Beyond Development: Local Visions of Global Poverty
In late 2016 the Poverty Research Network was awarded an exciting grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), to establish a Research Network for International Development. Beginning on 1 November 2016, the 24-month grant will internationalise the Poverty Research Network by holding workshop events at partner institutions in Bangladesh, Brazil, Mexico, Slovenia, and South Africa. These will explore how different narratives of poverty and poverty reduction have been conceptualised and articulated in specific countries, to deepen our understanding of the social and political construction of poverty. These narratives will then be disseminated back to academics, practitioners and policymakers in Britain through a concluding international conference, to be held at the University of Warwick in 2018.
The Network will produce a range of academic and non-academic outputs, to be disseminated through a range of channels. These will include a special issue peer-reviewed journal; a digital forum; a social media presence; and a public exhibition at the University of Warwick. A central aspect of this Network is to also disseminate research findings to international development practitioners and policymakers, in both the United Kingdom and in the five specific local contexts of ODA recipient nations. Within the United Kingdom, officials from DFID will participate in the concluding conference at the University of Warwick, which builds upon existing links between Warwick and DFID (established through Warwick’s ID GRP). Research findings will be disseminated through the conference discussions, the production of a set of policy recommendations, and the co-production of a policy paper with DFID officials.
The project ultimately aspires to increase our understanding of how local contexts shape development; strengthen the voices of developing countries in governance; and promote alternative visions of current policy as set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.