With the motto ‘Without Signal – Post-covid-19 impacts on the electronics industry’ this year the MSC will be held in two different formats: a virtual one, on 5 and 6 May, and a physical one, from 27 to 29 June, with face-to-face activities in different areas of the city of Barcelona open to all publics.
You can now sign up for the activities planned for the virtual MSC in May!
On 5 May, the MSC 2021 will open with the inauguration and presentation of this year’s congress, followed by a roundtable in which the different impacts linked to mining activity, exacerbated by COVID-19, will be presented, by exemplifying specific cases of violations of human, labour and environmental rights seen by local communities, and presenting the concept of responsible mining and its foundations. We will continue with a roundtable in which we will talk about the power of Socially Responsible Public Procurement to influence the improvement of conditions in electronics, presenting the problems represented by the export of minerals to Europe, and sharing good practices of public administrations and organisations to tackle problems in the field of mining and manufacturing. Finally, the challenges faced by workers in the industry, deepened by COVID-19 will be discussed, with emphasis on freedom of association, forced labour, and the hardship suffered by women in terms of exposure to chemicals. The case of Uighur minority workers in China will be discussed in particular.
On 6 May there will be a panel on the illegal trafficking of electronic devices to developing countries, and its effects on local communities. Next, we will present the legislative projects at the EU level on the Right to Repair and the Circular Economy, and discuss different initiatives, both at the governmental and institutional level, to promote the repairability of devices in order to challenge planned obsolescence. We will continue with a panel in which we will discuss the social and environmental impacts of data consumption, including the discriminatory tendency and biases of certain algorithms, the emissions linked to the use of data, and the influence of certain business groups in the trafficking and use of personal data. Finally, space will be given to different social technology initiatives that offer solutions to the new social and environmental challenges we face as a society.
In June, the MSC will move to the public space of the city of Barcelona to deploy in diverse and participatory outdoor activities, depending on the current health situation.
We are committed to a congress that is a space for knowledge, exchange and reflection on ICT, and that is at the service of all members of society in the full range of their sensibilities. We hope to see you there in large numbers!
For a fair electronic model.