INVITATION TO SUGGEST TOPICS AND IDEAS FOR
THE 1997 INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE
ON PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT
"Promoting Participatory Development in a Period
of Corporate Dominance in the World"
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
November 20 - 23, 1997
We invite your comments relevant to the theme, "Promoting Participatory
Development in a Period of Corporate Dominance in the World." Suggestions
may be made to the address given below prior to May 30, 1997. A detailed
conference brochure will be available in in June, 1997.
The Division of International Development (DID) understands "development"
to mean much more than economic growth. Rather, it is a process anchored
to indigenous values and knowledge, defined and facilitated through the
participation of those whose lives are most directly affected. It
encompasses and builds upon concepts such as community, spirituality,
sustainability and empowerment. DID operates on the principle that
community-based development is a participatory process most effectively
approached in a bottom-up, multidisciplinary fashion. While the mandate
has been to promote the empowerment of people, the aim of the 1997
Institute is to explore the implications of the power of the dominant
corporate paradigm created by privatized industry, international trade and
finance. Reinforcing this paradigm are the structures established through
transnational organizations such as the World Bank, the International
Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization whose separate budgets
exceed the national budgets of many economically poor countries.
How does corporate dominance affect people's movements and the work of
countless civil society organizations to empower people? How does
corporate dominance affect people's ability to take responsibility for
their and their communities' lives? These are the major questions we will
explore during the 1997 Institute.
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
The Institute will be of particular interest to policy makers and
administrators in local, national and international institutions;
practitioners who wish to share their experiential knowledge of
participatory development; individuals in corporate organizations;
students and academics who wish to learn and offer their insights in a
multi-disciplinary environment. All are welcome! The registration fee
will be modest. The fee and other registration information will be
included in the brochure to be published in June, 1997.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE
This Institute aims to advance the theory and practice of North-South
co-operation in participatory development by understanding and addressing
the theme in light of the dominant economic, political, and cultural
features of our globalizing world. Dialogue will be encouraged on the
nature of challenges posed by corporate dominance. Initiated in 1995,
past Institute themes have been AParticipatory Approaches in the Struggle
to (Re)Build Sustainable Communities@ (1996), the ASummer Institute on
Participatory Development@, and the AEvening Institute on Community and
Participatory Development@ (1995). Past attendees have come from Canada,
the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. For
this year's Institute, various topics will be pursued, including the
following:
1)The role of formal and informal educational agencies and movements
in envisioning an alternative future and developing resistance to
oppressive practices;
2)The role of community-oriented research in the struggle to create
civic accountability among corporations;
3)Strategies and tactics for successfully negotiating, creating
dialogue with, altering, humanizing, challenging and reconciling diverse
agendas when dealing with powerful corporate entities;
4)Case studies of significant success and failures in North and
South in the pursuit of strategies and tactics mentioned above;
5)The state: ally or enemy of civil society efforts to encourage
empowerment and responsible participation of citizens;
6)Useful approaches to broaden the vision of corporate sector
cultures to promote the common good, especially to contribute to
people-oriented community development.
To help finalize these topics, to decide on the best methods to promote
dialogue and to promote action, we seek the views of a variety of policy
makers, practitioners, community inhabitants and stakeholders.
Individuals from the corporate sector interested in participatory
development issues and academics from the private and public sectors
representing the North and South are encouraged to write to us.
ABOUT THE HOST
The University of Calgary is located within the city of Calgary, on the
eastern border of Canada's Rocky Mountains. Appropriate to the nature of
the Institute, Calgary is an internationally-oriented corporate centre
seated in the midst of timely indigenous and environmental activism,
debate and development. The city is also in the vicinity of various
Indigenous bands highly empowered and mobilized in new directions for
localized development.
The University's Division of International Development (DID) within the
International Centre has been designated a Centre of Excellence in
Participatory Development by the Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA). This designation acknowledges the Division's commitment to
participatory, community-based development. DID forges partnerships
within a developing world in order to improve the quality of life of the
poor and disadvantaged, and contributing to awareness, knowledge, and
expertise about international issues. The Division of International
Development participates in several partnership projects around the world
through the cooperative efforts of project communities and partners,
Calgary development organizations, businesses and community members,
international development linkages, and donors. Please visit our web page
at www.ucalgary.ca/international.
For further information about the 1997 International Institute on
Participatory Development or to provide us with your comments please
contact:
Ms. Anayancy Solis
Division of International Development
International Centre, BI-570
The University of Calgary
2500 University Drive N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
Telephone: (403) 220-7078
Fax: (403) 289-0171
E-mail: solis@acs.ucalgary.ca