu) or Larry Stillman (larrys at vicnet.net.au) by 1 April.
2004.

*    Full Papers (up to 5,000 words, including references) are due 1 August
2004 for blind refereeing via peer review and inclusion in the publication.

This deadline is final if you wish to be included in the publication. Papers
can be in English, French, Italian, German or Spanish. There will be a prize
given for the best refereed paper and a second, for the best paper submitted
by a student (please indicate on your submission whether you are a student).
Position papers (up to 2,500 words) are also welcome and are due by 1 August
2004 if the abstract is accepted.

Research students are particularly encouraged to attend to present
work-in-progress.

*    Interim Conference Committee

Michael Gurstein, New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA
Peter Day, University of Brighton, UK
Don Schauder, Monash University, Australia
Michel Menou, CoVITALC (Virtual Latin American and Caribbean Consortium for
Telecentres Research), Ecuador
Larry Stillman, Monash University, Australia
Scott Robinson, Universidad Metropolitana, México
Graeme Johanson, Monash University, Australia
Wal Taylor, Central Queensland University, Australia
Beris Gwynn, Foundation for Community Development, Australia
Barbara Craig, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
Roger Harris, Roger Harris Associates, Hong Kong
Marcus Foth, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Fiorella de Cindio, Rete Civica di Milano, Italy
Sergei Stafeev , Centre for Community Networking and Information Society
Policy Studies St. Petersburg, CIS
Tom Horan, Information and Technology Institute, Claremont Graduate
University, USA

Conference Host

Centre for Community Networking Research, Monash University

Sponsors include -

Information and Technology Institute, Claremont Graduate University

Further information

Preliminary information about registrations, accommodation etc. can be found
at  www.ciresearch.net/prato2004

Registration will be approximately 150 Euros with CIRN member discounts.

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