Endogenous Development and Bio-Cultural Diversity

 

Start
Introduction
The Conference
Conference Organisation
Programme
Participants
Papers
Statement of Commitment
Compas Declaration
Conventions and Declarations
Contact

 

The International Conference
3-5 October 2006, Geneva, Switzerland

 

Objectives of the Conference

The international conference on “Endogenous Development and Bio-Cultural Diversity: the interplay of Worldviews, Globalization, and Locality” will be held in Geneva, on 3-5 October 2006. It will be hosted by the Geneva Graduate Institute of Development Studies (IUED).

 

The conference aims to bring together the actors of the COMPAS network with other relevant organisations having interests and experiences in the promotion of bio-cultural diversity as a centrepiece of sustainable development. The resulting broadening of the networks serves as a basis for establishing a platform aiming for stronger involvement of international policy making organisations that are relevant for the promotion of endogenous development.

 

The main objectives of the conference are:

  1. Share and assess experiences on endogenous development and initiatives for enhancing Bio-Cultural Diversity through policies, research, education and practices.

  2. Recommend innovations for development, research, education and policy aiming at endogenous development, bio-cultural diversity and co-evolution of different knowledge communities and policies.

  3. Strengthen strategic alliances and explore options for collaboration between Community-Based Organisations, NGOs, scientists and policy makers aiming at endogenous development and bio-cultural diversity.

 

 

Preparation of the conference [top]

During the pre-conference COMPAS partner meeting (18-29 September), the experiences of the COMPAS partners in Africa, Latin America and Asia will be documented and analysed, and proposals for concrete new initiatives for 2007-2010 will be formulated for discussion and/or negotiation/collaboration with other stakeholders and organisations. As much as possible new alliances and collaborative agreements with international, regional and national organisations for policy making, local development, nature protection and science development will be sought and explored during the conference.

Further, in the COMPAS programme a learning guide for endogenous development (LENDEV) is being prepared and will be launched at the conference. Interest for regional training and planning activities will be explored and possible arrangements for cooperation made.

Each of the co-organising partners will present a paper describing their ongoing activities, policies and views, as well as their potential interest in collaborative activities with others.

For this particular conference, a strategic partnership has been agreed upon between COMPAS, the University of Bern, IUED of Geneva, ILO and IUCN. COMPAS is ultimately responsible for the programme, the University of Bern will organise the process and IUED will host the conference KFPE, ILO and IUCN will co-organise the conference and will participate with their senior staff and field-based staff and organisations. Other institutions may join in the organisation. The intention is to explore continuation of collaboration also after the conference.

Important policy making and development organisations will be further identified, and in the preparation to the conference they will be visited by Stephan Rist and Bertus Haverkort in order to establish relationships, open the discussion, and explore a collaborative relationship for the period 2007-2010.

During the conference possibly a declaration on Endogenous Development and Bio-Cultural Diversity will be formulated. A draft text for consultation will be prepared before the conference by the co-organising institutions.

After the conference, the participating organisations will be approached for follow-up through communications and/or visits, in order to materialise the potential partnerships.

During the next phase of COMPAS (2007-2010) the COMPAS activities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe will be more open to networking and collaborative activities.

To start with, the first part of 2007, regional planning workshops and training for endogenous development will be launched, making use of the outcomes of the conference and the LENDEV training materials.
 

 

Outputs of the conference [top]

  1. Declaration with recommendations and key issues for the dialogue within and between different knowledge communities and for possible cooperation and exchange.

  2. List of concrete initiatives for enhancing bio-cultural diversity to be carried out by the participating organisations and/or by collaborative activities.

  3. Proposals for regional initiatives on endogenous development and bio-cultural diversity.

  4. Agreed list of follow up activities for the organising institutions.

  5. Papers and documents on different experiences, views and approaches for dealing with bio-cultural diversity from the perspective of local and indigenous peoples, NGOs, scientists, policy makers.

  6. Book with conference proceedings and selected papers.