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Missing Links in Sustainable Development: South Asian Perspectives
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MediaPre SDC Coverage
Moot on missing links in sustainable development The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) would hold its Ninth Sustainable Development Conference (SDC), which would be attended by a number of national and international scholars, academicians, researchers and activists both from civil society and the government. The conference titled 'Missing Links in Sustainable Development: South Asian Perspective', will cover sustainable development's five major sub-themes: globalisation, gender, peace and people's rights, education and environment. An anthology of last year's SDC titled 'At the Crossroads: South Asian Research, Policy and Development in a Globalised World', containing 23 chapters jointly published by SDPI and Sama Editorial and Publishing Services, will also be launched and presented at the Conference. The conference will be addressed by prominent speakers including Dr Walden Bello, Director of Focus on the Global South, Bangkok, a project of Chulalongkorn University's Social Research Institute, and Professor of Public Administration and Sociology at the University of the Philippines; Urvashi Butalia, a publisher and a writer, co-founder of India's first feminist publishing house, Kali for Women, and Director Zubaan; Dipak Gyawali, Research Director, Nepal Water Conservation Foundation; Institute for Social; Environmental Transition, Nepal and I A Rehman, Director Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. SDPI conference: Visas for Indian delegation being delayed A delay in visas for a 15-strong Indian delegation threatens to take the gloss off a high-profile conference being organised next week by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Islamabad. Dr Saba Khattak, the institute’s executive director, told a press conference on Wednesday that the quality of the conference would suffer if the Interior Ministry did not clear the matter soon. The SDPI has invited a number of South Asian scholars, academics and civil society members for the three-day event that is due to start on December 13. Delegates from North America, Canada and Europe will also be in attendance. “The relevant persons in the Interior Ministry have been very supportive but clearance (of visas) is still awaited,” Dr Khattak said. The conference being held this year is titled ‘Missing Links in Sustainable Development: South Asian Perspectives’, and is to be inaugurated by Prof Attaur Rehman, who heads the Higher Education Commission (HEC). “The SDPI finds it pertinent here that the Indian perspective on missing links in sustainable development be shared at the conference,” Dr Khattak said. “The delegates might not be able to make it to Islamabad at all if visas are issued to them at the last moment.” During the conference, the speakers will cover five major sub-themes: globalisation, gender, peace people’s rights, education and environment. An anthology of last year’s conference titled ‘At the Crossroads: South Asian Research, Policy and Development in a Globalised World’, is also to be launched. “The success of the previous conferences lie in the impact it has had at various levels – from civil society and the private sector to the public sector and policy-makers,” Dr Khattak said. “Policy dialogues proved fruitful where speakers from Pakistan were able to share their ideas with their counterparts from South Asia and other regions of the world.” Moot on missing links in development on 13th The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) held a curtain raiser media briefing to announce its ninth sustainable development conference to be held here on December 13-15. SDPI Executive Director Dr Saba Gul Khattak said on the occasion that a number of reputed national and international scholars, academicians, researchers and activists, both from civil society and the government will speak on the 'Missing links in sustainable development: South Asian perspectives.' The speakers will cover sustainable development conference's five major sub-themes: globalization, gender, peace and people's rights, education and environment. An anthology of last year's moot titled 'At the crossroads: South Asian research, policy and development in a globalised world,' containing 23 chapters jointly published by SDPI and Sama Editorial and Publishing Services, will also be launched during the conference. Dr Attaur Rehman, chairman Higher Education Commission, will be the chief guest for the inaugural session of the conference and will launch the eighth SDC anthology. The conference will be addressed by prominent keynote speakers including Dr Walden Bello, director Focus on the Global South Bangkok; Urvashi Butalia, publisher and writer; Dipak Gyawali, research director Nepal Water Conservation Foundation; and I.A. Rehman, director Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Apart from Pakistan, delegates will be coming from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, North America, Canada and Europe. SDPI Sustainable Development Conference Dr. Saba Gul Khattak, SDPI’s Executive Director, said that the Ninth Sustainable Development Conference (SDC), titled ‘Missing Links in Sustainable Development: South Asian Perspectives’ will attend a number of reputed national and international scholars, academicians, researchers and activists, both from civil society and the government. Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, Chairman Higher Education Commission, will chair inaugural session of the Conference. She stated this while addressing a press conference here Wednesday about the forthcoming international Conference and gave an overview of the preceding eight conferences in the series. Prominent keynote speakers will be Dr Walden Bello, Director of Focus on the Global South, Bangkok, a project of Chulalongkorn University’s Social Research Institute, and Professor of Public Administration and Sociology at the University of the Phillipines; Ms. Urvashi Butalia, a publisher and a writer, co-founder of India’s first feminist publishing house, Kali for Women, and Director Zubaan; Mr. Dipak Gyawali, Research Director, Nepal Water Conservation Foundation; and, Institute for Social and Environmental Transition, Nepal; and Mr. I. A. Rehman, Director Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She said that apart from Pakistan, delegates would be coming from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, North America, Canada and Europe.The concept of sustainable development is essentially an interdisciplinary one. Economists, environmentalists, anthropologists, political scientists and others have advanced rigorous theories to explore various dimensions of sustainable development. “The South Asian region has posed a challenge for SD, she observed. Dr. Saba Gul Khattak told the media: “The success of the previous conferences lie in the impact they had at various levels—from civil society and private sector to public sector and policy-makers.” Govt. policies resulting in rising poverty: SDPI Poverty rate is increasing with every passing day due to the economic and social policies of the present government, said Dr Saba Gul Khattak, SDPI’s Executive Director, here on Wednesday. She was addressing a press conference about the forthcoming international conference and gave an overview of the preceding eighth conferences of the series. She