The Conference shapes up...

These are our submitted papers so far:

Adel Daoud (Sweden)

The Economic Ethic of Material Simplicity: Deflating Human Material Wants

Alex Kauffman (Thailand/US)

In Search of Alternative Food Systems for Healthy Thai Communities

Alex Mavro (Thailand/US)

CSR: The Road to the Sufficiency Economy

Georg Erber (Thailand/Germany)

The Principle of Greatest Happiness in Western Economic Thought and its Relation to Buddhist Economics

Hans Luther Followed up 24 Aug (Thailand/Germany)

Buddhist Economics & Niche Markets - Combining Two Concepts

Joel Magnuson - (USA)

Mindful Ecology and Economy: Integrating Buddhism and Institutionalism into the Community Corporation for Sustainability

Laszlo Zsolnai (Hungary)

Non-violence in Economic Activities

Marja-Leena Heikkilä-Horn (Thailand/Finland)

Pyidawtha – The New Burma U Nu’s Plan On A Welfare Burma

Mate Janos (Hungary)

On The Principles of Promotion of Buddhist Economics

Michel Bauwens (Thailand/Belgium)

From Pre-Modern Immaterial Economics To Trans-Modern Peer To Peer Economics.

Michel Plaisant- Zieneb Ouni, Nirundon Tapachai and Prosper Bernard (Canada)

Ethics for Buddhists and Christian managers: a first step

Mogden Buch-Hansen (Denmark)

The Challenge of Buddhist Economics to Contribute to Sustainable Development

Muhammad Ajmal (Pakistan)

Philosophical principles of Buddhist Economics and their application for Muslim Societies

Peter H. Calkins and Anh-Thu Ngo (Thailand/Canada)

Theravada Macroeconomics

Peter Daniels (Australia)

Climate change and Buddhist economic systems: A scientific, ethical response

Robert Biswas-Diener (USA/UK)

The “What, Why, and How” of Happiness Measurement in Buddhist Economics”

Ruaysoongnern (Thailand)

Development Situation and Constraints of Moral Organic Rice Network in Yasothon

Supawadee Khunthongjan (Thailand)

A Study of the Entrepreneurial Characteristics that Fortify Sufficiency Economy: Case Study of the Enterprises Participating in the Sufficiency Economy Contest Organized by the Office of the Royal Development Projects Board

Tim Kasser (USA)

How Materialistic Vs. Intrinsic Values Tie In With Economic Systems

Wanna Prayukvong (Thailand)

Buddhist Economics Approach to Institutional Entrepreneur: A Case of Business Firm from Thailand.

There will be a few more stragglers.

Plus the Keynote speaker will be Phra Payutto the author of Buddhist Economics: A Middle Way for the Marketplace.

We will be starting off everything with a convening of the Conquiry - a group being built to support educators and participatory development.

There will be a Discussion group led by Aj Sulak Sivaraksa on theory to support practice in Buddhist Economics, another on Practice to Guide the development of Theory, and yet a third on Buddhism in the business place in Thailand.

There will be field trips to The international Forest Monastery, Rachathani Asoke Community and the experimental sufficiency economy community on campus.

The final day we will be doing Asian launches for a new Journal, *Interconnections* and I think for Mark Albion's new book, *More than Money: Questions Every MBA Needs to Answer* and a workshop on Gross National Happiness.

I got an email today from a woman in Laos who has a documentary film that she made on Buddhist Economic Development in Tibet that she would like to air at some point.

All sounds very interesting and very exciting. And it is all keeping me way too busy.

I will be there plus we will have Aj. Apichai, Jeab, Nat, Bill and Boy. Does that make it a <Ned> gathering?

EDIT for links

Last comment added: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:50:46 PDT

Comment 1 on The Conference shapes up...

Linda, this looks terrific! I wonder whether you are getting any papers in that look at innovation and the economic cycle? The dilemma that is formulating in my mind is something like,

Innovation and the pursuit of problem-solving underpin markets. Markets are an expression of the desire - if not the need - for innovation. Profit provides a very strong incentive to place innovative goods and services in the market place.

What is the "engine" of innovation in a Buddhist conception of the economy?

