We are very happy to start revealing the first names of the participants of Decidim Fest 2021, Democracy, Technology and Global Justice which will take place on 20, 21 and 22 October in a hybrid format combining face-to-face activities at the Canòdrom – Ateneu d’Innovació Digital i Democràtica de Barcelona, and online sessions. 🔊.
The aim of Decidim Fest continues to be to promote knowledge exchange, networking and debate between members of the community and local and international actors working for a stronger democracy. Joining the debate this year will be:
- Lorena Jaume Palasí (Spain / Berlin), founder of The Ethical Tech Society, a non-profit organisation that researches automation and digitalisation processes in relation to their social relevance, who will share her ideas on algorithmic justice.
- Joana Moll (Catalonia), artist and researcher, explores how technocapitalism narratives affect the literacy of machines, humans and ecosystems. For Decidim Fest she will talk about her latest research exploring technology’s impact on climate change and biodiversity.
- Anasuya Sengupta (India / UK), with over 20 years working to amplify marginalised voices in the virtual and physical worlds with Whose Knowledge?, a global multilingual campaign to centre the knowledge of marginalised communities online. An expert on Digital Decolonialism.
- Paola Ricaurte (Mexico), associate research professor in the Department of Media and Digital Culture at Tecnológico de Monterrey and research associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, works on different projects to promote reflection on data colonialism from the global south. She will address data extractivism and the violence it entails.
- Ernesto Oroza (Cuba / France), this Cuban artist based in France has been interested in the architectures of necessity, technological disobedience and other themes that link design and society in times of economic and political crisis. His research on how the scarcity experienced in Cuba during the so-called “special period” turned it into an island of hackers is an astonishing snapshot of what happens in a society in the face of material collapse.
- Joan Donovan (US) leads the field of internet and technology studies, online extremism, media manipulation and disinformation campaigns. At Decidim Fest, she will give a presentation on the health of the Internet and the importance of free and democratic digital infrastructures.
- McKenzie Wark (Australia / US), Australian writer and academic, has studied media theory, critical theory, new media and the Situationist International extensively. She is the author of a dozen books translated into a dozen languages. The two available in Spanish are The Hacker Manifesto and Capital is Dead. She teaches media studies at the New School in New York. At Decidim Fest, she will address the key issues of the current situation between society and technology and the ways of political action to get out of this situation.
- Oliver Escobar (Spain / Scotland), writer and Professor of Political Science at the University of Edinburgh, where he also directs the Democratic Innovation Area of the Edinburgh Futures Institute and is Co-Director of CRITIQUE (Centre for Ethics and Critical Thought). He has led several research programmes, including the What Works Scotland (administration reform, democratic governance and public services), Smart Urban Intermediaries (urban policy, social innovation and smart cities) and Distant Voices (re/integration and social justice) projects. His work focuses on new governance, citizen participation and democratic innovation. At Decidim Fest he will speak about Climate Justice and will bring his experience in the Scottish Climate Assembly, a particularly exemplary process that also relied on digital technologies.
This year’s hybrid format will consist of face-to-face sessions at the Canòdrom in Barcelona, and online sessions in which the speakers will connect from their respective places in the world to answer questions from the audience. Beforehand, they will have recorded a video of their presentation, which will be available for viewing one week before the festival.
Soon we’ll unveil the rest of the keynote speakers and those selected from the Open Call, so stay tuned to this space for more information meta.decidim.org !
Decidim Fest is free and open to everyone. Once the full programme is announced, we will open registration.