Informations in english |
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The world is in upheaval. We have
attempted to better understand these changes in 3 development conferences. The
First Austrian Development Conference 2001 in
| 14.05.2008 | |
The Second Austrian Development Conference 2003 in Graz dealt with the phenomenon of globalization. Especially the understanding of global change stood in the foreground. At the same time, the desire to find alternatives was noticeable.
The role of ownership in the globalized world was the theme of the Third Development Conference in Linz 2005 during which specific models were discussed to organize and understand ownership differently than through the familiar polarity of “private” and “public”. Concepts of a “solidarity economy” were discussed just as well as approaches of “possession”, “property” and “ownership”.
Visions are essential starting
points for work in development cooperation, as well as in the anti-corporate
movement. Utopias are assigned an important part, giving politics in general,
development politics in particular, a direction. The development conference
perceives itself as a space in which to discuss and exchange such visions and
utopias.
“Growth – Environment – Development”
Depoliticisation conveys itself, among other things, in the fragmentation in the fields of politics. Economic policy, environment policy and development policy are seen as separate fields, although their entanglement is quite obvious. These connections have once again become very clear through the intensified debates on climate protection. At the same time, contradictions are becoming more evident.
The current international discourse on topics of environment and development reflects this fragmentation: The Brundtland-Report of 1987 was followed by the UN-Conference in Rio 1992, furthermore the Rio+5 and the Rio+10, as well as the meeting in Johannesburg.
One noticeable fact is that growth was originally challenged as a goal of development policy. Over time, various forms of growth were distinguished: “Qualitative growth” was separated from “quantitative growth”. Theories of subsistence emerged as a radical criticism of growth concepts; however, the critical impetus has largely disappeared from the debate, so that today growth is not even challenged in the alternative discourse. The renaissance of a somewhat unreflected concept of growth is ubiquitous throughout the entire ideological spectrum. Left-wing as well as right-wing governments share this approach. On the other hand, many feel that the subsistence theory’s approaches don’t provide a convincing way out of the dilemma, and have come under strong criticism, because their realization would hardly lead to an amelioration of living standards. Some of the alternative approaches are seen as myths.
Today, “sustainable development” focuses on economic development; solutions are sought after in the trade of emission certificates, instead of in the alteration of the relations of production.
It seems necessary to re-think the concept of growth. Developments in the field of intellectual property rights also need to be discussed in this context. The marketing and commodification of common land on a global scale, also in the field of water supply, raises many questions.
Following questions can be generated from the area of tension “growth vs. sustainability”: Under which circumstances is growth (not) sensible? Which actors have access to which resources? Which ecological allocation conflicts are carried out? Taking the example of climate protection: Who has caused which environmental burdens and who will pay the costs for the repair thereof? Who has which pollution rights? Who carries the ecological consequences of the production of biofuel?
Basically, it is about a consolidation of various fields of politics. An integrated concept of development would have to combine the goal of poverty reduction with climate protection and a distribution-oriented economic policy. Criticism of wealth could not be missing, nor could a reflection of growth criticism and of societal relations to nature. Finally, the possibilities of multilateral approaches (global governance) for the prevention and solution of conflicts arising from climate change and environmental damage should be discussed.
The Conference
Innsbruck
14th – 16th of
November, 2008
The conference will be held mainly in german language. Some of the plenary speeches will be held in english, and two of the forums will be in english language.
The 4th Austrian Conference on Development will take place in Innsbruck from Friday, 14th of November, to Sunday, 16th of November 2008. It will essentially deal with questions related to economic growth, development and environmental consequences. Under which premises does economic growth make sense? How much growth can environment bear? The Conference on Development wishes to link and produce knowledge to enable an integrated perception of development that recognizes the economic logic of growth and the natural scientific logic of environment as part of the same dynamic of world development.
Find a more detailed description of the conference's theoretical background and objectives here: Twofold Dialogue - On the didactics of the 4th Austrian Conference on Development.
Who will attend the conference?
The conference addresses experts from the developmental as well as the environmental sector, practitioners as well as theoreticians, who want to look beyond their own disciplines, promote exchange and create new alliances. It also aims at all persons interested in development politics. Concretely, participants will be…
…people, who work in development organisations, in the public sector and in the private / NGO / church sector.
…people, who belong to organisations of the environmental sector, or to other social organisations.
