The world is changing. The concepts of „Developing Countries“ and „Industrial Countries“, „Center and Periphery“ or „North and South“ describe less and less the multi-faced picture of a New World Order. While some countries, headed by the so called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), are becoming international big players, the classical development cooperation is losing weight.At the same time, internal differentiation is rising: Some single islands of prosperity are spreading in the South, whereas the North – especially Southern and Eastern Europe – is struggling with typical development problems.
The concept of development is also changing radically. On the one hand, the instruments for measuring development are refined to improve the evaluation of the Millennium Development Goals. On the other hand, the traditional development administrations are losing ground as a number of European states are cutting their budgets for development cooperation. This will confront all those who work with development cooperation and development politics, global justice, climate politics, economic development, intercultural exchange and global peace initiatives, with questions such as: How can these big global issues be placed in the public perception and political debate?
Which conclusions for practical action concerning development politics may be drawn from that situation? Development politics need a new turnover. Global responsibility is more than Development Cooperation. Which prospects does sustainable development have and how can it respond to multiple crises and to „Peak Everything“? How should committed people and involved organizations perceive a new form of global responsibility? The development conference is a place to think and debate.
The Austrian Development Conference
The Austrian Development Conference sees itself as a place of thinking and reflecting as well as of scientific stimuli. However, the conference is also a permanent process. Three years after the last conference in 2011, the conference in 2014 will take place in Salzburg. The past conferences in recent years were always found inspiring by the participants. That is why they became a bench mark for the Austrian dialogue about development. As a major event, the conference is set out for about 300 persons. It will link a multitude of protagonists in development politics and establish ties with other milieus, so that people working in the development sector do not remain among themselves.
Breakup and new beginnings in development
6th Austrian Development Conference
14-16 November 2014, NAWI, Salzburg University
The conference language will be German. Some of the keynote inputs will be in English, and most of the fora will be in English. Translation German-English will be available for all plenary meetings.
Objectives of the conference
1. Networking: To initiate, enhance and strengthen exchange and greater networking between both NGOs and other experts participating in the Conference, as well as the Austrian development cooperation community in general; to learn from each other, to share and discuss experience and different perspectives;
2. Political Statement: The development conference is an important sign of life to the public that there are committed organizations and people standing behind the development community. These people, who have committed themselves over years, will experience that they are not the only ones who care.
3. Conceptual development: The conference will enable the participants and institutions to develop their position concerning basic aspects of development politics and humanitarian aid. The development conference is a space to visualize an overall picture of the potentials in and challenges for development cooperation.
Outline of the program
FRIDAY, 14 NOVEMBER
The world in transition
Crisis in the center and the rise of the BRICS states
Without doubt the world is in transition. This raises questions which are far-reaching and need to be discussed: Which transformations will change the global situation and what will be the consequences? Besides the economic crises, global migration and climate crisis, there are new social struggles which gain global attention. On this „evening of analysis“ some examples of this new complexity of global development are presented flashlight-like. A mosaic of different dynamics shall arise, which delivers insight into the new development processes and their contradictions in order to show exemplarily the complexity of today’s global developments.
The focus will be on the following four subtopics: The statements shall also deal with their interfaces as well as with cross-sectoral issues like gender and migration.
5.00 p.m.: Opening of the conference and welcoming
Intro – Song by Christoph Kapovaz
Silvia Hahn, vice-director Salzburg University
Karin Dollinger, citiy council of Salzburg, per proxy of major Heinz Schaden
Martina Berthold, deputy governor of Salzburg
Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Director General of Department VII – Development Cooperation and Cooperation with middle and eastern European states; Coordinator of international De-velopment policy at the federal ministry for Europe, Integration and foreign affairs (BMEIA)
interviewed by Irmgard Kirchner
5.45 p.m: Opening keynote Susanne Scholl, journalist: World in transition. Movements in the new geographies of power (30 min speech, 15 min discussion)
6.30 p.m.: flashlights of transition
According to the summary of the opening lecture about the big lines of the latest changes multiple action fields will be highlighted. (each 10 min intro)
- Democracy, civil society, social movements and policy development. Wolfram Schaffar, Institute for International Development, University Vienna
Are we undergoing a new boost of democratization, represented by social phenomena like the Arab spring or the occupy movement? How can we classify these emergent social movements? Did the faces of civil society change? Or has just the perception of civil society changed? How can we understand transformative processes in the global south by using a western coined liberal-democratic model of civil society? Where are the explanatory boundaries of the idea of civil society?
- Conflict, war and violence
Samia al Botmeh, BirZeit University, Ramallah
The conflict in Syria is just one of many scenes that show us how fragile the current world order is. How did models of conflict change recently? What is the role of current changes in economics, political power relations, social struggles, migration and eco-logical boundaries of growth?
