University of Notre Dame Global Gateway - Rome, Italy

Via Ostilia No. 15, Rome

October 22-24, 2014

Development theory and practice is broadly in agreement that attention to aggregate economic growth alone is insufficient to advance people’s well-being. Contemporary approaches to development seek ways to broaden its effective impact on a wide range of conditions related to human flourishing. One clear expression of this desire can be found in the pervasive presence of appeals to human dignity in the work of development.

Hosted by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, this conference will bring together both academics and practitioners from around the world to explore different understandings of human dignity in the context of development—and the implications of a comprehensive respect for human dignity for the practice of development. The effort is part of a larger, incipient research initiative led by the conference organizer, Kellogg Institute Director Paolo G. Carozza.

The conference aims to generate dialogue and seek understanding with insights from:

  • A range of scholarly disciplines and fields of knowledge
  • Development practice as well as theoretical/academic work
  • Religiously informed understandings of dignity and development (beginning with Catholic social teaching) as well as secular or interreligious ones

The conference also aims to contribute to broader discussions about sustainable development and the post-2015 global sustainable development agenda now under active discussion in the international development community. For more information or to register for the conference, please contact KIEvents@nd.edu.