Shillong, Dec 12: Mr Tathagata Roy, Governor of Meghalaya today inaugurated the first International Shillong Communication Conference 2019 organized by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, English and Foreign Languages University, Shillong Campus at Shillong. The theme of the Conference is “Narrative, Voices and Representation for Social Change in Communities”
The inaugural programme was also attended by Prof. S. K. Srivatava, Vice Chancellor, NEHU, Prof. T.K. Bamon, Director In-charge, English and Foreign Languages, Shillong Campus among others.
In his inaugural address, Shri Roy said that the conference give a platform where participants could discuss, deliberate and brainstorm on the kind of voices that can change the narrative in a desired and directed positive change among communities.
The Governor also expressed hope that the Conference will focus on the critical dimensions of the two-way nature of communication, during which people and communities come together to dialogue and sharing ideas based on the communication processes that are carried out within the communities from India and Southeast Asia.
He also stated that the messages that originate from the communities are the outputs of the communication process that communities undergo. Communication for social change builds upon such indigenous knowledge and traditions, basing the communication process of the societal realities in communities, he added.
Earlier, Dr. Ravindra Kumar Vemula, HoD, Journalism and Mass Communication Department in his speech said that the Journalism and Mass Communication Department aims to become a nodal centre for communication research and studies in the North East India and the first Shillong International Communication Conference is a small step towards it. The Conference brings together the communication and practitioners of the region including the delegates from Israel, Bangladesh and Srilanka, he added.
The main topics for the Conference are Participatory Video as a tool for Community Development, Community Radio Platform to promote voice and Culture, Use of medicine in Health Care-Emerging Social Responsibilities, the relevance of Rabindranath Tagore and Paulo Freire for Participatory Communication, Contribution of Traditional Medicine towards Primary healthcare in Meghalaya, Green Hub Project.
Leveraging the power of youth in Conservation Action through the use of the Visual Medium in North East Region of India, Agency and Autonomy: Reflecting on the beginnings of the Communication and development field, Addressing concerns in mother and child nutrition: Poshan Abhiyaan and Social Change.
