International Social and Behavior Change Communication Summit 2021

"While taking on the challenges and unknowns alone is daunting, the opportunities and results when we come together are enormous. Hence, the SBCC Summit 2021."

NOTE: Please note the change of date for the Summit to September 20-24 2021 in Morocco. As the re-planning and new registration processes get underway, we will update this summary to reflect those changes. The Secretariat to the Summit is working on the refund guidelines and options. These include: Roll Over Your Current Registration Fee to 2021; Designate a Substitute; Request a Refund; and Contribute your Registration Fee to Support the Youth Scholarship Fund. Further details will appear at this link.

The original focus for the Summit follows. But please note that, as the world continues to change, the focus of the Summit could also change. We will update the information below accordingly. 

Strength in Diversity is the theme of the third International Social and Behavior Change Communication Summit, which will gather social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) practitioners from around the world September 20-24 2021 in Morocco. Organisers of the event - the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Soul City Institute for Social Justice, Social Change Factory, Digital Green, and Fundación Puntos de Encuentro - hope to create a space for facilitating a collective effort to decrease inequity, improve health, and amplify voices by building informed, engaged, and empowered societies in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The theme of diversity is exemplified in the makeup of the past International SBCC Summits, which have drawn a range of participants from an array of disciplines that make up the field of SBCC, including communication, psychology, anthropology, sociology, media development, neuroscience, behavioural economics, human-centred design, market science, community engagement, participatory media, social marketing, and advocacy. In 2016, the International SBCC Summit brought together the global community of SBCC organisations, practitioners, and researchers to advance the field of behaviour change and celebrate the multidisciplinary nature of the work. In 2018, this momentum continued, as 1,200 participants from 93 countries came together to assess "what works", to advance SBCC as a field, and to accelerate development impact.

The purpose of the 2021 Summit is to strengthen connections across diverse but complementary approaches by asking where we converge, where we diverge, where we stand together, and where we share common purpose. The Summit will do this by:

• Shining a light on trends and innovations, with an eye to how they can accelerate SBCC impact;
• Identifying effective strategies and new lines of action, especially around social inclusion, voice, and participation;
• Creating a platform for debate and discussion and critical review of SBCC programming;
• Advancing research and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) methodologies;
• Building partnerships within the SBCC community and with other development actors for greater collective action;
• Identifying commonalities and points of distinction among different disciplines; and
• Engaging youth to find new and innovative solutions.

The 2021 Summit will be organised around 3 central themes:

1. "Catalyzing transformational change on agendas of urgency" - How can we accelerate change in the interconnected areas of: climate crisis and global heating; gender equality; community engagement and citizen action; health access and equity; and humanitarian action? Within this theme, sessions will focus on:
   • Identifying underpinning catalysts - and barriers - for change: How has SBCC been applied to tackle racial and socioeconomic disparities and broader political influences that impact health and development? How can SBCC foster resilience against the backdrop of emergencies and upheaval? How do dimensions of power and rights impact both the root problems and adoption of solutions?
   • Learning lessons and expanding the boundaries of SBCC: How can we engage with policymakers, donors, governments and other decision makers to better integrate and scale SBCC approaches? What new skill sets, organisational structures, and ways of thinking are needed?
   • Linking SBCC to structural determinants and solutions: What transformations are needed in leadership, at all levels, that can support this connection?
   • Supporting social movements and social justice initiatives: What role does SBCC play in supporting and sparking these movements for positive development outcomes? How do we ensure that those most impacted shape and lead the change?
   • Nurturing new voices for change and building participatory dialogue, particularly young people: How can we ensure that young people, in all their diversity, take a leadership role in agenda-setting? How do we nurture trust, engagement, and true partnership with youth and other marginalised voices?
2. "Future forward" - Sessions will focus on:
   • Understanding and engaging with evolving digital and technological innovations: How can innovations such as augmented and virtual reality be mobilised to enhance our work in immersive storytelling? What are the potentials - or possible pitfalls - of artificial intelligence, 5G, and other technologies on the horizon for building participatory and democratic processes? How can new technologies be leveraged to improve coordination and collaboration?
   • Developing and promoting a code of ethics for the SBCC field: What ethics guide the SBCC field? How can we ensure we are accountable to each other and the communities with whom we work?
   • Identifying new theories, frameworks, and methodologies: How can we ensure we are continually learning and adapting our practices based on evidence? What new methodologies can be used to understand and quantify social impact? How can we share these advances with the SBCC community, policymakers, and development actors more broadly?
   • Countering negative opposition, disinformation, and fake news: How can SBCC build people's ability to access accurate information and build digital literacy to ensure they can identify and dismiss misinformation? What challenges do we face in establishing trust amongst our audiences when we compete in the same media landscape?
3. "Connecting the dots" - What are some ways to further increase collaboration, skills sharing, and capacity building and creative collective action within the field across different sectors, geographies, disciplines, stakeholders (donors, government, academic, practitioners, private sector, networks, etc.), and generations (youth)? Sessions will explore:
   • Optimising our strengths for greater impact: How can we work together as members of a diverse field to set shared agendas that maximise resources and outcomes? How can our collective strength be used to strengthen our "brand" and advocate for increased investment in SBCC?
   • Connecting with new partners: What can we learn from the business and activism models of those engaged in social enterprise for good, as well as social movement and activist networks? How can we advocate for inclusion of SBCC in their strategies? How can we establish partnerships that influence and inspire transformational change?
   • Fostering collective action: How can we best build the supportive tissue that binds us (including the non-traditional actors amongst us) and bolsters joint efforts? What tools do we have to facilitate coordinated action for collective impact? How can we leverage a digital marketplace of tools that support this work?

Click here to learn more about the 2021 Summit.