2012 HDCA conference to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia on 5-7th September
‘Revisiting Development: Do We Assess It Correctly?'
It is increasingly recognized that economic growth is valuable not as an end in itself but as an instrument for achieving development, with its inherent multidimensionality. Although this is to be applauded, it also highlights the difficulty of capturing development in simple measures. Conventional measures of a nation's progress, used by economists, often ignore important aspects of a society such as institutions, political freedom, empowerment, inequality, security, sense of community, mental well-being, and environmental conditions. The 2012 HDCA conference theme ‘Revisiting Development: Do we Assess It Correctly?’ is an invitation to scholars and practitioners to consider the larger, multi-dimensional notion of well-being and to engage with one another on the important issue of development measures. While this theme will receive special attention, we also welcome papers pertaining to any aspect of human development and the capability approach.
For more information, visit the conference site
Conference registration will be available beginning in March, 2012.
2011 Conference of the HDCA, "Innovation, Development & Human Capabilities"
Bringing about human development for all is a challenge. It is not sufficient to investigate how human capabilities are expanded or diminished by our current policies, institutional arrangements, incentive structures, social practices, infrastructures and technologies. Grounded in our understanding of these realities, we also need to be creative and innovative in order to bring about change. The 2011 conference theme Innovation, Development and Human Capabilities is an invitation to discuss and reflect on this. Whether it concerns social or technological innovation, grassroots innovation or innovation policy – to make innovation truly work for human development, input from different angles is needed. We thus expect speakers and papers from a wide variety of disciplines. While innovation is the thematic focus of the 2011 HDCA conference, we naturally also welcome papers on other aspects of human development and the capability approach.
Preceding the conference Tony Atkinson will give the 1st Annual Amartya Sen Lecture on the evening of Monday September 5th. Amartya Sen will comment on the lecture.
See the conference website for more information.
Conference Pictures
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See more pictures on HDCA Flickr account |
| 1st Annual Amartya Sen Lecture - Public Economics after The Idea of Justice | |
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- Kaushik Basu (president HDCA) |
- Questions and discussions |
| Download Sen Lecture Part 1 | Download Sen Lecture Part 2 |
2010 Conference of the HDCA, "Human Rights and Human Development" - September 21-23, 2010 - The University of Jordan – Amman
Conference Theme: INTEGRATING HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Increasingly the relationship between human rights and human development is becoming a focus for researchers and practitioners alike. The integration of the two concepts could be a stimulus for scholars as it carries methodological, substantive and policy implications. Additionally, the link between the human rights and the capability approach to human development can be regarded as rich area for further analysis. It may also act as a catalyst for future research which could deepen the understanding of the scope and importance of the capability approach.
How can human rights be incorporated into the theoretical and empirical study of human development and economic analysis? Which elements need to be incorporated in such a framework? Would human rights-based criteria add value to existing development research and economic analysis? How can groups specify which institutions are responsible for rights fulfilment and what is the nature of their obligations to fulfil these rights? These are some of the questions explored at the 2010 conference.
Lima, 10-12 September 2009
Organised by the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Lima.
(Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, PUCP)
Conference Theme: PARTICIPATION, POVERTY AND POWERThe International Conference of the Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA) sets out to explore the relationships between participation, poverty and power from the perspective of their contribution to human development and capabilities.
The Conference has as a main purpose the analysis and deeper understanding of how power structures can be changed in order to advance the capabilities of the poor, particularly in contexts where there is ethnic, racial, regional, or religious diversity. There will be an emphasis on the role of political participation by the deprived.
It is hoped that papers presented will analyse power and participation in relation to the capability approach from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Papers may analyze and critically evaluate the diverse experience of social participation in Latin America and elsewhere in the world, ranging from participatory decision making tosocial mobilization, and aim to increase our understanding of the structure of power and the exercise of it in society from the family level to the local, the regional (sub national), the national and to the global, through political (state, democratic government, civil society)economic (economic policy and enterprise)and cultural (throughmedia, art, intercultural interactions, etc.)institutions.
Continuing the established tradition of the HDCA conferences, papers are also welcomed which advance conceptual clarification of the capability approach (in relation, for example, to agency, rights, entitlements etc.); which include empirical work (including research methods to capture situations and social practices contributing to the wide range of valued capabilities (political, family, religion, education, etc.); and which are from a range of disciplines (including economics, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, political science, theology, law).
For further information about the conference, see the conference website at www.pucp.edu.pe/congreso/hdca2009
