Author: Institute for International Communication

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ICM students presenting at ACUNS conference, Coventry University, UK, June 25-27, 2020 – Virtual Conference

James Wheatley, Sara Rabelo-Tacher, Quiana Criales, Natalie Affenita, Hope A. DeVito, Basilio G. Monteiro

Covid-19 have exposed the deep flaws of the structures of all aspects of global society, and now, like all pandemics before, it offers us opportunities to imagine a new world that is more equitable and content. The younger generation impacted by this pandemic will not allow the world to go as usual. Globalization has been a convenient camouflage to lull us into feeling that prosperity is upon us… In fact, it was and is “helicopter-globalization” – which benefited only those with good tele-connectivity and tele-port, regardless of geographical location.

The inevitable challenges of climate change and its disruptive consequences are upon us. Any deliberations about economy, geopolitical relationships without taking into account climate change will be an exercise in futility.

Our students’ presentations are framed in the context of mini-multilateralism, with focus on regional supply chain, while keeping loose connections with larger globalization as demanded. The trust in economy has collapsed. Trust, is a human virtue, and cannot be managed by sophisticated protocols, checks and balances, cannot be technologized. Trust is nurtured in frequent close human proximities, which nurtures familiarity (unrelated to business gatherings).

Parag Khanna in his book Connectography: Maping the Future of Global Civilization states that Connectivity is destiny – and the most connected powers, and people, will win. Climate change is going to change some of that connectography. When he wrote his book, he did not anticipate the COVOD-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, there is a foresight in this thinking and worth paying attention to. He believes there are two main megatrends shaping the world we live in today: urbanization and connectivity, and the precarious of both this pandemic has exacerbated. And, together, they dictate human behavior every bit as much as – maybe even more than – any other force or factor we’ve seen previously.

Connectivity really comes down to the enablement of supply chains, both physical and digital, which are now the conduits of our economies. What we have seen is that – in a very uncoordinated, unsynchronized yet simultaneous decision-making process – billions of people are gravitating toward infrastructure and the supply chains they enable. (https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2018/06/connectography.html).

Here, in our panel we are advocating for regional supply chain, which will have inevitable impact on mitigating economic inequality as corporations need not go around the world foraging for inhumanly cheap labor; regional supply chain with improved regional transportation  modalities will mitigate carbon emissions, and will de-urbanize our glass-cities which increasingly are becoming, given its high density population, incubators for all kinds of epidemics.

We advocate for re-thinking the tourism industry, which is driven by neo-liberal economic impulses and has created sustainability disasters in most part of the planet earth.

The post-pandemic world will grapple with some fundamental questions: Who are we, and how do we relate to each other? Luciano Floridi, one of the leading figures in contemporary philosophy, argues that the explosive developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is changing the answer to these fundamental human questions. As the boundaries between life online and offline break down, and we become seamlessly connected to each other and surrounded by smart, responsive objects, we are all becoming integrated into an “infosphere”. Personas we adopt in social media, for example, feed into our ‘real’ lives so that we begin to live, as Floridi puts in, “onlife”. This metaphysical shift represents nothing less than a “fourth revolution.”

The pandemic and post pandemic living as brought us to the realization that “onlife” defines more and more of our daily activity – the way we shop, work, learn, care for our health, entertain ourselves, conduct our relationships; the way we interact with the worlds of law, finance, and politics; even the way we conduct war. In every department of life, ICTs have become environmental forces which are creating and transforming our realities.

Economist E. F. Schumacher in 1970s, who was an important voice then at the United Nations, advocated an economic model of Small is Beautiful as if People Mattered. May be in this pandemic it is time to dust off his little but perceptive book. He advocated for the end of the excessive consumption, inspired movements such as “buy locally,” Fair Trade, and strongly opposed casino capitalism.

The presentations of the students in this panel are located in this framework. They are the “generation now” thinking radically and eager to grab the opportunity painfully unfolded by COVID-19 and seeking to shape a better world for themselves and the generations to come.

James Wheatley

in his presentation on hyperloop and the future of travel made a compelling case for regional supply chain, without compromising global alliances, as a way to address climate change, income inequality, de-urbanization and particularly to nurture the trust essential in any economic activity. He highlighted the evolving new modes of transportation, particularly the Hyperloop experiment in the Netherlands, to underscore the feasibility of regional supply chain.

Sara Rabelo-Tacher

examined COVID-19 trajectory and argued that in times of global crises, nations must prioritize communication and collaboration in order to overcome the issues together. She paid significant attention to the issues of national pride and the position of countries in the hierarchy of geopolitics, which compels the nations to control the information about the pandemics and thus fudge the essential information in detriment to global community.

Quiana Criales

examined the complex dangers of technology in the post-COVID-19 era. She examined the dangers of a complex system of ICT, threats to national economic system, national security, civility, and call for simplicity. She argued that the multilateral dependency can be fatal in pandemic times as she pointed out that given the accelerated climate change, the frequency of pandemics will be in short cycles. Her analysis of technology capitalism highlighted how the monopolies are significant threats to national security. She underscored that public services and essential resources, specifically within technology sector have become privatized commodities.

Natalie Affenita

in her presentation on Travelers and NOT Tourism she argued that post-COVID-19 world must be different for the sake of the health of the planet earth and it is inhabitants. The global pause imposed by COVID on human movement rejuvenated the environment at the pleasant surprise and satisfaction of all. She clearly distinguished between a traveler, who seeks to know and learn the people and places, versus a tourist, who seeks enjoyment by doing and seeing things packaged by the tourist agents for a given price, without regard for local culture and history. She anticipates the younger generation will develop a wholesome attitude to travel and safeguard the rapidly deteriorating environment.

