What is progress and how should it be measured? Annual social policy conference will address these questions on November 17.

Social Justice Ireland will hold its annual Social Policy Conference on the topic: Beyond GDP: What is Progress and how should it be measured?  It will be held in Dublin on November 17, 2009. There will be speakers from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) in Paris, from the New Economics Foundation in London, from the Central Statistics Office, the National Economic and Social Council and Social Justice Ireland in Ireland as well as PJ Drudy, Professor Emeritus in Trinity College who will present an opening paper analysing growth and development. Advance booking is essential. An application form is available at the end of this item.

Context

Ireland’s recent experiences raise serious questions concerning the issue of progress. Many believed that increasing economic growth would lead to progress for all. There is general agreement now that this was not the case. While Ireland is more prosperous than it was a decade or two ago it still has problems with poverty, unemployment, healthcare, literacy, housing, transport and a range of other issues. The focus during the economic boom was not on improving people’s wellbeing. Across the world there is a growing realisation that too often a narrow measure of market performance, such as gross domestic product (GDP), has been confused with broader measures of welfare.

In these economically turbulent times it is essential to focus on the issue of progress. What is progress? How should progress be measured? Should adjustments be made to the way GDP is measured? Are new measures of wellbeing and happiness needed? What is required to ensure environmental, social and economic sustainability are integrated into the measurement of progress? This policy conference will address these and related questions from a variety of perspectives.

Date: November 17^th, 2009

Registration: 9.15 a.m.

Conference:    9.45—5.00 p.m.

Venue:   Tara Towers Hotel,

Dublin, Ireland.

 

Conference Chairperson: Olivia O’Leary

 

Conference Fee: €100

- Members of Social Justice Ireland: €65

- Conference fee and one-year Membership of Social Justice Ireland: €110

 

Advance booking is essential.

 

Please complete and return Application Form (overleaf) with fee to:

Social Justice Ireland, Arena House, Arena Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18, Ireland

Conference Papers

 

Part One: Progress – The story to date

Speaker: P.J. Drudy (Professor Emeritus, Trinity College, Dublin)

Part Two: Current International Responses

 

An OECD Perspective

Speaker: Adolfo Morrone (OECD Global Project on Measuring Progress)

A Human Well-Being Index

Speaker: Nic Marks (New Economics Foundation, London)

Part Three: Current Irish Initiatives

 

A Social Report on Ireland

Speaker: Helen Johnston (NESC)

Measuring Ireland’s Progress

Speaker: Gerry O’Hanlon (CSO)

Part Four: Implications for Ireland’s Policy Making

Speakers: Seán Healy and Brigid Reynolds (Social Justice Ireland) 

Social Justice Ireland Social Policy Conference 2009

APPLICATION FORM

Please print out this form, complete it and return it with the appropriate fee to:

Social Justice Ireland,

Arena House,

Arena Road,

Sandyford,

Dublin 18,

Ireland.

 

 

Name: ___________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________­­­­­­_____________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Telephone No: _____________________________________________________  

Email address: _____________________________________________________

 

Dietary requirements:

Vegetarian:  _______________________________________________________

Other, please specify: _______________________________________________

Fee enclosed (Please tick as appropriate)   Full conference fee: €100 [   ]   Fee for Social Justice Ireland Members: €65   [   ]   Conference fee and membership of Social Justice Ireland:   €110 [   ]