Institute for Human Development



	International Conference on 'Development, Freedom and Welfare' in Honour of Professor Amartya Sen, 19 - 20 December 2008, New Delhi In collaboration with Cornell University, IHD organised a major international conference in New Delhi, in honour of Professor Amartya Sen on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, inaugurated the conference. Some of the leading social scientists of the world, including Nobel Laureates Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Professor Edmund Phelps and Professor Amartya Sen himself, participated in the conference. In addition, 30 papers by young researchers were selected from a global call for papers, and these were presented during the conference. Conference programme Abstracts of papers by young researchers Press coverage International Seminar on National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in India Impacts and Implementation Experiences, 16 - 17 September 2008, New Delhi In collaboration with Center de Sciences Humaines, (CSH), New Delhi, IHD organized a two-day International Seminar in New Delhi, which brought together field-based experiences on issues and concerns related to the implementation of NREGS for policy and practice. The objective was to facilitate the strengthening of the programme, and deliberate on the wider impact of NREGS, such as asset creation, implications for labour markets, (migration, wages, etc.), income generation, poverty reduction, social mobilization and empowerment. About 100 participants - academicians, social activists, policymakers, development practitioners, etc. - participated in the seminar, including about 10 scholars and experts from outside India. Shri Raghuvansh Pd. Singh, Union Minister for Rural Development, gave the valedictory address. Development, Deprivations, Discontents and Violence: Challenges in the Extremist Affected Areas, 14 - 15 September 2008, New Delhi A two day Roundtable Discussion on the report of the Expert Group formed by the Planning Commission, Government of India on 'Development Challenges in Extremists Affected Areas' was organized in New Delhi. The deliberations encompassed a holistic view of emerging extremist issues and the need for a multi- level development perspective to address the same, rather than viewing it as a law and order issue emerged. Annual Conference of the Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA), 11 - 13 September 2008, New Delhi IHD organized the prestigious Annual Conference of the Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA) in New Delhi. It was for the first time that HDCA's Annual Conference was held in a developing country. More than 300 participants, some of whom were leading academicians from different parts of the world participated in this Conference which was inaugurated by Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi. The general theme of the Conference was "Inequality and Human Development", on which about 140 papers are presented. In addition, there were about 18 panels on various themes. The conference was preceded by a two-week long summer school on Capability and Multidimensional Poverty, for 35 selected scholars from different part of the world for 13 days duration Programme Growth and Human Development in Jharkhand, 4-5 July 2008, Ranchi The Eastern Regional Centre of IHD organized a major national seminar on "Growth and Human Development in Jharkhand" at Ranchi. About 20 well-known experts presented their papers on various aspects of the Jharkhand economy and society. About 15 experts from outside Jharkhand also participated, which included Shri B.K.Chaturvedi, Shri B.N.Yugandhar, Professor Abhijit Sen and Professor Atul Sarma. A major highlight of the seminar was the concluding panel discussion on "Vision for Jharkhand" in which representatives of major political parties - Shri Babulal Maradi, Shri Saryu Rai, Shri Bhubaneshwar Mehta, Shri B.L.Munda and Shri Subodh Kant Sahai - participated. Representatives of media and academics also participated in the panel. The media considered this seminar to be a major event of the state. Workshop on ‘Strengthening the Delivery of Social Services in Delhi: A Convergence Model for Empowering the Poor’ from 19-20 May 2008, New Delhi Samajik Suvidha Sangam is an initiative of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi with a Mission for Convergence, for enabling the marginalized, vulnerable and the needy to effectively access welfare entitlement schemes offered by various government departments. IHD organized a two-day workshop on ‘Strengthening the Delivery of Social Services in Delhi: A Convergence Model for Empowering the Poor’, in collaboration with the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. The aim was to discuss the different aspects of operationalizing the various dimensions and issues related to this mission. Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi inaugurated the workshop and Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission delivered the key note address. The workshop brought together a select group of specially invited experts consisting of policymakers, representatives of civil society organisations, NGOS and INGOs and academicians a common platform, with the objective of providing an opportunity to interact with practitioners of successful social assistance and convergence programmes with a similar vision from within and outside the country. SPA Research Partners’ Workshop, 21-22nd Feb 2008, New Delhi SPA is a programme co-managed by IHD in collaboration with the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex. The programme addresses issues of social protection in the region, especially those that emanated as a response to the inequality and vulnerability of millions that emerged in the aftermath of globalization and the Asian financial crisis of the previous decade. (See www.socialprotectionasia.org for details). The programme envisages identifying barriers to the extension of social protection, practical solutions, and innovative and concrete experiences in the region for influencing governments and