- Economy, wealth & poverty
Christa Wichterich, University of Kassel, Germany gender politics
The rise of the BRICS states as well as the crisis in southern Europe change the dis-tribution of rich and poor around the world. How do current changes in economics in-fluence the development of wealth on the one side and new forms of poverty on the other side? Which models and paradigms of development form the basis of interna-tional political economy? Which perceptions and claims do social movements set against these models?
- Ecology, climate and energy
Brian Ashley, Alternative Information Development Center (AIDC), South Africa
Peak-Oil and Peak-Everything can’t be denied anymore, while global warming seems irreversible. Sustainability became an omnipresent quality factor and development paradigm, still confronted with the dominating modernization effort. Yet climate con-ferences are still struggling with a global breakthrough. Which positions on energy and climate topics are there and where do they cross in the global arena? How can coherences between ecological, economic and social sustainability be expressed?
Discussion (30 min on stage, 20 min with audience)
Facilitation: Andreas Novy (GBW, WU)
aprox. 8.30 p.m.: buffet
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SATURDAY, 15 NOVEMBER
The development landscape in transition
Which agendas are discussed in Development politics today? Which factors do influence the structure of development work and the role of its protagonists? These questions should be discussed on this „day of discourse“. The broadly accepted Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the Capability Approach of Amartya Sen as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) will be the topics of discussion. There will also be space for critical views on development, which criticize it as a concept of western dominance. At the same time the agenda of development cooperation is changing. In recent years the concepts of development „aid“ was substituted by „cooperation“. In new approaches the private sector and the importance of humanitarian aid are pointed out. Development organizations are forced to redefine their roles.
9:00 a.m.: Intro – Song by Christoph Kapovaz
Good Morning by Amelie Höring, Chairperson of the Salzburg Advisory Council for Development Politics.
9.00 a.m.: The new development agenda. Keynote Jens Martens, (Global Policy Forum, Bonn)
In this lecture Jens Martens will give an overview of the current development agenda. How did the discourses and the protagonists change?
o Comment: Sustainability (Elfi A. More, Ministry of the Environment)
10.00 a.m.: Inputs on alternative development concepts:
o Post Development & Buen Vivir (Pablo Solon, Executive Director of the NGO Focus on the Global South, Bolivia/Philippines/Thailand)
o Feminist development criticism and perspectives (Diane Elson, University of Essex)
Facilitation: Annelies Vilim, AG Globale Verantwortung
10.30 a.m.: break
11.00 a.m.: Current Challenges for development politics. A round table with policy-actors.
Short inputs and comments on the mornings lecture from a policy view:
First part (11.00-11.55)
o Development politics and security politics (Werner Fasslabend, AIES)
o Good Life (Tanja Windbüchler, development speaker of the Green Party)
o Inclusion & development (Franz-Joseph Huainigg, development speaker of the ÖVP)
Second part (12.05-1.00):
o Private sector as new actor in development politics (Robert Zeiner, ADA)
o Poverty & hunger (Heinz Hödl, president of CIDSE)
o International-parlamentarian perspective (Petra Bayr, development speaker of SPÖ)
Facilitation: Andreas Obrecht (KEF – Kommission für Entwicklungsforschung)
1.00 p.m.: lunch break
FORA & WORKSHOPS
2.30 p.m. – 6.30 p.m.:
Two work formats parallel to each other will take place: Fora and workshops. The fora will reflect the main topics of the conference and provide room for a deeper discussion. The workshops will do the same as supplement paying tribute to the diversity of development policy.
Fora:
1. Post 2015: A global master plan to sustainability and a good life for all? With Brian Ashley (Alternative Information and Development Centre), Petra Bayr (Member of Austrian Parliament), Jens Martens (Globale Policy Forum), Elfi A. More (Ministry of Agri-culture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management) and Pablo Solon (Focus on the Global South). In englisch without translation.
in cooperation with Karl-Renner-Institut. Coordinated by Daniel Bacher (DKA) and Jakob Mussil (AG Globale Verantwortung)
HS 414, first floor
2. Migrants as development actors. With Michael Fanizadeh/vidc + Stefan Kerl/SWA) et al. In german and discussion in german & english without translation.
HS 421, second floor
3. Private sector as a new actor in development politics with Werner Raza (ÖFSE) and guests from Brussels and ADA. Probably in English without translation.
HS 423, second floor
4. Social policy and inequality (KEF + Renner Institut) with Antoinette Lombard (Uni-versity of Pretoria), Janestic M. Twikirize (Makerere Universtity) & Helmut Spitzer (Ca-rinthia University of Applied Sciences. In English without translation.
HS 436, third floor
5. Security policy with Werner Fasslabend (AIES/PolAk), Ursula Werther-Pietsch (BMEIA), Jan POSPISIL (OIIP), Brigitte HOLZNER (Gender-expert).Coordinated by Johannes Steiner (IUFE) & Arnold Kammel (AIES)
HS 435, third floor
6. Feminist interventions/Feministische Interventionen with Diane Elson (Uni Essex), Samantha Hargreaves und Christa Wichterich (Uni Kassel). In English WITH translation.
