We live in a world where our cities and rural areas alike are confronted with unsolved social issues such as rising inequality, abject poverty, forced migrations, land grabbing and the disastrous effect of man made climate change. None of these issues can be approached and met without a common understanding of these main threats facing humanity. Global networks offer the potential of building partnerships for urgent cultural and social change. In reality in many countries we are instead witnessing political and economic elites increasingly dominating the means of communication and the channels that should lead to common understanding, but instead aims to neutralize opposition to their policies

The aim of the conference is then to locate and build networks of researchers and activists to mobilize for new and alternative means of sharing communication for social change