Development and its alternatives – Criteria for a global ‘futureable’ life

International conference with the Academy of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, terre des hommes and the Global Ethic Institute; sponsored by Engagement Global with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

There are many criticisms of the idea of “development” and its practical implementation. For example, reference is made to power asymmetries and the notion of a Eurocentric, unilinear evolution. At the same time, critics of development practice usually do not want to give up the idea that all people should live in peace, dignity and justice, without poverty and in a healthy environment.

How, therefore, to shape the future? What can alternatives look like?

Based on concrete development practice and existing alternative approaches such as Buen Vivir (Andean region), Radical Ecological Democracy (India) and Ubuntu (South Africa), criteria for a global sustainable life will be worked out together in intercultural as well as intergenerational dialogue (especially with young people) from theory and practice from May 6 – 8. Representatives from science, state and civil society from the global south and the global north will discuss. The seminar is intended as a forum for dialogue for all those who, from different perspectives, would like to discuss in a well-founded and critical manner the question of what developmental significance alternative models could have.

The conference is international and will be simultaneously translated into German, English and Spanish.
Participation is free of charge.

The speakers

• Alberto Acosta, Emeritus Professor of the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (Flacso), Ecuador
• Tinotenda Chibindi, Youth Network, Zimbabwe
• Ashish Kothari, founding member of the environmental NGO Kalvapriksh, India
• Olenka Stefanny Magallanes Prado, Youth Network, Peru
• Sally Matthews, Department of Political and International Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa
• Leo Maucher, Working Group One-World-Politics, Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ) Diocese Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany
• Sanjeep Neupane, Youth Network, Nepal
• Annika Wahl, Working Group One-World-Politics, Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ) Diocese Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany
• Claudia Warning, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Berlin, Germany
• Aram Ziai, University of Kassel