Final Report of ‘Beyond Economics’

The final report of the three launches of Development 52.3 ‘Beyond Economics’ is now available. In 2009‐2010 the Society for International Development (SID), in partnership with the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos), responded to the financial crisis through a special issue of the SID journal Development on ‘Beyond Economics’, and three consecutive launches on three continents. The conversations focused on the critique of mainstream neo‐classical economic t...

Beyond Economics - East Africa

This dialogue will be an occasion to bring together African networks involved in research and advocacy on African based network looking at the impact of the systemic crises on African development. The launch/dialogue will invite participants to reflect on the performance of Southern and East African economies in relation to the current multiple crises (financial, food, fuel, care). It will ask participants to look at the way the crises are playing out in Africa, specifically at the socio-eco...

Inclusive economy with a social agenda

This brief report looks at the key issues raised during the intergenerational debate in The Hague on how to place people at the centre of economics. The meeting focused on how to establish collective responsibility for sustainable livelihoods in wake of the crises. Building on an nalysis of the crises by keynote speaker Rick van der Ploeg the panel and the audience sketched out how to resituate themarket within society and how its regulation can be better placed in the hands of citizens. Th...

Never waste a crisis

The launch of the development journal issue 52.3 followed by a SID HIVOS UNDESA International Policy Seminar ‘Responding to the interlocked financial, climate and care crises’ fostered a lively set of discussions of mainstream neo classical economic thinking, visions for alternative forms of economies, as well as the new frameworks for sustainable human development.

South Africa and the global economic crisis

Assistant Editor Laura Fano interviewed Ebrahim-Khalil Hassen, who could not attend the launch of Development 52.3 ‘Beyond Economics’ in New York, on the effects of the global economic crisis in South Africa. Ebrahim is an independent researcher and a part-time research associate at the Centre for Poverty, Employment and Growth at South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council.

Another economics borne?

‘There is another economics waiting be borne. It would take efficiency off the pedestal and stress theimportance of alternative measures’, Stephen Marglin, Harvard University. This is one of the quotes from the Beyond Economics Meeting in New York report.

From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth

During the launch of Development 52.3 ‘Beyond Economics’, which was held in New York on 29-31 October 2009, Assistant Editor Laura Fano Morrissey interviewed David Korten, president and founder of the People-Centered Development Forum and author of numerous books includingAgenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth, The Great Turning and When Corporations Rule the World.

Collective responsibility for sustainable livelihoods

The second launch of ‘Beyond Economics’ took place in The Hague on 11 December 2009 and was inspired by the third issue of Development Vol 52. The Hague seminar hinged on the question of whether economics itself has to change or whether the existing economic principles just need to be more efficiently put into practice perhaps with better, more people-centred and environmentally friendly policy.

Renewable energy: a top priority in fighting climate change

I think the main thing is that if we don’t address the climate crisis there will be very severe dislocations of economic lives as well as people’s lives. And much of that, the brunt of that will be borne by poor people partly because of the way in which the climate crisis will unfold but partly because we have fewer resources with which the poor can cope. So I think from the perspective of the poor is very important that we respond to the climate crisis and avoid as much of the danger to the...

The need to reconnect value with values

Firstly we have to realize that something can be economically profitable, economically right but ethically or morally wrong. Civil society organizations should not only make their arguments in saying ‘this is the more economic way to proceed, that it’s better because we can show that the benefits exceed the costs’. There are also spaces to make ethical and moral arguments.