The Instant World Report: Canada’s Role in Shaping the Right to Communicate

This book proposal focuses on Canada’s pioneering role in shaping the international understanding of the right to communicate, particularly through the Canadian Telecommission Studies of 1969. The study argues that the 1971 Instant World report, a landmark document, has been overlooked in the existing literature despite its importance in the history of conceptualizing and implementing this human right. The project aims to fill this gap by exploring the historical context of the report and analyzing its contents, shedding light on themes like privacy and indigenous communication rights. Additionally, the manuscript highlights the unique contribution of Betty Zimmerman, the only female Canadian member of the MacBride Commission in 1977, replacing Marshall McLuhan. Zimmerman’s insights become pertinent not only for scholars interested in the New World Information and Communication Order but also for feminist studies, showcasing a leading female figure’s role in Canadian communication and cultural policy. The research promises a novel and untold perspective on the history of the right to communicate, addressing gaps in international and Canadian communication, women’s studies, and media policy literature.

Aliaa Dakroury is Associate Professor in the School of Social Communication, Faculty of Human Sciences at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.