Dr. Narcisa Medranda, General Chair of the 1st International Interdisciplinary Congress on Social Sciences (CIICIS 2026), participated on June 4 in the colloquium "Designing Afro-Ecuadorian Futures: Crimes Against Humanity and the UN's Second Decade for People of African Descent," held at the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar.
The academic gathering aimed to strengthen and deepen processes of collective reflection regarding the progress, challenges, barriers, and opportunities facing Afro-descendant populations in Latin America and the Caribbean. It also fostered inter-institutional dialogue on public policies, affirmative action, and mechanisms for historical reparation, racial justice, and structural equity.
Representing the Salesian Polytechnic University, Dr. Medranda participated in the second panel discussion, which focused on the topic of education. She shared the panel with distinguished academics and specialists, including Ana Matarrita McCalla, who holds a degree in Spanish Philology from the University of Costa Rica (Limón Campus); Gisella Chalá Reinoso, who holds a degree in Social Development from the Salesian Polytechnic University (Cuenca Campus); and Francia Jenny Moreno Zapata, an academic at the Simón Bolívar Andean University.
The event fostered an enriching exchange of experiences, knowledge, and perspectives regarding the challenges facing Afro-descendant communities, both in Ecuador and within the broader region. Furthermore, it highlighted the importance of strengthening collaboration among academia, social organizations, and public institutions to promote societies that are more just, inclusive, and equitable.
In this context, CIICIS 2026 reaffirms its commitment to creating spaces for interdisciplinary dialogue that contribute to the critical analysis of contemporary social issues and to the development of proposals aimed at social transformation.
Participation in these types of gatherings is part of the pre-conference activities promoted by CIICIS 2026, an initiative that seeks to consolidate academic cooperation networks and foster discussion on priority topics for the social sciences at both national and international levels.