HS 413, first floor
The results of the fora will be formulated as questions to the „new development agenda“.
Workshops:
7. World-Views re-visited. Global perspectives in transition. Center of intercultural theology and study of religions. WithFranz Gmainer-Pranzl (Uni Salzburg), Anita Rötzer und Birgit Kastner-Lindenthaler (both Südwind Salzburg)
HS 425, second floor
8. Aid industries, multiple crises, and alternative development – the case of Palestine. With Samia El-Botmeh (Uni BirZeit) and Helmut Krieger/IE. In English without transla-tion.
HS 426, second floor
9. Development cooperation in the dock. WithJohanna Mang (LICHT FÜR DIE WELT)as judge, Thomas Vogel (Horizont3000) as advocate & Friedbert Ottacher (Consultant/Lektor) as accuser.
HS 434, third floor
10. The financialisation of nature and the social. With Brigitte Kratzwald und Magdalena Heuwieser, Projekt Finance & Trade Watch Österreich.
HS 411, first floor
11. Nosso Jogo – Our Match. Did scopes around the FIFA world championship ex-pand? With Martin Kainz (Nosso Jogo/Vidc), Ute Mayrhofer (DKA/KJSÖ), Tanja Windbüch-ler-Souschill (Abgeordnete zum Nationalrat, Grüne/Member of parliament/Green party)
HS 412, first floor
12. Dealing with complexity, contradictions and dilemma as themes in education work/ global learning. With Franz Halbartschlager and Téclaire Ngo Tam (both Südwind Agentur).
HS 422, second floor
13. Development for everybody? Inclusion and accessibility to disabled people: participation in development cooperation. With With Magdalena Scharl (BIZEPS), Magdalena Kern (Licht für die Welt) and Joanna Mang (Licht für die Welt) as well as Franz-Joseph Huainigg (Österr. Nationalrat/member of parliament)
HS 415, first floor
14. On the decolonization of the system of development coorporation. Working to-gether on the base of new paradigms. With Hans Eder (Intersol/Salzburger Bildungswerk)
C3006, third floor
15. „Open Room“ to discuss further aspects of the conference theme Facilitated by: Christiane Vossemer (Institute for International Development, Univ. Vienna).
Seminarraum Georgraphie, third floor
6.30 p.m.: Dinner
7.30 p.m.: cabaret and musical dreams about the future: Georg Bauernfeind.
8.0 p.m.: music & room for communication in the NAWI-canteen
Music by Nigrita & Camillo
see & hera more at www.nigrita.net
https://www.facebook.com/mildenburgrecords
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SUNDAY, 16 NOVEMBER
9.00 am – 1.00 p.m. Breakup in Development: For a new global responsibility.
The Sunday morning is the „day of strategy“. Building on the days before it will be about future strategies of common action and wants to show some practical fields, where thinking in global dimensions will be of great importance in the future.
Which paths could and should the protagonists of development tread in the future? What do perspectives of sustainable development look like that take account of the multiplicity of crises and the „peak everything“? Should there still exist development cooperation with southern countries? How can and shall persons involved in structures of solidarity and NGOs take a new form of global responsibility?
9.00 a.m.: The dialectics in break-ups: New things come up where old things die. New forms of global responsibility. Pablo Solon, Focus on the Global South, Bolivia/Philippines/Thailand
Facilitation: Christian Zeller, Uni Salzburg
9.45 a.m.: forum of young researchers
Four short papers written by young researchers on the thematic fields of the conference will be presented.
- Elijah Macharia Ndung’u: „Embracing new dimensions in social development: Role of social workers in addressing trauma of poverty in Kenya“
- Julia Schöneberg: „NGOs – Development actors as alternatives to development? Exploring alternative spaces in partnerships of international and local NGOs from a Post-Development Perspective.
The Case of Haiti“ - Corinna Pummer: „Reziprokes Empowerment in der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit: It takes two to tango“
- Martin Bodenstein: „Burkinische Revolution von 1983-1987“
Facilitation: Karin Fischer, Mattersburger Kreis, University Linz
11.00 a.m.: break
11.30 a.m.: Dialogue of Perspectives
Based on the questions in the fora of the previous day, the keynote of Pablo Solon and the contributions at the forum of young researchers.
As an intro, each of the facilitators of the fora presents one (common?) demand.
3 pleas for a new global responsibility & final discussion
1. Johannes Trimmel (CONCORD-Präsident)
2. Friederike Habermann: Development critics & feminism.
3. Samantha Hargreaves (IANRA, South Africa): Ecology in neo-extractivism – alternatives to a devastating economy.
Facilitation: Christiane Vossemer, Internationale Entwicklung/Uni Wien
1.00 p.m. Closing of the conference
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