…people, who are interested in questions of development politics: students from different universities, teachers, activists …
…opinion leaders in media and politicians.
Number of participants: approx. 200 - 300.
What do we aim at with this conference?
1. To open new spaces for networking.
2. To provide free space for critical thinking, to reflect about the contradictions between the individual and the structures.
3. To develop a new concept of development that gives answers also to the contradictions of the mainstream system. For doing so, it is necessary to promote knowledge for better orientation in our confusing times, but also to develop political visions.
Outline of the programme
Friday, 14th of November 2008
5.00 p.m.
Opening of the conference
Karlheinz Töchterle, rector of the University of Innsbruck
Introduction of the subject of the conference and its main questions
Opening dialogue on different approaches to economic growth –
environment – development, in which the controversies of "sustainable
development" will be discussed. Is economic growth a prerequisite for
development? Does development inevitably lead to the appropriation of
nature? Is sustainable development possible and, if yes, how? Which
problems can be identified?
Participants of the plenary discussion will be Heinz Leuenberger
(UNIDO), Helga Weiß (IFF), Bailiang Tao (counsellor at the Chinese
embassy at Vienna), and as representative from the pre-conference in
Uganda, Fred Kabuye.
8.00 p.m. Organic and fair buffet
Saturday, 15th of November 2008
9.00 a.m.
Artistic opening: "Momentaufnahme", a film by Michael Stoeger
9.10 a.m.
Economic growth – environment – development as a possible antagonism
To bring the discussion on a more concrete level, central fields of the
debate will be presented. Therefore, two subjects have been chosen:
1. Christoph Bals, Germanwatch, Germany: Energy – with a focus on agrofuels and the climate question
10.30 a.m. Break
11.00 a.m. Continuation of the plenum
2. Fred Kabuye, Africa2000Network, Uganda: Agriculture – with a focus on food sovereignty, genetic engineering and biotechnology
12.00 a.m. Lunch break
2.00 p.m. Forum of young scientists
Short papers written by young researchers on the thematic fields of the
conference, that have previously been selected by a jury, will be
presented.
3.30 p.m. Forums and Workshops
There will be three parallel options to work on our subjects in small groups. Every participant can choose one.
a) Crash courses in the field of economic growth – environment – development
In small groups, participants will get basic information about their
chosen subject. There will be more input than discussion, in the sense
of an "economic alphabetisation". Questions like what is growth? What
is called sustainable? Which concepts of development are there? will be
answered.
b) Models and Experiences
People and organisations that work in the field of environment and
development will talk about their experiences. The objective is not to
show the quality of their output, but to provide a critical space for
reflecting practical experiences.
c) Forums on the conference's field of subjects in economic growth – environment – development
Five different forums, which centre on constructive discussion, will be offered.
The 5 forums will deal with:
1. Climate and development – with a focus on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
2. Industrialisation and the transfer of eco-friendly technologies – focus on environmental standards and catalogues of criteria
3. Agrofuels
4. Agriculture – will possibly be hold in English, with Fred Kabuye
from the pre-conference in Uganda with a focus on food sovereignty
5. Water – will possibly be hold in English, with Lidy Nacpil,
Philippines (invited), an with a focus on water supply and the
priorities of use of water, in rural and urban areas
7.00 p.m. Dinner
8.30 p.m. Soiree with cultural programme
Sunday, 16th of November 2008
Sunday morning will be the "strategy day" with the objective to state a
vision and a utopia and to think out on an integrated concept of
development.
9.00 a.m. Reflection and breakfast – those who come at time, will be given a croissant to support the following reflections:
Résumé of Saturday's contents and discussion by two reporters (approx. 20 min.)
Forumtheatre with Armin Staffler, spectACT (tirolean forum theatre group).
10.30 a.m. Break
11.00 a.m. An example and two perspectives
a) An exemplary project from East Africa
The initiative Africa2000Network will be presented as an example of environmental development work at regional level (30 min.).
b) What should be done, part 1: Beyond the limits of the natural
dynamics of accumulation. Visions for "economic growth – environment –
development".
Elmar Altvater, Germany
c) What should be done, part 2: From the defensive fight against
expropriation to new forms of collective offensive action. Visions for
"economic growth – environment – development".
Lidy Nacpil, Philippines
d) Final discussion
1.00 p.m. Closing of the conference
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