Hope DeVito

as a vibrant member of “generation now” examined the prospects of Globalization post COVID-19, which led to some poignant questions for further study: what will the global stage look like after this? Will the countries with long standing power find themselves on the backburner while the middle or smaller power countries bounce back faster from the pandemic? How will globalization change? Will it become more digital with knowledge-based economy? Will the easy flow of travel, resources, etc. be the same? How will the rise of new generation affect power and the economy will be seen?

Basilio G. Monteiro

Laura Tommaso (PhD) is Assistant Professor of English at the University of Molise (Italy). Her areas of research encompass media discourse, multimodality, cross-cultural rhetoric, and language by and about older persons. Continue reading “Introducing our new scholar: Dr. Laura Tommaso” →

by Mark Juszczak

I had a suspicion, at the moment, that this might be bigger than I thought. And I also knew I was not alone. So I approached them and asked if them if they were waiting for R42. Not the A train, as in the A train line. But the arrival of the R-42 Subway Car type. Indeed they were. Continue reading “R-42: Not Just a last ride, but the end of a communication era” →

“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” Bruno Latour & The Need for a New Critical Science of ‘Science & Technology’ Symposium

Authors and organizers: Dr. Basilio Monteiro (Director, IICM)
Dr. Natalie Byfield (The Department of Sociology & Anthropology of St. John’s University)

“Who Will Watch the Watchers: Bruno Latour & The Need for a New Critical Science of ‘Science & Technology’,” a jointly organized symposium by the Institute for International Communication and the Department of Sociology & Anthropology housed respectively in the Collins College of Professional Studies and St. John’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, brought together researchers who have different epistemological approaches to the study of contemporary technologies and people’s relationships to those technologies.

Continue reading “#WhoWillWatchtheWatchers? IICM Symposium” →

By Cristina Pérez-Cordón, Ph. D

El idioma navajo es la base del único código militar que fue totalmente imposible descifrar en su época. Es extremadamente complejo, se dice que es imposible de dominar si no lo aprendes desde pequeño. Tiene cuatro tonos, no tiene adjetivos, cuenta con más de cuarenta sonidos vocálicos y consonánticos (frente a los veintidós del español) y una forma totalmente diferente de construir las frases y conjugar los verbos. Estos últimos no solo tienen en cuenta el sujeto, sino también el objeto. Así, el verbo varía en función de las características del objeto en cuestión, que se clasifican hasta en 11 tipos, por ejemplo, “sólido redondo”, “alargado flexible”, “alargado rígido”, “viscoso”, “plano flexible”, “animado”, etc. Esto supone, por ejemplo, que el verbo para sostener un palo es diferente al verbo para sostener una hoja; pero el verbo para sostener barro es el mismo que para sostener una rana (porque ambos son viscosos). Actualmente es la tribu más numerosa de los EE.UU después de los Cherokee.

Continue reading “Algo se muere en el alma cuando una lengua se va” →

by Dr. Basilio Monteiro

As the age of disinformation is overwhelming the average citizen across the globe, one is left to ponder: what is truth? where truth is to be found? The enigmatic Kierkegaard presents himself as the touchstone for inquiry, reflection, deliberation and to make sense of the prevailing instantaneously ubiquitous presence of “disinformation.” Attempts at deliberate disinformation are as old as human history; they have become sophisticated and pernicious with the passing of time.
Scholars from various countries gathered for two days last November at St. John’s University to make sense of the present calamity of disinformation by looking through Kierkegaard’s philosophical musings.

Continue reading “The Age of Disinformation and Kierkegaard at St. John’s University” →

Why did you think it was important to feed the Vincentian mission of the University into a summit that’s about innovation, what was the added value of that? Continue reading “Reflecting on the Vincentian Innovation Summit at St. John’s University: An Interview with Steering Committee Members” →

On Wednesday, April 25, 2018, Ranking Digital Rights launched its new, and third, 2018 Corporate Accountability Index. Long name, sounds like a complicated topic, I know. Why bother reading?

Because this Index addresses an issue that affects you. Continue reading “Ranking Digital Rights as Media Reform: Strategies and Tactics” →

Written by Julia Theilen, graduate student of International Communication at St. John’s University. 

At the closing ceremony of COY13 (the thirteenth Conference of Youth) held prior to the UN climate change conference COP23 (the twenty-third Conference of Parties) in Bonn, Germany, a young woman representing the Pacific Climate Warriors, moved the audience with her metaphorical speech: Continue reading “Impressions of COY13 and the UN Climate Change Conference COP23 in Bonn, Germany” →

Written by Julia Theilen, graduate student of International Communication at St. John’s University. 

On October 19th, 2017, the UN Environment Management Group (EMG) held the third event of its Nexus Dialogues Series, this time taking place in Geneva, Switzerland. The IICM supported UN EMG in communication activities around the event.

Continue reading “IICM engaging with UN EMG at Nexus Dialogue in Geneva, Switzerland” →

On Thursday, October 12th, the Institute for International Communication hosted Ambassador Kai Sauer, Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations, for an engaging guest talk and discussion with students about the United Nations and the changing political thought.

Continue reading “Ambassador Kai Sauer Speaking to Students on: “New International Order. The United Nations and the Changing Political Thought.”” →

 

Interview with Give Me 5! campaign founder Juan Chebly

The Institute for International Communication at St. John’s University is an official partner of the Give Me 5! campaign. In an interview with Juan E. Chebly, we are taking a closer look at the campaign and what it’s about: Continue reading “Introducing IICM partner: Give Me 5!” →