- This MSC23 will take place from the 27th of February to the 4th of March in Barcelona and partially online.
- It will start with an action at the front doors of the Mobile World Congress and then will continue throughout the week, with virtual and face-to-face presentations, as well as a film forum and workshops.
- The 8th edition of the congress will bring together experts from around the world to address human and environmental rights violations that occur in electronics’ value chains, especially in the extraction and manufacturing phases.
- Save your spot and register now!
The Mobile Social Congress was created as an alternative space to the Mobile World Congress, which takes place every year in Barcelona. This year, the talks and workshops will go around how to activate a sustainable and fair electronics model.
The MSC will start next 27th of February at the gates of Fira de Barcelona with a fun and educational action to raise awareness on the effects of the technological industry that are invisible at the MWC.
With this same objective, on the 2nd of March, the MSC will gather experts from all over the world who will discuss the violation of human and environmental rights in the value chains of the technological sector, especially in the phases of extraction and manufacturing. On the 3rd of March, there will be a film forum to reflect on the damage caused by e-waste and how to act on this.
Beyond the space for debate and reflection, the MSC will also have a practical part for all ages. The congress will close the 4th of March with a repair workshop for small electronic devices. On the same day, it will take place an Install Party, a free software installation workshop, as well as an exhibition on about the campaign fair electronics, and children’s games on responsible consumption.
The impacts of the electronics industry
Since 2016, SETEM Catalunya has organized the Mobile Social Congress to encourage reflection and raise awareness about the impacts of electronics’ production and consumption. This industry produces alarming environmental and social impacts on the communities in the Global South, from where the non-renewable minerals essential for the fabrication of electronic devices are extracted. In addition, big brands in this industry outsource manufacturing in the opaque global supply chain and, therefore, in factories where labour, health and safety rights of workers are not respected.
Moreover, as a result of planned obsolescence, this sector generates millions of electronic waste every year, which leads to the pollution of the planet—with unequal impacts on the Global North and South.
A further problem is that data from people who use electronic devices is hosted on servers, whose interests are unknown. In addition, they provide this data to third parties without any control. Capitalism favours the sector being controlled by a few hands while promoting the privatization of knowledge, as is the case with software.
Save your spot and register now!
