April 23, 2015

Yochai Benkler to speak on the role of commons and co-operation in the marketplace

The Alliance's Global Conference will feature a keynote speech from author and academic Yochai Benkler ("The Wealth of Networks", "The Penguin and the Leviathan" www.benkler.org ), who will discuss the role of shared resources and human co-operation to achieve better market solutions.

Mr Benkler is Berkman Professor of Entrepreneurial Legal Studies at Harvard Law School and faculty co-director of the Berkman Center for Interest and Society at Harvard University.

His work has earned him a fair number of awards, including a lifetime achievement award from Oxford University and the Ford Foundation Visionaries Award.

March 17, 2015

Acclaimed author and opinion leader Raj Patel to speak at Alliance Towards 2020 Conference

The International Co-operative Alliance welcomes Mr Raj Patel, controversial author, journalist, professor and global policy expert as a keynote speaker at its 'Towards 2020' global conference. 

Raj Patel continuously challenges our presumptions about the global economy with his work both as a policy analyst and activist. Having worked for some of the most prestigious international organizations, Patel constantly finds ways to improve the world’s food system. Regularly featured in major international news publications and media, Patel’s cutting edge thoughts on food distribution and globalization have become some of the most important and trusted in the world.

Continuing to spread his message and ideas worldwide, Patel’s acclaimed books address the numerous issues he is working to combat. His first book, Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the Whole Food Systemnot only exposed the causes of hunger, starvation and famine, but provided solutions to these issues of inequity. His most recent book, The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy, is a deeply thought-provoking guide to the way global economies work. In it, Patel explores the recent economic collapse and painting a clear picture of how to achieve a fairer, more sustainable economy and society.

In his keynotes, Patel not only diagnoses the causes behind our worldwide food crisis, but offers sustainable and feasible solutions to deal with it. His current project, with acclaimed director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters) finds new ways to tell stories from around the world, of people breaking rules to feed their communities in ways no-one has ever seen. Patel is a firm believer that everyone can make a difference an that we need to find our own ways to make the world a better place.

RESUME:

• 2014: Research Professor, Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs, UT Austin
• 2014: Co-taught the Edible Education 101 class at UC Berkley with Michael Pollan
• 2010: Published The Value of Nothing
• 2009: Co-Authored Food Rebellions! Crisis and Hunger for Justice
• 2008: Published Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System
• 2006: Co-Authored Promised Land: Competing Visions of Agrarian Reform
• Education: B.A. (First Class) Balliol College, Oxford University; M.Sc. (with distinction) London School of Economics, Ph.D. Cornell University

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The Alliance thanks Angkasa, the National Co-operative Movement of Malaysia
for their support in engaging our keynote speaker, Mr Raj Patel.