CFP: RaD Conference 2010
Religion shaping development: inspirational, inhibiting, institutionalised?
Conference organised by the Religions and Development Research Programme, 21st-23rd July, 2010, University of Birmingham, UK: first announcement and call for papers.
The conference (21st-22nd July) will bring together findings from the RaD programme and related research. On 23rd July, a range of development actors will be invited to explore the policy and practice implications of the research. Papers on the conference themes are invited – see further: http://www.rad.bham.ac.uk/index.php?section=1
Please send abstracts (2-400 words) to Dr Tina Dugbazah j.e.dugbazah@bham.ac.uk by 30th November, 2009.
CFP: Contemporary Amritsar: Society, Economy, Polity
Department of History, DAV College, Amritsar
Venue: Seminar Hall, DAV College, Amritsar
Date: 30 November 2009 to 01 December 2009
Time: 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Interested scholars who wish to present a paper should submit their work address, provisional paper title and one page abstract of around 500 words to the organising committee at contemporaryamritsar@gmail.com by 30th October 2009.
Further details:Seminar Schedule and Seminar- Concept Note
Bringing Culture Back in: Social Remittances and Local Practices in the Migration-Development Nexus
Monday, 18 May 2009, 15.00-17.00
Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, Strandgade 71, ground floor, 1401 Copenhagen K
Background
In recent years, the migration-development nexus has become a central issue on national and international policy and research agendas, especially in relation to economic remittances and their impact on national economic development. Yet, local socio-cultural practices are often ignored in the celebration of the migration-development potential as are the changes following new practices and ideas which migrants bring along, so-called social remittances. Likewise, the complex relationship between migrants and their countries of origin is generally overlooked by policy makers, who tend to divide migrants into emigrants – seen as potential remitters, and immigrants – often seen as potential problems. At this seminar, two of the leading scholars in transnational migration, Peggy Levitt and Ninna Nyberg Sørensen, challenge the mainstream perception of migration and development, arguing that culture must be brought back in, and a transnational social field perspective must be applied.
This is the third seminar in the 2009 Migration Seminar Spring Series Revisiting the Migration-Development Nexus: visions, challenges and prospects. The series critically explores visions and practices concerning migration and development. In recent years, the development potential of migration has gained much interest among policy makers, international development organizations and researchers. However, the discourses of migration and development revolve mostly around financial remittances, often ignoring local practices and migrant perspectives. These seminars revisit the migration-development nexus. Based on cutting-edge research and ongoing policy involvement, the seminars present current policy development as well as migrant responses and practices, questioning common sense assumptions and presenting new perspectives.
For more information: http://www.diis.dk/sw77419.asp
Practical Information
The seminar will be held in English.
Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please use our online registration form no later than Friday, 15 May 2009 at 12.00 noon.
Book review – Rural Development in Punjab: A Success Story Going Astray
Eds Autar S. Dhesi and Gurmail Singh. Routledge India.
FOR long, Punjab remained a source of inspiration for rest of the states in India. The role played by its sturdy farmers to make the country self-dependent in the food sector is an amazing success story. Owing to its hard-working people, Punjab remained a leader state for several decades in the country. Following its rising status, various states strived hard to move ahead on the development front.
Read full review in The Sunday Tribune: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090412/spectrum/book4.htm
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MIGRATION AND AGRICULTURAL DEVLOPMENT IN PUNJAB
Please find attached an article by Dr Gursharan Singh Kainth, Director, GAD Institute of Development Studies, Amritsar. Any comments can be posted here or sent directly to kainthgs@yahoo.com
Rural economy of Punjab has undergone structural transformation. But the dependence of rural population in general and rural labour in particular for earning livelihood from the rural economy continues. This process of rural transformation has perpetuated distress among the rural workforce. It is a strange phenomenon that migrant labour continues to pour into the rural areas. The rural economy of Punjab, due to wage gap, continues to attract huge amount of inflow of people from other poorer states of India. Rural-rural migration is largely seasonal and stays of workers in most cases, is less than six months. The high rate of growth of productivity and value addition during green revolution period in the agriculture sector has given big push to raise the level of living in the rural economy of Punjab.
Full article: migration-and-agricultural-devlopment-in-punjab
IDEAS: IMPERATIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT
Please find attached an article by Dr Gursharan Singh Kainth
Director, GAD Institute of Development Studies, 14-Preet Avenue, Majitha Road, PO Naushera, Amritsar 143008 (India)
Human welfare depends on ideas. The range is impressive, from meditation to medication and everything in between. The germ theory of disease to the notion that speciation is a consequence of natural selection to the theory of computation to the grand unified theories of the origin of the universe to the notion that the mind and the body are a unity and that they interact and influence each other—all are ideas which have consequences for the well being of people. Over human history, some humans have had ideas on how to do things based on discoveries they or their forbearers made. As the stock of ideas grew, so did the ability of humans to create stuff out of available raw materials increased. Full article in pdf: ideas
The Bucerius Ph.D. Scholarships in Migration Studies “Settling Into Motion”
The Bucerius Ph.D. scholarship program in migration studies “Settling Into Motion” offers up to eight scholarships for Ph.D. theses addressing migration in changing societies. For 2009 proposals studying “Migration, Development and the Environment” are especially welcome.
Migration is a double-edged sword: It generates remittances and some countries heavily depend on these transfers for their economic stability. At the same time, migration drains the highly qualified workforce in countries of origin thus weakening long-term development. Environmental degradation and climate change increasingly cause migration as exemplified by the plan of the Maldivian government to move its entire population should ocean levels rise further. On the other hand, large scale migration into camps and shanty towns further deteriorates the environment. Applications for scholarships under this topic would be encouraged to study the following aspects (but are not limited to these):
– Economic, social and cultural remittances
– Return migration
– Migration management including circular migration and other forms of temporary labour arrangements
– Immigration experiences of developing countries
– Migration-development nexus
– Climate change, environment and migration
– Environmental impact of migration
– Innovative approaches both in terms of subject matter and methodology are highly encouraged.
Applicants must be Ph.D. students of – in a broad sense – social sciences. Deadline 25 February 2009 for a stipend starting in August 2009.Please apply online at http://www.settling-into-motion.org/h/index.php with Ph.D. proposal and two references.
Contact:
ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius
Anna Hofmann
Feldbrunnenstraße 56
20148 Hamburg
Germany
Phone: +49 40 4133 6785
Fax: +49 40 4133 6777
info@settling-into-motion.de
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