In a world characterized by social chaos, discrimination, and injustice, it is crucial to take proactive measures to ensure the social inclusion of individuals and societies during times of disruption. This research focuses on a specific form of social disruption, namely the refugee crisis, and investigates how ICT-enabled social inclusion can foster social justice for refugees in hosting societies. The aim of this article is to contribute to the Information Systems (IS) community's discourse on leveraging ICT solutions to facilitate the social inclusion of refugees in their new communities, ultimately leading to a more inclusive society. We provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of ICTs on refugees' social inclusion, emphasizing their role in promoting social justice.

This research has both theoretical and practical implications at institutional and individual levels. It proposes an ICT-enabled social inclusion theory within the context of the information systems field, offering valuable insights and recommendations for stakeholders, governments, and policymakers to foster inclusivity in society. Furthermore, it enhances the understanding of the social inclusion process from a social justice perspective for both refugees and local communities, encouraging collaboration towards the social inclusion of all individuals.

The field of ICT-enabled social inclusion lacks sufficient qualitative research data to develop and expand theories. This research adopts a Grounded Theory Methodology, focusing on refugees as a specific group, to initiate qualitative research in the context of social inclusion within the Information Systems field.

The motivation behind submitting this TREO Talk Paper is to present the research findings and gather feedback through fruitful discussions, which will contribute to the development of a journal article for publication in prestigious outlets.

Conference Title

The Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems and the Middle East & North Africa Conference (MCIS and MENACIS 2023)

Conference Country

Spain

Conference Date

Sept. 6, 2023 - Sept. 9, 2023

Conference Sponsor

IE Business School, IE University and Association for Information Systems (AIS)

Additional Info

Conference Website