Today, the organizers of the 2026 International Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Summit announced that the event will be held from June 22-26 in Panama City, Panama, instead of previously named dates in March 2026.
“We are making this choice to allow organizers a little more time to prepare for what promises to be our most successful Summit yet,” Debora B. Freitas López, executive director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs in the United States, and Babafunke Fagbemi, executive director of the Centre for Communication and Social Impact in Nigeria, wrote in explaining the new timetable.
Freitas López and Fagbemi are the co-chairs of the SBCC Summit Secretariat.
The 2026 Summit will be the fourth gathering of its kind. In the past, successful Summits have been held in Ethiopia, Indonesia and Morocco. The next Summit will be the first to be held in Latin America.
Freitas Lopez and Fagbemi also shared the theme of the 2026 Summit: “The Power of Connection: Reimagining Knowledge, Action and Equity in a Changing SBCC Landscape.”
This theme focuses on exploring the evolving landscape of SBCC. It asks participants to critically question and challenge the power structures and relationships that underline one’s ability to change and prioritizes the voices and leadership of those most directly impacted.
By drawing on the principles of innovation, equity, and transformation, the Summit’s focus will emphasize critical reflection on past practices and collaborative pathways for sustainable and inclusive change.
The Secretariat also chose four sub-themes:
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- Connection and Relationships: Leading Through Community and Collaboration
- Knowledge and Evidence: Rethinking What Counts and Who Decides
- Action and Impact: Mobilizing Systems for Collective Resilience
- Inclusion and Equity: Communication as a Right, Not a Resource
More details about the theme and sub-themes can be found here.
In the coming months, the Summit will open abstracts and share other key important logistical information. To get more Summit news as it happens, check out the SBCC Summit website and sign up for the Summit mailing list.
