WAM! 2008 Call for Proposals

Women, Action & the Media:
A Conference for Activists, Journalists & Everyone

MIT’s Stata Center, Cambridge, MA
March 28 - March 30, 2008

We invite you to submit a proposal for a workshop, panel, strategy meeting, digital multimedia presentation, or other conference session. We want to hear your ideas whether you’re a media producer or a PR strategist, a journalist, an activist, an academic, a community organizer, a funder or philanthropist, a “citizen” media watchdog, a media policy advocate, an alternative-network-builder, a blogger, writer, teacher, artist, technology trainer, cartoonist, deejay, (etc!) — we especially encourage proposals from women of color, women under 25 and over 65, low-income women, professionals/producers working in broadcast and online media, and students.

Please send us your session proposals. We encourage you to be creative not only with your proposed topic and content, but in your means of presentation—we’re seeking interactive, provocative, dialogue-rich sessions that might as easily involve multimedia, collaborative projects, skills training or live performance as a panel or standard speaker.

To Submit a Proposal

Please submit a proposal (not more than 500 words) including:

o Presenters’ first and last names (please only propose presenters whose availability to attend has been confirmed)
o Relevant biographical information for each presenter (please be sure to include any information which will help us ensure equitable representation of speakers on the basis of race/ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, degree of physical ability, and age)
o Goal of the session: What are the presenter/organizers goals for producing this session and what do you hope will happen?
o Format of presentation, plus unique features, e.g., equipment needs
o What type of audience your presentation is geared toward. Please be specific as to what you assume people attending your session will already know, what skills or experience they should have, etc.
o Email address
o Mailing address
o Telephone number(s)
o Title of the presentation
Incomplete proposals may not be considered.

Length: 250 to 500 words

Preference will be given to sessions that:
o involve at least 50 percent women of color as presenters or session leaders
o involve low-income women as presenters or session leaders
o involve women under 25 and/or women over 65 as presenters or session leaders
o have a goal of fostering post-conference action or activism by the participants

Formats for presentations may include:
o multimedia/performance - e.g., video, guerrilla theater, etc.
o lecture (must include significant time for q&a)
o workshop (hands-on skill-building)
o strategic planning, collaboration or action/organizing meeting
o panel discussion with moderator (must include significant time for q&a)
o media action brunch (planning for post-conference action)
o combinations of these formats, or other formats entirely!

All sessions should run for 90 minutes.

Timeline and Important Dates:
Proposal submission deadline: 10/12/2007
Notification of acceptance or rejection: 11/9/2007

Please feel free to call us with questions as you prepare your proposals: 617-876-5310. Submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the steering committee. Please send your submission to wam2008@centerfornewwords.org with the subject line WAM!2008 Session Proposal, or mail it to Center for New Words/7 Temple Street/Cambridge, MA 02139/Attn: WAM!2008 Session Proposals. You will receive a confirmation of our receiving your submission within 3 working days.