DSA Conference Nov 2004

WeD members attended serveral of the sessions at the conference.

Plenaries

Session 1. Promoting evidence based development policy Co-ordinator: John Young, ODI

Points raised: Improving accessibility of research, making research concise and easy to read for policy makers, building networks and using informal contacts. Get feedback from users of research, get end users to be engaged in research preparation and process.

Session 2: Participation: From tyranny to transformation? Co-ordinator: Monica Janowski, University of Greenwich

Questioning of usefulness of participation. Discussion on how ‘forced’ participation can undermine other forms of citizenship and democracy. Problems arising when participation does not mean those participating could exert leverage. Participation as accountability to target group.

Session 3: Temporary workers schemes in the UK: impacts on pro-poor policy. Co-ordinator: Richard Black, University of Sussex

Examination of the temporary workers scheme in terms of their consequences for developing countries. Discussion of exploitation of seasonal agricultural workers in UK – “hunger-induced compliance”. Discussion of how these schemes could be better designed.