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Call for Papers Theme: Globality, Unequal Development, and Ethics of Duty Type: 6th International Conference on Alternative Perspectives and Global Concerns Institution: School of International Development and Global Studies (EDIM), University of Ottawa Centre on Values and Ethics and the Department of Philosophy (COVE), Carleton University Location: Ottawa, ON (Canada) Date: 17.–18.10.2014 Deadline: 30.6.2014 __________________________________________________ Rarely since the 1960’s has the concept of global socio-economic development gone uncontested. Initially it meant ‘modernization’, remaking non-industrialized societies in the pattern of the wealthier industrial societies. Yet this proved to be harmful in many cases, provoking critical responses like that of Peter Berger, who argued in Pyramids of Sacrifice (1974) that the discourse of development sacrifices rather than benefits Third World societies. What is needed, he argued, is a marriage of ethics and social change. Similarly, by reflecting on inequality and poverty in The Cruel Choice, Denis Goulet argued that development needs to be redefined, demystified, and thrust into the arena of moral debate. Subsequently the prevailing conceptions of development focused on economic growth, yet this provoked another round of debates on the meaning of ‘development’, which, more accurately, were debates about what is worthwhile development – about what development ought to be. A growing number of voices contended that if development is to be a worthwhile objective of public policy, it could not be reduced to economic growth; rather, a number of other values had to be satisfied, including well-being, equity, and empowerment, human rights, cultural liberty, environmental sustainability, and integrity in relation to corruption. Philosophical reflection on these issues was provided by members of the International Development Ethics Association including Goulet, David Crocker, Nigel Dower, Des Gasper, Jay Drydyk, Christine Koggel and Asuncion St. Clair. Meanwhile, prominent political philosophers such as Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum, Thomas Pogge, and Onora O’Neill argued that unequal development, in its many dimensions, is incompatible with justice. This application of an idea of justice to the context of development demands greater complexity within our conceptions of justice, involving not only reduction of poverty and other inequalities but empowerment and expansion of agency for the poor. Globalization has resulted in further complexities. Some countries have availed opportunities of globalized production better than others to achieve high rates of economic growth, and some of these have significantly advanced the well-being of their people, as indicated by such measures as the Human Development Index. On the other hand, human development has stagnated in other countries – and indeed entire regions. Today, it is estimated that there are approximately 820 million people living on less than $1.25 a day. The absolute numbers of poor people are cutting off from the prosperity promised by global changes, critiques argue. Even where living standards have improved, other values of worthwhile development have not been met, and the worst of cases have been characterized by combinations of stagnant well-being, inequality, disempowerment, human rights lapses, cultural repression, environmental unsustainability, and corruption. However, the process of globalization signifies a new social condition destined to give way to new global consciousness. By interconnecting and networking the self- contained societies, globalization gradually constitutes a conscious global social condition, an ethical globality, providing conditions for a global public reason which urges us to contemplate upon our duty to end inequality and poverty. How is poverty in a globalized world different from the previous era? Do we have duty to end poverty? Just poverty, or also disempowerment? Based on what moral reasoning is this duty grounded? Must this reasoning be based on value consensus, or can it result in convergence on conclusions from plural moral premises? What derives from this duty? To whom is this duty addressed? What are the dimensions of this duty? Is this a duty to help or a duty for justice? Is it a uniform duty or are there diverse lines of reasoning and justifications for it? Who must undertake this duty? How is the duty undertaken and fulfilled? As the sixth in a series on Alternative Perspectives on Global Concerns (www.ap-gc.org), this conference provides a forum for conversation and dialogue about the ethics of duty in an age of globality and extreme poverty. Conference Themes Conference topics include, but are not limited to the following areas: - Ethical dimensions of worthwhile development vs. maldevelopment - Winners and losers from globalization - Poverty, agency, and empowerment - Globalization of trade and the world poverty - Financial integration and poverty - Duty to help or to justice - Duties of justice: beyond inequality of resources - Justice as a virtue, in the context of international development We invite proposals for 30-minute individual presentations. We welcome the analysis of a broad range of issues, disciplinary and interdisciplinary reflections and case studies. We also encourage panel submission of three papers (each panel totaling 105 minutes). Please include a brief description of the panel as well as individual abstracts for each of the papers. For individual papers, please send an abstract, maximum length of 250 words and a short bio of 150 words by end of June, 2014. Notifications of acceptance will be made by the conference committee by end of July, 2014. Depending on budgetary availability, a selection of the conference contributions will be publishing in a volume with the working title: Globality, Unequal Development, and Duties of Justice. Contact: Dr. Mahmoud Masaeli School of International Development and Global Studies University of Ottawa 120 University Street, Room 8010 Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada Phone: +1 613 562-5800 ext. 4979 Fax: +1 613 562-5817 Email: mmasa...@uottawa.ca Web: http://www.globalityandethicsofduty.org __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________