Call For Presentations

ANNOUNCEMENT: The deadline for workshop presentation proposals has been extended to May 15, 2009. Click here to submit a proposal.

Transformational Development Conference
2nd Annual Meeting
August 7 - 9, 2009
St. Davids, Pennsylvania, USA

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

Food for the Hungry and Eastern University are pleased to host the 2nd annual Transformational Development Conference. We are currently soliciting proposal submissions for workshop presentations; presentations may take form in papers, panels, or creative presentations. This meeting is scheduled for August 7–9, 2009 on Eastern University’s campus in St. Davids, PA. Confirmed speakers include Rene Padilla, Tony Campolo, Jaisankar Sarma, Lisa Sharon Harper, and Benjamin Homan. Download this information in PDF (176 KB).

Framing the Discourse

We are a community united by God’s call to end physical and spiritual poverty worldwide. We desire to come together to engage in honest conversation that names our common hopes and signals the challenges we face.

Without such reflection we drift into a functional idolatry that relies on (and points others to) ourselves, our cultures, our programs, our power, and our resources as the means and ends. There should be a difference that both testifies against injustice, and reveals the glory and goodness of Christ, who is making all things new. We convene to spur each other on to reshape our ways of visioning, living and doing Transformational Development.

However, we cannot address the complexities of human poverty trapped in the traditional silos that separate the economist and the theologian, the practitioner and the academic, the North and the South, the church and the NGO, the agency and the beneficiary. The intent of the conference is to continue to draw a diversity of voices (including those who have yet to realize how relevant their gifts are) to the conversation and to engage them for change. We encourage representation from relief and development organizations, universities and educational institutions, research bodies, churches and denominations, advocacy and mobilization movements, field programs, the arts and media, and governments. We welcome all who respond to the call.

Call for Presentations

At last year’s conference, several themes emerged which rallied attention around key areas of impact across the entire field of Transformational Development. It is clear that if we do not effect change in these areas, we will not greatly impact the status quo. Consequently, we invite all catalysts to submit presentations on one of the eight following themes:

Theology
Grounding both the motivations and operations of transformational development in applied, Biblical theology
Articulating a fresh and compelling language of poverty, justice, kingdom, development, and transformation

Education
Creating holistic pedagogies, academic infrastructures and programs to prepare and mobilize the next generation for transformational development
Cultivating learning cultures characterized by shared participation, critical reflection, and praxis for development innovation and community renewal

The Church
Understanding the impact that trends in church cultures and social roles have on the dynamics and outcomes of transformational development
Pursuing an ecclesiology for engaging churches in the North and the South in holistic mission that goes beyond utility (as a funding patron or program delivery channel) and seeks mutual exchange, communion, and transformation in the global body of Christ

Power & Politics
Discerning the role of global and local power structures and the necessity of justice advocacy for transformational outcomes
Integrating approaches that effectively challenge and transform unjust policies and systems and restore the voice of the poor

Christian Formation
Participating as both object and agents of transformation to sign-post the effectiveness of God’s grace in Christ by the Spirit
Facilitating the positive impact of personal wholeness on community transformation through improving member care, counseling, community accountability, discipleship, and guided Spiritual formation

Partnerships
Building mutual and transformative relationships with beneficiaries, donors, government, business, academic institutions, NGOs, and others
Pursuing new development horizons through broader shared ownership of problems, resources, and transformational outcomes

Organizations
Transforming organizational identity and operating paradigms through vision, mission, and values alignment
Mentoring, equipping, and empowering transformationally-oriented development leaders around the globe

Methods, Measures, & Means
Aligning development techniques, approaches and strategies to Kingdom aims
Developing indicators and conducting assessments to measure for transformational outcomes and engagements
Pursuing excellence and best practice without surrendering to secular definitions and currencies of value

Submission Guidelines

Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2009
Please submit your proposal via online form or download this form (Word Document, KB) and send via email to TDconference@fh.org by Friday, May 1, 2009, 4:00 pm (MST). If you are unable to submit electronically, you may send your proposal by mail to:
Ms. Esther Hsu,
ATTN: TD Conference 2009 Committee,
Food for the Hungry,
1224 E. Washington St.,
Phoenix, AZ 85034-1102, USA.

Submission Requirements
In addition to contact information, please provide a 200-400 word presentation description that addresses one of the aforementioned themes and includes at least one learning objective for the audience (i.e. “What will the learner know or be able to do after attending the session?”). If you would like your photo printed in the conference workbook, please also submit a headshot photograph.

Review & Notification
After the proposal review process is complete, notifications will be sent no later than May 28 to those whose proposals are accepted. Accepted presenters must register for the conference by June 5 in order to secure their spot.
Notifications for the declined proposals will be sent no later than June 12.

For more information, contact us here or via email: TDconference@fh.org