CIBlend07 - 1st International Workshop on Blending Theory and Practice in Community Informatics. 27-28 November INESC Porto, Porto, Portugal.

WHY A COMMUNITY INFORMATICS WORKSHOP?

The goal of the workshop is to produce a seeding text on relevant current and future issues of CI that will impact research and practice in the near future. We would like to work together and develop an in-depth contribution to the field using our multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral perspectives to establish bridges between theory and practice.

GROUP DOCUMENTATION

It has become something of a 'tradition' to try and document community informatics events as they happen using new online tools (normally a wiki). We have learned that this process needs planning and sufficient allocation of time and we will develop this idea more fully online before the face-to-face event. This documentation will be a combination of blind peer-reviewed articles submitted before the event and the writing we do together at the event.

OUTCOMES

In the first instance the results of the workshop will appear on a wiki, with the intention of a final and peer reviewed product to be published in the Journal of Community Informatics, as well as any individual, peer-reviewed, article-length contributions.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR

The workshop will continue the process that has been undertaken in several events, including the On the Move Community Informatics workshop at Montpellier 2006, the Wiki of 'Big Questions' that was developed at the Prato Conference in 2006, and the Workshop at Open University in 2005. It is likely that further documentation will emerge from the Prato 2007 Community Informatics Conference.

See the past wikis.

THIS EVENT

This time, the whole event (including the online preparations) will be devoted to designing, preparing and carrying out an online group writing session. We are asking people who wish to participate in the workshop to commit themselves to writing at least 2000 words as well as working with, and critiquing others. We also ask that post-face-to-face workshop, you work online to finalise and document the group contribution. You will need a wireless-enabled laptop to participate. The main written language of the conference is English, but if you are prepared to commit yourself to preparing translations in other languages, that would be appreciated.

If you would like to participate in the workshop, please contact Larry Stillman [email protected]. Spaces are limited. You should register your intention to participate (and contribute) by 8 September 2007. You should provide a case or a written description of an issue and expect to create the agenda in situ, where we will select which ones to work on. Then in those few days we'll work on selected cases which will be written up and presented in a wiki. If you do not have a burning idea of your own, but are willing to work with others on selected topics, you are welcome to attend as long as you are committed to this form of work!

Please send a 200-250 word abstract of the issue that you wish to address. If you wish to submit a paper for blind peer review (up to 5000 words) please also send an abstract of that paper.

POSSIBLE TOPICS

Understanding and practising community in community informatics: just what is it?
The practice of community technology and the theory of community technology
Community networks and networking
What does technology mean to communities? Appropriating appropriate technology
Participatory research and practice and community informatics
ICT as tools, spaces and processes for community development and community learning
Social exclusion and community empowerment - the role of ICT?
Gender/ disability/ queer/ multicultural community informatics
The relationship between development informatics and community informatics
Top down, bottom up, or is it a horizontal dance?
Academic disciplines and community informatics: are there any boundaries?
Theory testing in community informatics
Evaluation practice and community informatics
Case studies and stories that describe a burning issue.
The practice and/or theory of change
The economics of community informatics
Is there any difference between social informatics and community informatics?
How do you teach community informatics: to IT students? to community development students? to practitioners? to others?

COSTS, LOCATION, TRAVEL

We will only be asking for a modest contribution towards the cost of food during the days, and there will be some pay-as-you go social events. Accommodation in Porto is modestly priced at the Ibis Porto [http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/ibi/3227/fiche_hotel.shtml]. You should make your own bookings Travel costs, visas, etc. are the participant's responsibility. INESC Porto has an agreement with Hotel IBIS S. João which results in a lower accomodation price. If you are willing to stay there please contact: Ms. Marta Oliveira - [email protected] or +351222094317. We cannot offer financial support for attendance.

INESC Porto is an institution created to act as an interface between the academic world, the world of industry and services, as well as the public administration, in the framework of the Information Technologies, Telecommunications and Electronics (ITT&E). Its activities range from research and development, to technology transfer, consulting and advanced training. (English: http://www2.inescporto.pt/ip-en/about-us)