Development Policy Discussion Days
The Development Policy Discussion Days (Entwicklungspolitischen Diskussionstage; EPDT), which SLE organises annually in cooperation with the Heinrich-Böll Foundation, promotes the exchange of ideas between development studies, applied development policy, academia and the private sector. This annual gathering consists of three separate events and is attended by around 450 visitors, making it one of the largest development studies events in Berlin. Speakers from different institutions and organisations discuss current topics and controversies. In 2015, for example, the direction and effectiveness of development cooperation in the context of refugees and displacement took centre stage. In the International Year of Soils, the Days focused on the importance of soil conservation and the role of the 'New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition' in combating hunger and poverty. Topics from previous years include Africa's natural wealth, the implementation of climate change adaptation measures, cooperation with fragile states, and civil-military cooperation and corruption in international cooperation. This development studies symposium reflects current concerns and interests of the international cooperation community.Students from SLE and the Heinrich Böll Foundation organise the symposium and prepare the content. They present the speakers, promote the event and write briefing papers in cooperation with SLE staff. The Development Policy Discussion Days event is thus a valuable component of the SLE training programme.
Information on the topics and content of Development Policy Discussion Days in recent years can be found here.
The following organisations have taken part in panel discussions several times since 2002 (presented in order of frequency):
- German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ)
- Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), now GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)
- German Development Institute (DIE)
- Heinrich Böll Foundation
- Welthungerhilfe Germany
- Freie Universität Berlin (FU)
- Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (DED), now GIZ
- Weltfriedensdienst (WFD)
- Civil Peace Service (ZFD)
- Misereor
- GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies
- Global Policy Forum (Europe)
- Members of the German Bundestag (MdB)
- Verband Entwicklungspolitik deutscher Nichtregierungsorganisationen (VENRO)
- Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung (InWEnt), now GIZ
- KfW Development Bank
- Embassy of the Republic of Benin
- Bread for the World
- Wuppertal Institue for Climate, Environment and Energy
- Germanwatch
- Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
- Transparency International