Pilsen Talks 2006

Poverty and Wealth in the Contemporary World

Another event in the series of annual international conferences, the "Pilsen Talks", is to take place in May 2006 (4 May 2006), held by the University of West Bohemia in conjunction with the City of Pilsen and the Embassy of the United States in the Czech Republic. The theme of the Pilsen Talks 2006 is "Poverty and Wealth in the Contemporary World". The conference should explore the issues of poverty both in the Czech Republic and worldwide. At the same time, we would like to discuss questions implied in the issues of the development of various world regions, among others the MDGs, the possibilities for the upgrading of the conditions of human life, the so-called human security paradigm, the role of NGOs in combating poverty, the official development assistance efficiency etc.

The conference is preliminarily structured into three panels, which are:

Poverty as part of the international politics agenda (one of the aims of the panel could be to evaluate the achievements and shortcomings with respect to the fulfillment of the Millenium Development Goals, the shift in the perception of poverty - criteria of poverty etc.),
States and the struggle against poverty (here we would like to consider how particular states combat poverty of both their own population and the population of other regions, to inquire into the transformations and strategies of the official development and technical assistance, the establishment of national development agencies, and the issues of human security respectively - particularly the Human Security Network), and
International organizations and the struggle against poverty (here we would like to focus on the NGOs' and IGOs' actions directed at combating poverty, the negative impact of some of the programs etc.).

The conference will take place in Pilsen on 4 May 2006 in Měšťanská beseda, Kopeckého sady (street).

The languages of the conference will be English and Czech (simultaneous interpreting into both languages has been provided for).

Papers will be published in form of an academic volume edited by the Department of Politics and International Relations of the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts at the University of West Bohemia.

The accommodation of conference participants is provided and funded by the organizing institutions.

Program

9’30–9’45 AM: Opening Ceremony
Miroslav Kalous: Lord Mayor of the City of Pilsen
Josef Prusa: Rector, University of West Bohemia
William J. Cabaniss: U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic

9’45–11’30 AM: Poverty, world and Czech Republic
Ondrej Horky: Institute of International Relations
Ondrej Nadvornik: People in Need
Ales Kocourek: Technical University Liberec
Joseph D. Lewandowski: Charles University

1’30–3’15 PM: States and the Struggle against Poverty
Zuzana Hlavickova: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic
Petr Jelinek: Institute of International Relations
Irah Kucerova: Charles University
Olivier Nicoloff: Canadian Ambassy
Srdjan Stakic: Fulbright Fellow

3’45–5’30 PM: Non-governmental Organizations and the Struggle against Poverty
Eva Konasova: University of West Bohamia Pavel Novacek: Palacky University Agency for Development and Humanitarian Assistance Michal Ruzicka: People in Need Petr Lebeda: Cesko proti chudobe Vojtech Ralek: Sdruzeni Ceska katolicka charita

Contacts

Katedra politologie a mezinarodnich vztahu
Sedlackova 15, Plzen
www.kap.zcu.cz

Sarka Waisova - waisova@kap.zcu.cz
Lenka Strnadova - lstrnad@kap.zcu.cz