15^th February 2022 (11am CET)
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This panel discussion will hear from scholars who have published in the recent Policy Forum in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities on SDG localisation. The discussion will challenge the traditional “top-down” dichotomy in implementing the SDGs, highlighting that to fulfill the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is essential to translate the SDGs into national and local policy initiatives. The incorporation of participatory approaches in this process is vital in ensuring collective action and democratic participation.

The panel discussion will comprise of four presentations by authors, who will highlight how participatory approaches have been utilised in implementing the SDGs in a local context. The webinar will conclude with a discussion amongst panel members, and Q&A from the audience.

This webinar is jointly coordinated by the Participatory Methods Thematic Group, the Sustainable Human Development Thematic Group, the Empowerment and Collective Capabilities Thematic Group, and the European Regional Network of the HDCA, as well as the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities.

Chair: Mario Biggeri

Presentations:

1. Local Governments and SDG Localisation: Reshaping Multilevel Governance from the Bottom up - Edgardo Bilsky, Anna Calvete Moreno & Ainara Férnancez Tortosa
2. Voluntary Local Reviews as Drivers for SDG Localisation and Sustainable Human Development - Shipra Narang Suri, Martino Miraglia & Andrea Ferrannini
3. The Role of Transformative Innovation for SDGs Localisation. Insights from the South-African “Living Catchments Project” - Alejandra Boni & Diana Velasco
4. How to Achieve the “Leave No One Behind” Pledge of the SDGs in Newham and Tower Hamlets, East London - Meera Tiwari

Register here

Friday, December 10, 2021
12:00 – 13:00 UK

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ssgs-research-seminars-series-the-capability-approach-to-human-wellbeing-registration-214557275587

Led by Professor Paul Anand, Professor of Economics at The Open University, this free online talk will provide an overview of research related to the operationalisation of the Sen-Nussbaum capability approach to human wellbeing.

The approach was developed as a constructive response to problems in utilitarianism, has generated impact through new measurement initiatives in international public policy and offers a framework for understanding quality of life. The talk will discuss some research-based contributions to these developments.

November 8, 2021 from 13:30-14:30 EST

Professor Sen will be in conversation with Lord Patten, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, discussing his latest book Home in the World. In this memoir, Professor Sen explores the meaning of the word ‘home’: Dhaka in modern Bangladesh where he grew up, the village of Santiniketan where he was raised by his grandparents as much as by his parents, Calcutta where he first studied economics and was active in student movements, and Trinity College, Cambridge, to which he came aged 19. In his book he charts a path through the places and ideas that shaped him, including the evolving relationship between Britain and India.

The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A. Registrants will be sent joining instructions with a link to join the event.

Register here

Why do some development projects succeed where others fail? Meera Tiwari’s new book, “Why Some Development Works: Understanding Success” looks at success stories and considers what enabled them to bring change in some of the world’s most deprived communities. 

Using case studies from countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia, Tiwari looks at macro, and some less know micro, success stories and considers why they succeeded. Her approach draws attention to the importance of engaging local actors at an individual, collective and state level. Through this, the book demonstrates how achieving a “convergence” of goals among all actors is a crucial component to a development project’s success.

In the existing literature on development, there has been little attempt to develop a micro-level understanding of development work and Tiwari’s book fills this gap. Moreover, the book has profound implications for how we view fragile states and conflict zones, and the ability of the international agencies to take effective action.

To read more about the book, please follow the link below:
Why Some Development Works: Understanding Success

To purchase the book, please visit Bloomsbury Publishing.

About the author

Meera Tiwari is an Associate Professor in Development Studies at the University of East London. Her interests and expertise include multidimensional understandings of poverty, the Sustainable Development Goals as a discourse for poverty reduction, and empowerment of the most vulnerable communities to access better opportunities in life. Her book, “Why Some Development Works: Understanding Success”, draws on 10 years of fieldwork from rural Bihar, India as well as case studies from other countries like Brazil, Ethiopia, UK and Tanzania.

Join us for the “Why Some Development Works: Understanding Success” digital book launch!

Participants:

• Meera Tiwari, University of East London
• Rohini Mukherjee, Naandi Foundation
• Adnan Khan, London School of Economics
• Diana Skelton, ATD Fourth World
• Espen Villanger, Development Learning Lab
• Bjørn Enge Bertelsen (moderator), GRIP

The digital book launch will take place on the Zoom platform.

Register for the event here.

September 15, 2021 at 10-11:30 am Colombia time (UTC-5:00)

A series of seminar discussions (webinars) will be held in advance of the conference “Development in times of conflict: ethical pathways towards peace and justice,” the Twelfth Congress of the International Development Ethics Association. These discussions are led by a moderator and feature discussion by invited guests, they are pursued in simultaneous translation in Spanish and English languages. Sessions are free of charge and open, and further discussion contributions from auditors of the sessions are also anticipated. The fourth planned session, “Development ethics in times of conflict,” will feature four ethicists from South, Central and North America introducing the subject area of development ethics on September 15 2021 at 10-11:30 am Colombia time (UTC-5:00).    Registration information for the webinar and further event details may be found at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/desarrollo-etico-en-tiempos-de-conflicto-development-ethics-and-conflict-tickets-169663342625

The webinar is a collective effort of Red para la formación ética y ciudadana (REDETICA), The Universidad Autónoma LatinoAmericana (UNAULA), the Universidad de Ibagué (UnIbagué), International Development Ethics Association (IDEA), and the Guadalupe Institute (New Mexico, USA). The conference that follows is planned to take place in Medellín, Colombia, in 2022. Further detail concerning the 2022 conference, including a renewed call for papers is available, or will be available imminently, here.