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Human Development &
Capability Association

Multi-Disciplinary and People-Centred

Regional networks

The HDCA does not have formal regional chapters. There currently exist, however, eight regional networks that maintain informal ties to the HDCA:

For a description see below.

Francophone Africa Network

Francophone Africa has a strong, but informal, regional network that extends to various countries such as Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Madagascar. There are about 10 scientists in each country interested in Human Development and the Capability Approach. However, the network is still an informal gathering of like-minded people who interact to explore these topics for their own writings. The next objective is to formalize and consolidate this network in order to organize Regional Conferences.

Latin American Network

Alcadeca stands for Asociacion Latinoamericana y del Caribe para el Estudio de las Capacidades Humanas. It has met regularly every two years since 2006. To date, the main activity of the association is the organization of its bi-annual conference. Previous conferences have been organized in Mexico City (2006,Universidad Iberoamericana), Montevideo (2008, Universidad de laRepublica),  Porto Alegre (2010, Pontificia Universidad de Rio Grande doSul) Buenos Aires (2012, Universidad Lomas de Zamora), Lima (2014, Pontificia Universidad Católica delPerú).

Asia-Pacific Network

The Asia-Pacific Regional Network aims to bring together capability researchers and practitioners within the region. At present we have colleagues based in Thailand, Indonesia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Tonga working in a number of areas including: indigenous issues, poverty, environment, participatory methods, education. Our aim is to create capability conversations within the region by organising seminars and workshops, and to establish (at some point) an annual regional capability conference. We also hope to establish development ethics and human development courses across the region.

South Asia Network

The HDCA South Asia Network aims to bring together researchers and practitioners who take an interest in the topics of human development and capability approach in the region and includes researcher either working in or on any one or more of the nine South Asian countries, namely, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. With the support and guidance from HDCA, the network’s primary role is to assist with communication between the researchers in the region, to disseminate relevant information – or assist with organising - complimentary activities such as programmes, courses and trainings on human development and the capability approach, workshops/meetings, and any other events in line with the demand of the members of this network.
The network's facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/HDCA.South.Asia.Network

East Asia Network

The East Asia Regional Network intends to connect capability researchers, students and practitioners working on and/or based in East Asia (a non-exhaustive list of countries and economies include China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan). Our Network provides a space to forge bonds among its members, stimulating conversations on people-centred development, capabilities and empowerment in the region. We organize informal meetings, webinars and workshops. We also welcome members’ suggestions and ideas regarding the forms and organizations of events.

Southern African Network

The South African Regional Network is an informal association of passionate colleagues who are exploring the reach ofthe Capability Approach in their various sectors. For now there is a focus onhigher education and social justice and also the water sector but we hope toexpand the reach of the CA into other sectors. The Regional Network recentlyhosted Martha Nussbaum through the NRF Chair of Higher Education and HumanDevelopment at the University of the Free State.  We are hoping todevelop a country seminar series where we explore the applicability of the CAwithin the Southern African context. We will also seek ways to extend our reachinto the SADC region and to attract the attention of scholars and policy makersin the Region as a whole. We currently have Master’s and Doctoral students working on the CA from Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe and a number of research projects using human development and theCA as a theoretical framework for empirical investigations.

North American Network

The North American Network aims to bring together scholars (both students and professors/researchers) and practitioners of development with an interest in human development and the capability approach. Newcomers and experts originating from or working in Canada, Mexico and the United States are all welcome to join the network. Our hope is that webinars, conferences, workshops and other fruitful collaborations will be advanced through the network.

European Network

The HDCA European Network aims to bring together researchers, policy makers and practitioners interested in the capability approach and human development and who are working on, or in, Europe. The network supports communication and dialogue across its membership, as well as encouraging connections with fellow Regional Networks, by creating a space to develop online and in person meetings, conferences and learning events and sharing relevant updates and information. We welcome new members and encourage individuals to contact the coordinators to share their updates and to discuss possible events and activities they wish to develop. Activities taking place within this regional network include webinars related to research, policy and practice; occasional workshops on topics of interest to members and meetings and social events at the annual HDCA conference.

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