"New Media Tools and Human Rights"

On the 26th and 27th of March the Media Communications department of Webster University Geneva will hold it's third annual conference on our campus in Bellevue. This year we will be working in collaboration with the Institute for Media and Global Governance to explore the theme of 'New media tools and human rights'. The conference will feature top notch speakers and practitioners in the field, who will be presenting as well as offering training workshops throughout the two days.

If you wish to attend please register here.

Presentation abstracts and speaker biographies can be found here.

Monday 26th March

8:00 - 9:00 - Registration – Coffee, Croissants and Networking

9:00 - 9:15 - Welcome
Robert Spencer, Director General Webster Geneva
Tammy Rosso, Head Media Communications Geneva
Shireen Lindsey-Hirst and Edward Girdet, Co-Presidents IMGG

9:15 - 9:30 - Opening Remarks
Zoriah Miller, Award winning humanitarian photojournalist

9:30 - 11:00 - “Effects of New Tools” - Panel 1

Keynote
Alma Kadragic, Media Communications professor at the University of Wollongong in Dubai; Journalist and Founding Editor of Middle East Media Educator
“Globalization and Human Rights: New Media, More Truth”

Panel
Betty Sacco German, Psychology professor at Webster Geneva and Jungian Analyst
“New Media, Communication and Psychological Uncertainty in the Net-shaped Episteme"

Jennifer Rieger and Christopher Rubin, Media Communications and Technology professors at Webster St Louis and Co-founders of 963 Collective
“Disruptive Media Tools: Hackers, Crackers and Applejackers”

Don Corrigan, Professor of Media Communications Webster St Louis, co-publisher and editor of Webster-Kirkwood Times and South County Times and award winning College Newspaper Adviser
“McLuhan Warns of Media Amputations: An Appeal to Caution”

Richard Randell, Media Communications and Sociology professor at Webster Geneva
“The New Media Tools of Police, Military and Intelligence Organizations”

Moderator
Dr. Lara Srivastava, Media Communications professor at Webster Geneva and adviser to the World Bank, European Commission and the International Institute of Communications

Q & A Panel Discussion

11:00 - 11:15 - Coffee break

11:15 - 13:00 - Workshops

1. Performance Workshop – Mshai Mwangola -  “Rehearsals for a Revolution”
2. Shujaaz case study – Phyllis Ressler and Rob Burnet – “Creating Public Spheres"
3. Journalists Workshop – “International Journalists in Global Crisis”

13:00 - 14:00 - Lunch and Screening
“How Facebook Changed the World” – BBC Documentary part 1

14:00 - 15:30 - “Transforming and Maintaining Change” - Panel 2

Keynote  
Mshai Mwangola, Research and teaching fellow with the African Leadership Center at Kings College and Chair of the Governing Council of the Kenya Cultural Centre

“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”

Panel
Rebekah Jorgensen, Media Communications professor at Webster Geneva and international producer, director and writer in global filmmaking
“From the Arab Spring to the American Autumn”

Fatma Elshati, Webster Vienna  Media Communications Alum and researcher of African migration patterns
“Social Media in the Arab Spring”

Barbara Trionfi, Media Communications professor at Webster Vienna and senior member of the IPI
“China: The Impact of New Media Tools on the Political Development of a Transitional Society”

Anthony Lowstedt, Media Communications research professor at Webster Vienna and former media consultant for United Nations Development Program and IPI
“Palestine-Isreal Conflict in the Public Sphere”

Moderator
Dr Joe Pirri

Q & A Panel Discussion

15:30 - 16:00 - Drinks and Networking

16:00 - 17:30 - "Media and Changing Democracies" - Panel 3 (Student Panel)

Ludmilla Cesar, Media Communications Junior – “Death by Phone”
Joy Corthesy, Media Communications Freshman – “Al Jazeera Beats BBC on Balance”
Tamir Bensky, Business Freshman – “Boots in the Wire”
Polina Bessonova, Media Communications Junior – “Democracy through Social Media: Russian Case Study”
Elisah Mbiza, International Relations Sophmore - "Egyptian Case Study"

Moderator
Phyllis Ressler, Media Communications and Anthropology professor, Webster Geneva

Q & A Panel DIscussion

17:30 - 18:30 – Apero and Networking
 

Tuesday 27th March

8:00 - 9:00 Registration – Coffee, Croissants and Networking

9:00 - 9:15 Welcome
Ron Daniel, Academic Director, Webster Geneva
Anthony Lowstedt, Research professor, Webster Vienna
Shireen Lindsey-Hirst and Edward Giradet, Co-Presidents IMGG

9:15 - 9:30 - Opening Remarks
Mshai Mwangola, Research and teaching fellow with the African Leadership Center at Kings College and Chair of the Governing Council of the Kenya Cultural Centre

9:30 -11:00 - “Citizen Journalism” - Panel 4

Keynote

Alison Langley, Freelance European based journalist and adjunct professor at Webster Vienna
“Journalism and Ethics: Verifying Sources, a New Media Challenge”

Panel
Vittoria Sacco, Marco Giardina and Katarina Stanoevska, PhD candidates and research assistants at the Academy of Journalism and Media at the University of Neuchatel, paper supervised by Dr. Katarina Stanoevska, professor and chair of new media and journalism at Neuchatel
“Digital Activism on Social Media Platforms: Stories Break the Wires”

Curtis Doebbler, International law professor at Webster Geneva, international human rights lawyer for Nord-Sud XXI and representative for the International-Lawyers.org at the United Nations
“Old and New Media and International Law”

Massoud Akko is a Kurdish journalist from Syria currently living in Norway. He works with the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), which monitors Syrian media freedoms and focuses on journalist safety. Massoud will talk about the state of human rights in Syria and the situation of Syrian journalists and media today. He will describe how young people have become engaged as citizen journalists and his own role in coordinating with foreign and Arabic press.

Moderator
Edward Girardet, Swiss-American humanitarian journalist, writer, producer and author of “Killing the Cranes”

Q & A Panel Discussion

11:00 -11:15 - Coffee break

11:15 -13:00 - Workshops

1. Journalists Workshop – Magda Abu-Fadil and Alison Langley - “Ethics in Journalism”
2. Photo Literacy workshop – Zoriah Miller – "Visual Storytelling"

13:00-14:00 - Lunch and Screening
“How Facebook Changed the World” – BBC Documentary Part 2

14:00-16:00 - “Accredited Journalists Working with New Tools” - Panel 5

Keynote
Zoriah Miller, Award winning photojournalist and war documentary photographer
“Humanitarian Photojournalism”

Panel
Edward Girardet, Swiss-American humanitarian journalist, writer, producer and author of “Killing the Cranes”
"Working With and Without Social Media"

Eric Bouvet, Freelance photographer and photographic campaign leader for MSF, IRCR and MDM, and 5 times World Press Award winner including the Visa D’Or, the Prix Paris-Match and the Bayeux-Calvados
"Counter Attack"

Patrick Vallelian, Journalist and editor for Swiss Hebdo, named Swiss Investigative Journalist of the year in 2011, and Sid Hammouche, Investigative journalist at La Liberte and documentary director
“Web Evolution"

Moderator
Peter Kenny

Q & A Panel Discussion

16:00 Summary remarks:  Mshai Mwangola and Zoriah Miller
16:15 Closing remarks: Tammy Rosso and Shireen Lindsey-Hirst
            
19:00 – Port Gitana Dinner (60 CHF including wine)