said that we advocate the pro-poor and pro-women activities. She was chairing the curtain raiser press conference to announce Ninth Sustainable Development Conference (SDC), titled ‘Missing Links in Sustainable Development: South Asian Perspectives’ from 13th to 15th of December 2006. The Ninth Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) will host a number of reputed national and international scholars, academicians, researchers and activists, both from civil society and the government. The speakers will cover SDC’s five major sub-themes: Globalization, Gender, Peace and People’s Rights, Education and Environment. An anthology of last year’s Eighth SDC titled ‘At the Crossroads: South Asian Research, Policy and Development in a Globalised World’, containing 23 chapters jointly published by SDPI and Sama Editorial and Publishing Services, will also be launched and presented at the forthcoming conference. Prof. Dr Attaur Rehman, Chairman Higher Education Commission, will be the chief guest at the inaugural session of the conference and will launch the Eighth SDC anthology. While answering to a query she said, “apart from Pakistan, delegates will be coming from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, North America, Canada and Europe.” The concept of sustainable development is essentially an interdisciplinary one. Economists, environmentalists, anthropologists, political scientists and others have advanced rigorous theories to explore the various dimensions of sustainable development. Yet, often their findings and suggestions have not been noticed beyond disciplinary boundaries; they have been ignored in the policy arena and thus could not contribute to solving problems at the grassroots level. The South Asian region has posed a challenge for SD. It hosts the largest number of the world’s poor, is characterized by the widest gender gaps in access to resources, and by latent and violent conflicts over the equitable distribution of natural resources. The Ninth SDC, she said, would examine the multiple facets of sustainable development in the context of South Asia. Narrowing the gaps in sustainability research and bridging the space between the policy discourse on Sustainable Development and practical steps towards a sustainable South Asia has been the mission of SDPI’s sustainable development conference series. This year’s Conference thus aims at identifying the missing links in SD for South Asia and proposes fillers for those. Questions addressed at the Ninth SDC will include why benefits of globalisation have failed to trickle down to the region’s vast population and steps towards a process of global economic integration that benefits the marginalised. It asks, which channels exclude women from access to resources, such as land, decent work, and human security, and how these structures can be changed. Many sound ideas for tackling deforestation, the declining water availability and deteriorating water quality are on the table. Yet, the capture of water governance through the powerful leads to unsustainable water management in South Asia. The Conference looks below the surface of these and many more issues, for reasons and steps towards change. For this task, the region’s pool of cutting-edge academics have been tapped and top researchers invited together with policy-makers, activists and other relevant stakeholders for a vibrant three-day debate, explained Dr Khattak. SDPI’s development conference from 13th The Post Islamabad December 07, 2006 By Sajjad Malik Reputed national and international scholars, academicians, researchers and activists, both from civil society and the government would discuss issues like globalisation, gender, peace, human rights, education and environment during the three-day 9th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) starting at a local hotel from December 13. An anthology of last year’s Eighth SDC titled, ‘At the Crossroads: South Asian Research, Policy and Development in a Globalised World’, jointly published by SDPI and Sama Editorial and Publishing Services, would also be launched at the conference being organised and hosted by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). Addressing a curtain raiser press conference Wednesday Dr Saba Gul Khattak, SDPI’s executive director, said the Ninth SDC had been termed as ‘Missing Links in Sustainable Development: South Asian Perspectives’ and would continue from December 13 and 15, 2006, would also review the last eight conferences. Prof Dr Attaur Rehman, Higher Education Commission chairman, will be the chief guest for the inaugural session of the conference. The conference will also be addressed by prominent keynote speakers, including Dr Walden Bello, director of Focus on the Global South, Bangkok, a project of Chulalongkorn University’s Social Research Institute, and Professor of Public Administration and Sociology at the University of the Phillipines; Ms Urvashi Butalia, a publisher and a writer, co-founder of India’s first feminist publishing house, Kali for Women, and Director Zubaan; Dipak Gyawali, research director, Nepal Water Conservation Foundation; and, Institute for Social and Environmental Transition, Nepal; and IA Rehman, director Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Saba Gul Khattak said the previous conferences hugely impacted at various levels ranging from civil society and private sector to public sector and policy-makers. Policy dialogues, she said, proved fruitful where speakers from Pakistan were able to share their ideas with counterparts from South Asia and other regions of the world. As such the conference attracts leading intellectuals and policy-makers to come together. The Ninth SDC, she said, would examine the multiple facets of sustainable development in the contexts of South Asia. Narrowing the gaps in sustainability research and bridging the space between the policy discourse on Sustainable Development and practical steps towards a sustainable South Asia has been the mission of SDPI’s sustainable development conference series. She said that this year’s Conference aims at identifying the missing links in SD for South Asia and proposes fillers for those. Questions addressed at the Ninth SDC will include why benefits of globalization have failed to trickle down to the region’s vast population and steps towards a process of global economic integration that benefits the marginalised. The conference would also take into stock exclusion of women from access to resources, such as land, decent work, and human security, and how these structures can be changed. Many sound ideas for tackling deforestation, the declining water availability and deteriorating water quality are on the table, she added. According to experts the concept of sustainable development is essentially an interdisciplinary one. Economists, environmentalists, anthropologists, political scientists and others have advanced rigorous theories to explore the various dimensions of sustainable development. Yet, often their findings and suggestions have not been noticed beyond disciplinary boundaries; they have been ignored in the policy arena and thus could not contribute to solving problems at the grassroots level. The South Asian region has posed a challenge for SD. It hosts the largest number of the world’s poor, is characterized by the widest gender gaps in access to resources, and by latent and violent conflicts over the equitable distribution of natural resources.
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