international financial institutions so that social protection policies seamlessly integrate into the poverty reduction and development goals of respective countries. Phase II of the programme initiated in Sept 2007, identified nine research projects in the region through a competitive call for proposals, for undertaking research in various identified sub-themes of social protection. Through research, networking and advocacy activities, SPA research partners work together and foster a network of stakeholders in social protection. A two-day meet of these research partners was organized in New Delhi on 21-22 Feb 2008, to formally launch the SPA programme in the region and discuss the research proposals and finalize the methodologies. International Conference on Universalizing Socio-Economic Security in South Asia, 17 – 20 February 2008, New Delhi The Institute of Social Studies, The Hague and the Institute for Human Development, New Delhi jointly organized an International Conference on “Universalisation of Social Protection in Asia” at New Delhi. The Conference was the outcome of an ongoing collective initiative of several collaborating institutions and organisations, including the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Kerala; Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), Ahmedabad; Pakistan Institute for Labour Education and Research (PILER), Karachi; Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (RDI/CASS), Beijing; Centre for Policy Studies, Hyderabad (CESS); and the Institute for Policy Studies, Colombo (IPS/SL). This initiative is expected to be supported by grants and assistance from various organisations, including Ford Foundation, New Delhi; IDRC, New Delhi; and FNV, The Netherlands. The Conference reflected on selected invited papers by academics and practitioners from Asia and other parts of the world. These papers focussed on the various aspects of an agenda of universalisation of socio-economic security, and were discussed by peers and other experts drawn from diverse backgrounds such as economists and other social scientists, policy makers and programme implementers, and representatives of national and international development agencies and civil society. Regional Dialogues on 'Unequal Access to Water and Options for Conflict Resolution' at Ranchi and Jaipur , 23 - 27 June 2007 IHD and the India Water Partnership (IWP) organized Regional Level Dialogues on "Unequal Access to Water and Options for Conflict Resolution" for the eastern region on 23rd June, 2007 at Ranchi, and for the northern region on 27th June at Jaipur. The objective of the dialogues was to understand the nature of conflicts arising due to unequal access to water and also the mechanism and institutions in operation at the ground level to help resolve these conflicts. Various stakeholders (such as farmers, researchers, govt. officials, representatives from NGOs and civil society) from the different states participated in these dialogues. Global Production Networks and Decent Work: Recent Experience in India and Global Trends, 18 - 20 November 2007, Bangalore The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Delhi, International Institute of Labour Studies (IILS), Geneva and Institute for Human Development jointly organized an International Workshop on the above topic from the 18th to 20th November 2007 at Bangalore. Asian Sub-regional Workshop on 'Using Indicators to Promote and Monitor the Implementation of Human Rights', 26 - 28 July 2007, New Delhi The three day workshop was organized by IHD jointly with the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) and OHCHR. It was inaugurated by Honble' Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, the Chief Justice of India and the valedictory address was delivered by Professor Arjun Sengupta, Chairman, NCEUS. The workshop brought together human rights stakeholders namely national human rights institutions, policymakers, national statistical agencies and some civil society representatives, primarily from South Asia i.e. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka. The Asia-Pacific forum of the national human rights institutions also participated. Four Regional Consultations on Conditions of Workers in the Unorganised Sector, April - June 2007, Jaipur, Kolkata, Ranchi and Bangalore. In association with the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS), the Institute organized four regional consultations on 'Conditions of Work in the Unorganised Sector and Promotion of Livelihoods' in different regions (Jaipur, Kolkata, Ranchi and Bangalore) in the country. Individuals representing government departments, trade unions, academics and NGOs from different states participated in the Consultation. International Seminar on 'Revisiting the Poverty Issue: Measurement, Identification and Eradication Strategies', 20 - 22 July, 2007, Patna In collaboration with A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies and Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), IHD organized an international seminar on 'Revisiting the Poverty Issue: Measurement, Identification and Eradication Strategies' in Patna. The seminar was supported by the Bihar State Planning Board and Department of Rural Development of the Government of Bihar. The main objective was to promote a dialogue between policy shapers, academia and civil society to revisit the poverty issue in India and its multiple facets, including conceptual and methodological issues on definitions, identification and efficiency of public interventions aimed at poverty eradication. The seminar was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Bihar and attended by more than 150 persons, including several leading economists, both from India and abroad Round Table Discussion on 'Agriculture without Child Labour: Harvest for the future', 12 June 2007, New Delhi ILO IPEC's INDUS Child Labour Project and IHD organized a half-day Round Table Discussion on the theme 'Agriculture without Child Labour: Harvest for the Future' on at New Delhi, on the eve of the sixth World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL).