Communication for Social Justice in a Digital Age MANIFESTO

The 'Communication for Social Justice in a Digital Age MANIFESTO' is the result of a September 2021 symposium organized by the World Council of Churches and the World Association for Christian Communication. It argues that while digital technologies offer opportunities for inclusion and advocacy, they are currently marred by monopolies, disinformation, and systemic biases that exacerbate existing social inequities. The document calls for a 'transformative movement' to establish a digital public sphere rooted in human rights, transparency, and equity, specifically highlighting the need for 'digital justice' as an intersectional requirement encompassing gender, climate, and racial justice.

• Digital technologies present a duality of opportunity and risk: they can facilitate inclusion, education, and the advocacy of human rights, but are also used to spread hate, deliberate disinformation, and undermine democratic processes through 'fake news' campaigns.
• The digital landscape is dominated by proprietary platforms and monopolies that monetize user data and time within an 'attention economy,' leading to increased surveillance and the marginalization of users.
• Algorithmic systems often perpetuate colonization, racism, and systemic power imbalances, while the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the marginalization of those who are digitally excluded.
• Digital justice is described as an intersectional necessity that requires the simultaneous pursuit of gender, climate, economic, and racial justice.
• Gender-specific challenges in the digital sphere include pervasive power inequities and an increase in online violence, such as sexualized harassment and trolling, which often silences women and girls.
• The document proposes a set of communication rights, including the right to free expression, privacy, control over personal data, and access to sustainable power sources like solar or wind power to enable digital media.
• The manifesto calls for a 'transformative movement' involving faith communities, governments, and civil society to ensure digital spaces serve the common good rather than corporate or government interests, emphasizing the need for corporate accountability and transparency.

APA

World Association for Christian Communication (2021). Communication for Social Justice in a Digital Age MANIFESTO. https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Communication-for-Social-Justice-in-a-Digital-Age-Manifesto-ENG-Final.pdf

Chicago

World Association for Christian Communication. Communication for Social Justice in a Digital Age MANIFESTO. 2021. https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Communication-for-Social-Justice-in-a-Digital-Age-Manifesto-ENG-Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=World Association for Christian Communication |title=Communication for Social Justice in a Digital Age MANIFESTO |date=21 September 2021 |url=https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Communication-for-Social-Justice-in-a-Digital-Age-Manifesto-ENG-Final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{worldassociationforchristiancommunication2021communication, author = {{World Association for Christian Communication}}, title = {{Communication for Social Justice in a Digital Age MANIFESTO}}, publisher = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Communication-for-Social-Justice-in-a-Digital-Age-Manifesto-ENG-Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }