Felipe Chibas Ortiz
Associate Professor of the University of São Paulo (USP), International Co-leader of Innovation Group of UNESCO MIL ALLIANCE
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Pillars for the Media and Information Literacy(MIL)Cities Paradigm: The futures of the urban spaces
Abstract:
In the framework of the Media and Information Literacy event named “TELL.ME: First International Symposium on Biographical Narratives in Media and Information Literacy Cities” that which will take place on June 14, 2024, at the Ilha Verde campus of from the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in Macau, we will present the main concepts of the Media and Information Literacy approach as well as its evolution into the MIL Cities paradigm. The MIL Cities initiative was launched by UNESCO in 2018 as an evolution of the concepts of smart cities, sustainable cities, educational cities, etc. This multidisciplinary concept places the citizen at the center in all their diversities. Innovation and artificial intelligence are implemented but starting from another vision that is not just technological. The concept of MIL Cities and MIL University Cities, the System of 13 indicators and 252 metrics of this paradigm, the curriculum of MIL competencies and values according to UNESCO, the Methodology of the 20 Cultural Barriers to Communication were briefly shown and experiences and good practices were commented on. in MIL Cities in several countries that aspire to join this global UNESCO network.
Keywords: UNESCO, MIL Cities, Smart Cities, Media and Information Literacy
Cyril Jerome Law, Jr.
Dean of the Faculty of Religious Studies and Philosophy
University of Saint Joseph Macao (USJ),
Macao S.A.R, China
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Personal Story and Public Identity as Axis of Value Response – Lessons on Literacy and Morality from John Henry Newman (1801 – 1890) and Ma XiangBo (1840-1939)
Abstract:
In the hype of multi-/inter-disciplinarity, is the voice or voices of theistic religions and the attendant philosophical moral awareness (etymologically better rendered as conscientização in Portuguese) still meant to be heard? Can classical tales of saints and sinners remain part of the canon of public literacy? How existential is the threat of “organised religions” or otherwise established ecclesiastical structures posed to society when they are being accused of attempting to fight proxy crusades against humanitarian enlightenment under the guise of religious literature? Are tenets propounded by scholars like Gavin D’Costa in Theology and the Public Square (2005) to be politely bracketed when discussing perennial values? Values that responsible media strive to propagate, particularly the value of human dignity eulogised by the life exemplars of great figures in times of existential crises of whatever magnitude. With these questions in mind, this lecture will hearken back to the stories of two “grandees” in the Roman Catholic tradition who left their marks on the pages of the development of modern English and Chinese literacy. Newman’s Apologia pro vita sua is just but one of the tactical devises for his defence of creedal integrity, while Ma Xiangbo engaged in catholicising the Chinese national ethos through educational literacy for close to half a century. We shall phenomenologically draw inspirations from their parallel vision and experience on what lends power to the medium of words and deeds in shaping informed public conscience in regard to the core values of truth, good, and beauty.
Keywords: John Henry Newman, Ma Xiangbo, values, media, literacy, morality
Stephen Morgan
Rector,
University of Saint Joseph Macao (USJ),
Macao S.A.R, China
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Stories and histories – taking personal stories seriously
Abstract:
Accounts of events, whether reportage, history or myth, are inseparable from the stories of those giving the account. This paper will look at the relationship between personal stories, journalism and history, suggesting that only an approach that includes individual stories, prosopographical detail and objective data can provide the “thick” retelling of events necessary to give a satisfactory account of events described, remembered or imagined. The argument will be illustrated by reference to three historical figures: John Henry Newman, Charles de Gaulle and Antonio Salazar
Keywords: history, myth, story, biography, prosopography, namierite, de Gaulle, Newman, Salazar
António Carvalho Maneira
Assistant Professor,
IADE – European University (EU),
Lisbon, Portugal
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Enhancing Digital Literacy with Students’ Digital Storytelling Projects
Abstract:
The increasing integration of information and communication technologies in various professional and personal spheres requires the development of new competencies and attitudes for active and participative citizenship. This presentation focuses on the educational potential of digital storytelling to foster inclusive digital literacy by exploring a teaching and learning model that is pivotal to students’ active engagement in creating and discussing interactive media. We aim to show the cognitive and educational relevance of digital technologies that allow students to focus on short stories that relate to their personal life or their most dear subjects. The main idea is to update digital personal narratives and show how important it may be to teach students from different areas of knowledge how to create media that may mirror the complexity of reality in the eyes of the subject. The connections between video games, cinema, and geo-localized information will relate to different skills proposed for the future.
Furthermore, we will show some results of previous research and examples of different artefacts created by students in different formal learning environments. Some examples are from undergraduate courses at the University of Texas at Austin, USA, European University, the University of Lisbon, and Lusíada University in Portugal. The goal was to encourage students and professors to explore the potential and efficacy of the proposed educational model and authoring tools to support metacognitive skills and attitudes essential for information structuring and management, storytelling, and communication in the digital age.
Keywords: design-based research, digital storytelling, active learning, interactive media, digital literacy
Pedro Alves da Veiga
Digital Media Artist, Assistant Professor at Aberta University,
Lisbon, Portugal
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BioFlux
Abstract:
BioFlux is an innovative video artwork that employs generative techniques to explore and deconstruct biographical narratives. This piece departs from personal interviews, weaving them into a seamless and dynamic stream of human experiences, transporting them into parallel worlds where different outcomes and plot lines may (be)come true. By harnessing a generative art approach, BioFlux disassembles individual stories, reconfiguring and intertwining them into a fluid, ever-evolving narrative tapestry. The resulting composition is a living, breathing video flux that transcends traditional storytelling, offering viewers a contemplative and surreal – yet profoundly human – journey through identity’s multifaceted and interconnected nature. BioFlux invites the audience to reflect on the complexity of personal histories and the shared threads that bind us all, revealing the profound interdependencies within our collective narrative.
Keywords: Generative video-art, creative narrative, human identity
Institutional Speaker
Adérito Fernandes-Marcos
Dean of the Doctoral School,
University of Saint Joseph Macao (USJ),
Macao S.A.R, China
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