SBCC Summit

25/06/2026

The best part of the Exhibition Hall? It's not the swag (okay, the swag is amazing), it's the people. 🙌

Your next collaborator, your next mentor, your next big opportunity is waiting for you. Come be part of it.

--

¿Lo mejor del pabellón de exposiciones de la ? No son los regalos promocionales (bueno, la verdad es que son increíbles), sino la gente. 🙌

Tu próximo colaborador, tu próximo mentor, tu próxima gran oportunidad te están esperando. Ven y forma parte de ello.

25/06/2026

24/06/2026

Don't miss Panamanian icon Rubén Blades in conversation with Carlos Chirinos Ph.D at 4 p.m. Panama time for a discussion at the on storytelling, culture, and social change.

Blades will reflect on the power of storytelling, culture and music to shape public understanding, strengthen communities and inspire social change.

Watch the livestream: https://bit.ly/plenary26

____

No te pierdas al icono panameño Rubén Blades en conversación con el Dr. Carlos Chirinos a las 16:00 h, hora de Panamá, en un debate en la sobre la narración de historias, la cultura y el cambio social.

Blades reflexionará sobre el poder de la narración de historias, la cultura y la música para moldear la percepción del público, fortalecer las comunidades e inspirar el cambio social.

Sigue la retransmisión en directo: https://bit.ly/plenary26

24/06/2026

Human connection was a recurring theme at this morning's plenary at the 2026 International SBCC Summit.

Speakers discussed the importance of listening, empathy, and building trust in a world increasingly shaped by polarization and misinformation.

"People buy into people before they buy into concepts, ideas, and ideologies," moderator Mimi Kalinda reminded attendees.

- Dr. Orlando Francisco Quintero Arosemena, Executive Director, Probidsida
- Silvio Waisbord, Professor of Media and Public Affairs, The George Washington University
-Priyanka Kher, Chief Strategic Partnerships and Communications Officer, Breakthrough
-Mimi Kalinda, CEO and Co-Founder, Africa Communications Media Group

24/06/2026

The Power of Connection rang true from the very first session of .

Across every voice on stage, one message was clear: real change is built on trust, relationships, and connection.

The opening plenary challenged participants to rethink communication not as a one-way tool, but as a cultural and political process shaped by power, identity and place.

Across perspectives, a shared message emerged: those closest to experience are not only part of the story.

They are the ones who define it.

24/06/2026

These first few days of the 2026 have been a powerful reminder of what is possible when our global community comes together in one room.

Plenaries that challenged us. Workshops that equipped us. Conversations in hallways charting the future of SBC.

Practitioners, researchers, policymakers, advocates, and storytellers from across the world are connecting across disciplines, geographies, and generations.

This is the in action.

23/06/2026

The funding landscape for social and behavior change communication is changing. The question is: What's next?

At Tuesday's plenary session of the 2026 , speakers explored how organizations can move beyond traditional funding models through local partnerships, private-sector engagement, and sustainable financing approaches.

Their message: while the challenges are real, so are the opportunities.

hashtag

23/06/2026

🎥 Livestream starting NOW! 🎥

https://bit.ly/plenary26

A more sustainable future for SBC starts with rethinking how we fund it.

On Tuesday at the in Panama, our “Current Challenges in Funding SBCC Programs” plenary will explore how we rethink financing for SBC, shifting from constraint to innovation, resilience, and shared investment.

We’ll dive into new financing models, cross-sector partnerships, domestic resource mobilization, digital fundraising, and stronger South–South and local collaboration.

Speakers:
Nontokozo Madonsela, Award-winning Marketing Executive
Norma Jean Straw, Gates Foundation
Martha Merida, Executive Director, PROSALUD
Olufunke Olufon, Iwà Consulting (Moderator)

There are a few last-minute registrations still available for the Summit!

🔗 SBCCSummit.org

🤝 Promtur Panamá Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá Ministerio de Salud de Panamá Alcaldía de Panamá Centre for Communication and Social Impact - CCSI Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

22/06/2026

The opening plenary of the 2026 in Panama reframed long-standing assumptions about communication, knowledge, and power in social and behavior change.

Speakers pushed back on traditional, one-way models of communication, arguing instead for approaches rooted in lived experience, memory, identity, and local knowledge.

From Panama, the Ecuadorian Amazon, and Colombia’s Montes de María, Indigenous and community leaders underscored a shared point: communication is not neutral—it is shaped by power, and it is grounded in place and lived reality.

As the Summit continues, the direction is clear: center local knowledge, elevate Indigenous leadership, and rethink how communication for social change is defined and practiced.

Follow along at SBCCSummit.org and across social media.



🤝 Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá Ministerio de Salud de Panamá Alcaldía de Panamá Centre for Communication and Social Impact - CCSI Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs

22/06/2026

After years of planning, the 2026 International SBCC Summit opened today in Panama, welcoming hundreds of practitioners, researchers, policymakers and community leaders from around the world for five days of dialogue, exchange and shared learning.

Serving as Summit co-chair, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs Executive Director Debora Freitas Lopez opened the meeting with a message that set the tone for the week: “Connection is at the heart of social and behavior change. It is also at the heart of this Summit.”

Co-Chair Babafunke Fagbemi (Centre for Communication and Social Impact - CCSI) reflected on the field's continued evolution, noting that “real and lasting change depends on something deeper: relationships, trust, context, and our ability to understand and respond to people's lived realities.”

Keshia Pollack Porter, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, underscored the importance of the work ahead, telling participants: “In this defining season for public health, your skills — your ability to listen, to build trust, to communicate clearly, and to demonstrate impact — are exactly what we need to keep moving forward.”

The opening ceremony also included remarks from Panamanian leaders and closed on a celebratory note with a vibrant folkloric dance performance that filled the room with music, movement and a showcase of Panama’s cultural heritage.



🤝 Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá Ministerio de Salud de Panamá Alcaldía de Panamá Centre for Communication and Social Impact - CCSI Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs