Human Development and Capability Association

📣 One lecture is sold out. The next one is coming up! The 2026 Amartya Sen Lecture with Thomas Piketty SOLD OUT last week both in person and online. 🎟️ We’re releasing 100 additional online places today for the livestream: https://shorturl.at/9SiIC

And on 26 November, join us for the 2026 Mahbub ul Haq Lecture with Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. She will explore: “Whose Rules, Whose Freedom? Women and the Right to Capability, Opportunity and Security in a Fractured World Order.”

shorturl.at2026 hybrid Mahbub ul Haq Lecture with Ms. Winnie ByanyimaHDCA flagship hybrid event: annual Mahbub ul Haq Lecture on Women & Capabilities in a Fractured World Order, live at UCL & online.

📅 26 November | 17:30–19:00 UTC 📍 UCL Institute of Education, Room 728 or online 🎟️ Places are limited, so register early to make sure you don’t miss this important conversation with Winnie Byanyima. 🔗 Register: https://shorturl.at/TvmKJ #HumanDevelopment #GenderEquality #WomensRights

🌍 How can public policy help #cooperatives build a more #sustainable, #inclusive and democratic future? This #PolicyForum on Cooperatives, guest-edited by Marc-André Pigeon and Rafael Ziegler, brings together 4 contributions exploring how policies can help cooperatives thrive.

shorturl.atPracticing Human Development Through Cooperatives: Policy Issues in South Korea, Japan and IndonesiaCooperatives are recognised as people-centred enterprises that encourage human development, democratic participation and inclusive growth. Governments throughout Asia acknowledge the importance of ...

🌏 Cooperatives as drivers of #HumanDevelopment Jang, Kurimoto, Tulus & Jeon examine policy challenges and recommendations in #SouthKorea, #Japan and #Indonesia, highlighting the importance of member education, training and institutional collaboration

shorturl.atAgricultural Cooperatives, Agroecological and Collective Capabilities: Governance Pathways for Territorial Food Systems in Santander, ColombiaAgricultural cooperatives and agroecological initiatives have gained increasing relevance in debates on sustainable food systems, rural livelihoods, and food security. This Policy Forum contributio...

🌱 Building #sustainable #FoodSystems through cooperation Ivette Tatiana Castilla-Carrascal examines how #agricultural cooperatives and #agroecological initiatives can strengthen rural livelihoods and food security in Santander, Colombia.

shorturl.atPutting Renewable Energy Co-operatives on the Agenda: Why It Matters and How a Policy Index Can HelpInfluenced by the public policy literature, we introduce a first-ever community energy co-operative policy index that this literature suggests could help put citizen-funded, owned and democraticall...

⚡ How can #RenewableEnergy cooperatives move beyond the margins? Pigeon, Ward & Boucher introduce a policy index designed to help identify and promote policies supporting community-owned renewable energy.

shorturl.atSocial Economy Embedding Circular Economy – the Role of PolicyCooperatives, and the social and solidarity economy (SSE) at large, are important vehicles for transitioning to more sustainable economies, with symbolic visibility created by the declaration of 20...

♻️ Can cooperatives help drive the #CircularEconomy? Ziegler & Rijpens explore how public policies can better recognise cooperatives and social and solidarity economy organisations in circular economy strategies, drawing on experiences across 12 countries

📣 In-person tickets for the 2026 Amartya Sen Lecture featuring economist Thomas Piketty are SOLD OUT! But you can still join us online. 🌍 Explore #GlobalJustice, #equality and #prosperity within planetary boundaries on 4 November.

💻 Join the livestream from anywhere! Or, if you're in #Barcelona, come to our live screening at IQS. 📍 Watch the lecture together, meet Barcelona’s HDCA community, take part in a group Q&A and connect with fellow #researchers and #practitioners.

eventbrite.com2026 hybrid Amartya Sen Lecture with Prof. Thomas PikettyHDCA Amartya Sen Lecture by Prof Thomas Piketty on the Global Justice Report: join in Paris, online, or at a screening in Barcelona.

📅 4 Nov | 16:30–18:00 UTC 🎟️ Register for the livestream or Barcelona screening: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-hybrid-amartya-sen-lecture-with-prof-thomas-piketty-tickets-2002282185918 We look forward to sharing this conversation with you! 🌍

shorturl.atIntegrating Structure and Agency: A Synthesised Framework for Capability AnalysisThe capabilities approach, pioneered by Sen, provides a robust evaluative framework for assessing human development and social justice by focussing on the substantive freedoms individuals have to p...

💡 How do social structures shape people’s opportunities to live the lives they value? In his new article, Agbeyegbe explores this question through Amartya Sen’s #CapabilitiesApproach, connecting #institutions, #SocialNorms, and resource allocation.

🌍 Meet the team helping shape HDCA’s next chapter! We’re pleased to welcome the new Executive Council (EC) leadership of the Human Development and Capability Association and celebrate those contributing to its continued work.

🙏🏾 A heartfelt thank you to outgoing EC members Meera Tiwari, Roni Kay O’Dell and Nozomi Sakata for their leadership and contributions to HDCA. Welcome to the new team! We look forward to the work ahead. 🌍

We also want to shine a special light on Prof Melanie Walker, who completes a remarkable 5-year tenure on the EC as President-Elect, President, and Past President. Thank you for your immense dedication and lasting legacy! ✨

👏🏼Congratulations to our new EC members: 🔹Sridhar Venkatapuram, Vice-President 🔹Prathivadi Anand, Director-at-large 🔹Tim Brunet, Conference Officer 🔹Diego Hernandez, 2027 Conference Chair We’re also pleased that Alejandra Boni will continue as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of HDCA for another term

📣 Save the date! The 2026 Mahbub ul Haq Lecture welcomes Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of @unaids.org , to explore #women’s #freedom, opportunities and security in an increasingly fractured world. 📅 26 November | 17:30 UTC 📍 In person at UCL or online

shorturl.at2026 hybrid Mahbub ul Haq Lecture with Ms. Winnie ByanyimaHDCA flagship hybrid event: annual Mahbub ul Haq Lecture on Women & Capabilities in a Fractured World Order, live at UCL & online.

💬 Whose Rules, Whose Freedom? How can #feminist leadership and #global #solidarity help build a more equitable future? 🎟️ Free and open to all! In-person places are limited, so register early. 🔗 Register: https://shorturl.at/TvmKJ In collaboration with @undp.org & HDRO #HumanDevelopment

shorturl.atCommunity Well-being in the State-run Forest Management System: A Case of Limited Capability in Himachal Pradesh, IndiaForests not only provide a pool of natural resources, but they can also foster responsible agency among forest communities through managing them. Based on a case study in Chamba district in Himacha...

🌳Forests are more than natural resources. But do local communities have a real say in how they’re managed? Sanyal and Dasgupta, based on research in Himachal Pradesh, India, explores the gap between having the right to participate and having a voice that counts

🌍 Remember to join us on 4 November for the 2026 Amartya Sen Lecture! Renowned economist Thomas Piketty will explore #GlobalJustice, #equality and shared prosperity within planetary boundaries. 📅 4 November | 16:30–18:00 UTC

hd-ca.org2026 Amartya Sen Lecture with Prof Thomas PikettyJoin us on November 4, 2026, for the 2026 Amartya Sen Lecture featuring Thomas Piketty at the Paris School of Economics. This event is free, open to the public, and will be connected via a live stream for online participation.

📍 Join us at the Paris School of Economics or online for this year’s lecture: Global Justice Report: The Plan for Equality and Prosperity within Planetary Boundaries 🎟️ Free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!

🌍 New voices, continued leadership, and a big thank you to those who have helped shape the HDCA community. We’re pleased to welcome the new and returning coordinators leading our Thematic Groups and Regional Networks.

And a big thank you to our outgoing coordinators: Nicolas Brando, Lucy Quinn, Caroline Kuhn, Peter Bartelheimer, Thomas Stephens, Meaghan Malloy and Montserrat Culebro.

👏🏿 Thank you for your time, energy and contribution to HDCA’s communities. And welcome to the new and returning coordinators! We look forward to working with you as you take these groups forward. 🌍

Participatory Methods TG: Kanchan K. Malik Work & Employment TG: Ghia Osseiran and Joaquín Prieto We look forward to seeing the conversations, collaborations and ideas these groups will foster across the HDCA community.

🌍 Regional Networks Francophone Africa Regional Network: Chaimae Drioui, Nkama Arsene Honore Gideon and Muhammad BA European Regional Network: Philippa Shepherd, re-elected

👋🏽 Thematic Groups Children & Youth TG: Pedro Hernando Maldonado-Castañeda Foundational Issues in the Capabilities Approach TG: José Miguel Fernández Pérez Health & Disability TG: Sabina van der Veen, re-elected

doi.orgAre the Different Dimensions of Globalisation Necessary and Sufficient for Human Development? (A Worldwide Study)The current literature on the relationship between different globalisation indicators and the human development index (HDI) is contradictory and no specific relationship can be found between them. ...

🌍 Does #globalisation help drive human development? A new study by Mokhtari, Salehnia & Ahmadi explores this question across 170 countries (2005–2021), examining which dimensions of globalisation are necessary or sufficient for higher #humandevelopment

🎓 Education for Sustainable Development: Learnings, Capabilities, and Reframing Join us on the first webinar in the HDCA’s new series critically exploring the SDGs through a #HumanDevelopment & capability lens 📅 12 Oct | 13:00 UTC | 💻 Online

shorturl.atHDCA Thematic Group Webinar: Education for Sustainable Development: Learnings, Capabilities, and ReframingThe HDCA Thematic Group for Sustainable Human Development, with the HDCA European and Asia Pacific Regional Networks, is hosting an online webinar addressing SDG 4 on education, which

Featuring Dorothy Ferary, Patricia Saleeby & Su-ming Khoo, chaired by Philippa Shepherd From ESD in #HigherEducation to #EcologicalJustice and capabilities to share the planet, the discussion will explore new ways of thinking about #education and #sustainability.

doi.orgActivating Dormant Capabilities on the Social Holidays – the Experience of Social Inclusion as a Conversion FactorThis article explores how social holidays in Finland function as capability-enhancing interventions for low-income families. Drawing on the behavioural capability approach and qualitative interview...

🏖️ What impact can a holiday have beyond giving us a break? A new open access article by Mäntylä, Nousiainen & Isola explores how social holidays can foster belonging, renew aspirations and help turn dormant capabilities into action. 📖 Read the article: doi.org/10.1080/1945...

🌍 The 2026 Amartya Sen Lecture is coming up! We’re delighted to welcome Prof. Thomas Piketty for a special lecture on: “Global Justice Report: The Plan for Equality and Prosperity within Planetary Boundaries” 📅 4 November 2026 📍 Paris + online 🎟️ Free & open to the public

eventbrite.com2026 hybrid Amartya Sen Lecture with Prof. Thomas PikettyHDCA’s flagship hybrid event: annual Amartya Sen Lecture by Prof Thomas Piketty on the Global Justice Report, at Paris School of Economics.

Join us for a conversation on #inequality, #GlobalJustice, #prosperity and planetary boundaries. In-person places at the Paris School of Economics are limited, so register early! We look forward to seeing you in Paris or online. www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-hybri... #HumanDevelopment

tandfonline.comThe Assessment of Adolescents’ Well-Being Through a Capability Approach-Based Model: The Application of the MACaD-RCA Model in a Local Community of Northern ItalyWithin the framework of an agreement with the Piedmont Regional Government, the Italian National Institute for the Analysis of Public Policies developed the Multidimensional Analysis of Capability ...

What does well-being look like from adolescents’ own perspective? Raciti & Vivaldi explore this through the MACaD-RCA model, drawing on the experiences of 1,085 students aged 14–18 in Northern Italy. A valuable look at well-being, rights and youth agency! shorturl.at/zY8d5

hd-ca.org2026 Amartya Sen Lecture featuring Thomas PikettyJoin us on November 4, 2026, for the 2026 Amartya Sen Lecture featuring Thomas Piketty at the Paris School of Economics. This event is free, open to the public, and will be connected via a live stream...

22 Sept

🍂 November is shaping up to be a big month at the HDCA! 📅 On 4 Nov, Thomas Piketty delivers the 2026 Amartya Sen Lecture, exploring #GlobalJustice, #equality and #sustainability within planetary boundaries. hd-ca.org/es/event/202...

hd-ca.org2026 Mahbub ul Haq Lecture featuring Winnie ByanyimaJoin us on November 26, 2026 for the 2026 Mahbub ul Haq Lecture featuring Winnie Byanyima at the UCL Institute of Education. This event is free, open to the public, and will be connected via a live st...

22 Sept

📅 And on 26 Nov, Winnie Byanyima, UNAIDS Executive Director, will deliver the 2026 Mahbub ul Haq Lecture. Both flagship lectures are free, open to the public and hybrid, with in-person and online participation. hd-ca.org/es/event/202...

doi.orgSocial Protection Coverage in Latin America: Aggregate and Individual-level TransformationsThis paper analyzes the evolution of Latin American social protection systems during the inclusionary period from the beginning of the 2000s to the mid-2010s. Using microdata from household surveys...

17 Sept

📊 How did social protection change across Latin America? Amarante, Rossel & Sánchez examine 17 countries from 2002–2016, combining aggregate coverage with individual-level deprivation. 🌎 A closer look at who benefited from the region’s inclusionary period. doi.org/10.1080/1945...

hd-ca.orgHDCA: Equality is not always Equity: What Hungarian Classrooms Reveal About Refugee EducationSara Turnbull, Lancaster University Equal treatment isnt always fair treatment and nowhere is that clearer than in a classroom trying [...]

14 Sept

What does “fair” look like in a classroom? 📚 In her new HDCA blog, Sara Turnbull explores what Hungarian classrooms reveal about #refugee #education, and why treating every student the same doesn’t always mean treating them fairly. hd-ca.org/equality-is-...

tandfonline.comThe Application of Sen's Capability Approach in Disability Research: A Critical Interpretive SynthesisThe use of Sen's Capability Approach (CA) in disability research has become increasingly popular, and this paper reviews how CA has been used to inform empirical disability research. We conducted a...

10 Sept

📚 New open access research from Sebaggala, D’Espallier & Mersland Their review of 43 studies explores how Sen’s #CapabilitApproach is being used in #disability research, shifting attention towards capabilities, opportunities, well-being and what people are able to achieve. sl1nk.com/v2f0npk

hd-ca.orgHDCA Half-day Webinar: Understanding Inequality in Global Knowledge Production. Benefits and Challenges of Doing Research in the Global SouthHDCA Online Panel on inequality in global knowledge production, focusing on the benefits and challenges of conducting research in the Global South. Panel 1: Understanding inequality in global knowledg...

7 Sept

🚨 Tomorrow! 🌍 Who gets to produce #knowledge, whose voices are heard, and what would a more #equitable global #research #system look like? Join us for the HDCA webinar on #inequality in global #KnowledgeProduction. 📅 8 Sept | 🕐 12:00–16:30 UTC 💻 Online via Zoom hd-ca.org/event/hdca-w...

2 Sept

⏰ Next week! 🌍 Who gets to produce knowledge? Whose voices shape research? And how can global collaboration become more equitable? Join us next Tuesday for our webinar on inequality in global knowledge production 📅 8 Sept | 🕐 12:00–16:30 UTC 💻 Online via Zoom 👉🏽 Register: https://rb.gy/t35780

doi.orgOperationalising Nussbaum’s Central Capabilities and Psychological Traits in an Academic Context: Contributions to Subjective Well-beingThis study examines the empirical operationalisation of Nussbaum’s central capabilities in a Mexican university context and explores the role of psychological characteristics as personal conversion...

31 Aug

What if student well-being is not just about how students fee, but about what they’re actually able to be and do? 🎓 Muñoz-Márquez & Palafox explore Nussbaum’s Central #Capabilities in a #Mexican #university context, asking what they can tell us about subjective well-being. doi.org/10.1080/1945...

tandfonline.comIs Inequality an Inevitable Consequence of Economic Development?A core belief in development economics is that inequality will increase initially as economic development proceeds. This belief was widely shared by development economics in the 1960s and 1970s, an...

28 Aug

📈 Does #EconomicDevelopment lead to greater #inequality? Sen revisits the famous Kuznets Curve and asks whether rising inequality is really an unavoidable stage of development. The evidence says: not necessarily. #Growth & greater #equality can go together & policy choices matter. l1nq.com/t2y455q

25 Aug

🌍 Two weeks to go! Who gets to produce knowledge, whose voices are heard, and how can research become more equitable? On 8 Sept, join the HDCA half-day webinar on inequalities in global knowledge production, with perspectives from across regions and disciplines.

25 Aug

We’ll explore #EpistemicJustice, #ResearchCollaboration, #AI, #IndigenousKnowledge, Africa-led partnerships & Southern agency. 📅 8 Sept | 🕐 12:00–16:30 UTC | 💻 Online hd-ca.org/event/hdca-w...

hd-ca.orgHDCA: The Global Knowledge Divide: Why It Exists and How We Can Close ItProfessor Ann Mitchell brings together a kaleidoscopic review of theoretical frameworks for understanding epistemic justice with an account of the [...]

21 Aug

🌍 What happens when the world’s #knowledge resources are distributed so unevenly? Professor Ann Mitchell explores why #inequalities in global knowledge production persist, & what it would take to close the gap, drawing on #economics, epistemic justice and the #CapabilityApproach shorturl.at/rUdBO

doi.orgReconsidering the Role of Markets and Firms Through a Capability Perspective: Towards a More Human-centred EconomyThis paper reexamines markets and firms through the capability approach, advocating a shift toward a more human-centred economic paradigm. Although the capability literature has grown across discip...

20 Aug

💭 What if firms were about more than making profits? In her latest article, HDCA President Enrica Chiappero-Martinetti rethinks #markets and #firms through the #CapabilityApproach, asking what a more #HumanCentred #economy could look like.

13 Aug

📚 New issue alert! The #Journal of Human Development and Capabilities Vol. 27, Issue 3 is out! From #markets & firms to #inequality, #disability, #SocialProtection, adolescent well-being and #globalisation, a rich collection of research bringing the #CapabilityApproach to today’s big questions.