Knowledge & Change Spotlight: Launch Development Journal 53.3

Additional tags: Sustainable , Economy , Development

The 'spotlight' session series provides a daily preview of key events of our upcoming Knowledge Dialogue. Today, we highlight the launch of Development issue no 53.3 on ‘Sustaining Local Economies’ with a lively critical debate on new economics in response to the crisis and solidarity economies. Authors will join
Josine Stremmelaar (Hivos) and Wendy Harcourt (Editor of Development) in an open debate on how to use the momentum of the crisis to rethink the interaction of market, the state and society and the vital role of communities and their participation in economic decision making.

Despite the global economic crisis can we sustain local economies? Development keeps trying to understand that critical question in the sequel to Development vol 53 no 3 ‘Beyond economics’ Development on ‘Sustaining Local Economies’ Development (vol. 53 no 3). In partnership with the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos), the journal takes a dual approach: one to continue the debate on beyond economics bringing in new voices and building on the dynamic discussions of the earlier journal and in various meetings and on-line debates. The second is to document some of the alternatives found in the local economies which are functioning on the margins of neo-liberal global capitalism.

The issue continues the debate on beyond economics looking critically at the impact of the sub prime crisis, the politics of money and the impact of the crisis on women. It also examines local markets, strategies for sustainability, solidarity economies and care networks as ways to empower people and encourage greater civic agency. From both a rights perspective and critical development perspective the journal issue looks at how to develop diverse modes of production in different parts of the world. The journal issue features innovative ways to understand possible alternatives to global capitalist economies as part of the search for sustainable futures.

Some of the key questions asked by authors from rural Tanzania to urban Bucharest are: how does the State support local economies created by civil society initiatives? What role does the private sector play? What enables local enterprises to flourish? How do local markets feed into and work with global markets? Is the social and care economy a possible third system? What are the ways forward for environmental sustainability, well being and equality in a new more responsible development process that can respond to the current climate, financial and care crises?

Development vol 53 no 3 will be launched at the Hivos meeting ‘Knowledge & Change, Theory and practice of development dilemmas’ to be held in The Hague, 29 September 2010 as well as on line on the SID Forum in Development’s contribution to the lead up to UN meeting on environment and development, Rio+20.