The theme "Communication and Community" builds on recent issues related to Arizona's SB-1070

Debates, artistic performances, video presentations, provocative papers, community, engagement, academic workshops, mentoring sessions, international receptions, tequila tasting, side trips to the Grand Canyon and Sedona, and oh so much more, are all part of our forthcoming Phoenix conference. With less than 2 months to go, it's time to make your final plans. Starting with Thursday's opening plenary, featuring Kuon Awan and Diing Arok of the Arizona Lost Boys of Sudan Center to the closing plenary debate among some of most creative thinkers in our field, the conference program represents the most exciting work being done in our discipline. In this Newsletter I focus on the theme sessions but I urge you to explore our conference website to see all of the possibilities, times, and locations.

The conference program includes nine fascinating "theme sessions" that focus directly on “Communication and Community.” Taking advantage of and building on recent issues related to Arizona’s SB-1070, Friday morning’s theme sessions begin with “Communication at Borders,” which illustrates how immigration has shaped public discourse and public policy. This panel brings together professional journalists, scholars, and educators to examine the intersection of news media, journalistic practice, and public debates about immigration in both the United States and Europe.

Another notable session will discuss Occupy Wall Street, one of the largest social movements in recent history which has made unprecedented use of Twitter, Tumblr, and other social networking sites. This Friday noon panel brings together scholars of internet politics and social movements to craft a framework for better understanding social movement organizations in a new media environment.

Another session, scheduled for Sunday morning, looks at disasters – both rapid disasters (e.g., wildfires) and slow-motion disasters (e.g., radiation leaks) –as community events. Panelists from the academic and nonprofit sectors will discuss the role of community in the experience and management of uncertainty during these different types of disasters.

Additional theme sessions will address the topics such as the role of social media in community disasters and its role in making queer communities. Community building across cultures, university-public school partnerships, and building healthy communities are the focus of our other theme sessions. Also note Sunday morning's extended theme session's screening and discussion with the filmmaker and participants of "Precious Knowledge," a documentary film focusing on the highly transformative and recently cancelled Mexican American Studies Program in Tucson, Arizona high schools.

In keeping with ICA tradition, an edited volume focusing on the conference theme will be published. This volume will draw from presentations in divisions, interest groups, and theme sessions.

The deadline for early registration is 4 May, 2012. In our continuing efforts to foster sustainable practices the conference program is available as a mobile app. We encourage members to utilize this option.

My thanks to all the division planners and to Patricia Moy who has done an outstanding job as Conference Theme chair. We all look forward to seeing you in Phoenix. This will be a great conference!