Media for People and Planet: Communication and Innovation towards Sustainable Development Goals 2030
16–17 April 2026 | Delhi Metropolitan Education (DME), India
The IAMCR History Section (HIS), the Gender and Communication Section (GEN), and the South Asia Communication Association (SACA) are collaborating with Delhi Metropolitan Education (DME), Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIP), India, for the Information, Communication and News (ICAN8) conference, to be held at DME, India, on 16–17 April 2026.
About the conference
The conference emphasizes multi-stakeholder engagement, encouraging members of the History Section, Gender and Communication Section, academics, representatives of civil society, media and industry, to create discussions and deliberations. Media fraternity will join prominent speakers from the USA, Nigeria, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and China, to name a few, to create discourse on issues of sustainable development, dignity and humanity.
Aligned with the ethics, vision, and institutional standards of IAMCR, event and post-event activities will include plenary sessions, research paper presentations, panel discussions, masterclasses, workshops, industry-academia collaborations, and publications.
Conference Theme
The conference theme “Media for People and Planet” calls for a critical historical examination of the ways in which media systems, communication practices, and technologies have shaped understandings of social justice, and citizenship, development and humanity’s relationship with the natural environment for People & Planet over time.
It also fosters research and discussion on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals especially 5, 10, 16, and 17, by examining the role of media and communications in advancing and sustaining development, equity, and gender equality.
By foregrounding questions of social equity and sustainability, the conference theme closely resonates with the History Section’s long-standing engagement with historical trajectories, perspectives of political economy, moments of continuity, ruptures, and media archives.
The rigorous historical analyses will ensure future-oriented discussions and engagement will underscore the History Section’s vital role in demonstrating the importance of historically informed media research for envisioning more just, people-centred, and environmentally responsible communication futures.
Strengthening Collaboration
The activities will strengthen venues for academic collaborations and interdisciplinary engagement among the different IAMCR Section and Working Groups, expanding participation beyond the main conference.
The History section and Delhi Metropolitan education plan to document immediate critical examinations of media history, journalism practices, and communication rights, which will contribute to scholarship and create a dialectic on media’s role in shaping public discourse in the countries like USA, Nigeria, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan over time.
Participation and Contributions
The History Section and Gender and Communication Section invite their members to participate in the conference and contribute scholarly written papers to an expected special issue of a peer-reviewed journal, and/or a book. The members can submit papers to the conference for in person presentations, or online contributions.
Dr. Wajiha Raza Rizvi, Vice Chair of History Section, has served as a member of the Advisory Board of the ICAN Conferences over time. She, Dr. Carolina Matos, Co-Chair of Gender and Communication Section, and Dr. Anne F. MacLennan, Chair of History Section, will chair sessions, and participate in panel discussions in the 2026 conference. They are considering possibilities for their senior members to chair sessions, or conduct master classes, or workshops online or in person, if attending.
The Gender and Communication Section collaborated with Delhi Metropolitan Education and invited up to 10 members to chair sessions, conduct master classes or workshops at a time at the past ICAN conferences. The Co-Chairs of GEN Section: Dr. Carolina Matos and Patricia Nunez Gomez chaired sessions, participated in panel discussions, and presented papers. Dr. Wajiha Raza Rizvi, former Co-Chair of Gender and Communication Section, chaired sessions, participated in panel discussions and conducted an online workshop Lahore-Delhi Documentary Film Workshop during ICAN5 on July 5, 2022. Together GEN and DME have also organized a number of webinars on International Women's Day over the years.
Members interested in presenting in person, joining online as a session chair, or conducting a masterclass or workshop are warmly encouraged to participate. Their presence will greatly enrich and shape the conference into an impactful and innovative international event.
Paper proposals should be submitted through the conference submission system (link). Those interested in chairing a session, conducting a masterclass or a workshop should contact: wajiharaza@fulbrightmail.org
Key Dates
- 1 Jan - 5 March 2026 - Abstract submissions
- 14-26 March 2026 - Registrations
- 2 April 2026 - Full paper submissions
- 12 April 2026 - Abstract Book
- 12 April 2026 - Soft Publication of Conference Proceedings
- 16-17 April 2026 - Conference
- October-December, 2026 - Editing and Publication in book form