Comment 2 on The Conference shapes up...

Shiver me timbers! Linda, your post really did send shivers down my spine.

I'm always delighted by Lars asking provocative questions. When he asks them I often wonder about what he must have been like as a boy. As a father I'm sure he must wonder too.

I like the question. Here's a link to an essay by Thanissaro Bhikkhu "All About Change." Not an answer to the question, but simply to point out that innovation is not foreign to Buddhism.

Comment 3 on The Conference shapes up...

Something I had not anticipated was recognizing the names of conferees. When you were at the heterodox conference I enjoyed Googling some of the presenters and reading a few online papers. With the bunch signed up for this conference it strikes me that there's a multi-media treasure trove.

In just a few minutes before supper I surfed around for Michel Bauwens trying to pick a link or two to share with others. It's an embarrassment of riches.

I don't know how to be helpful to you Linda--lol keeping my trap shut might be of service. Still it seems that as a collective effort by some of us Nedsters we might be able to bring together some online resources relevant to the conference. My sense seeing the line up so far is that this conference may be influential beyond my expectations. I'm eager to draw attention towards it.

Think of ways that we can help. I'll look forward to your ideas.

Comment 4 on The Conference shapes up...

We will be airing a new documentary on Buddhist Economic Development in Tibet made by a Lao woman, Sukthawee Suwannachairop. I am really looking forward to seeing it.

The website has been updated but .... I want this conference to be over. I am so tired of doing all the work I am tired of whining and complaining and making mountains out of molehills.

Comment 5 on The Conference shapes up...

A late entrant into this game is Sander Tideman.

I have been trying to make a connection with Mr. Tideman since maybe March or April and suddenly, early this week, a contact in Bangkok connected us! He has submitted a paper and will be attending the conference. I read the paper and would highly recommend his work.

Comment 6 on The Conference shapes up...

At the end of July Chris Blattmann did a post Cheap advice, twice. Here's what he had to say about conferences:

There is possibly nothing so time-consuming and unrewarding as organizing a conference while a grad student or junior faculty. From a strategic perspective, these endeavors are best left for the day you are tenured. Attending conferences is great fun, but organizing is onerous and thankless. If I were you, I would angle to attend, but focus 110% of my time on my job market packet.

The Conference is really a great thing, a remarkable line up of people. Your work may be under-appreciated, but certainly we notice it here.

Comment 7 on The Conference shapes up...

A while back I had made an event for this on Facebook so that one of my European contacts could promote the conference.

I really haven't paid attention to it, in part because I don't know how to effectively use it. Anyhow, today I went and looked and I can't even begin to tell you what I felt like when I saw this list of "May attend (9)".

Image	Name
	David Braden
	Mark Grimes
	Jessica Margolin
	Thomas Kriese
	Niny Khor
	Norbert Klein
	Ravi Arapurakal
	Shir Destinie Jones
	Ray Brosseuk

Even if not one of them comes - though I hope that all of them do as I believe all of them would both benefit and be a benefit to it - I feel incredibly supported.

Comment 8 on The Conference shapes up...

Jessica (from onet) and Norbert are the only non-<Ned> folks and both of them should be!

I was encouraging David Braden to present his Community Development Corporation since it is incredibly inline with Joel Magnuson's Paper "Mindful Ecology and Economy: Integrating Buddhism and Institutionalism into the Community Corporation for Sustainability".

Comment 9 on The Conference shapes up...

Linda,

I haven't checked in with NED for about a month - I was engaged in a Ning forum on the Global Brain Application.

I want to let you know that I appreciate your interest and offer to include may materials in your conference. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a way to express the ideas in a "presenting paper" format. It seems that one on one exchange of ideas is necessary - such as the one you and John and I had here - and the one I am having with Paul Klewin (excerpt posted in my Working in Community discussion).

I will not be able to attend - but I plan on reviewing the papers - particularly Joel Magnuson's. Wishing you conference success.

David

Comment 10 on The Conference shapes up...

The registrations are not flooding in but they are coming in at a steady trickle. Many of the registrations I have so far are from people who are not participants. This is a good sign.

The undergraduates in the Hospitality Management program in the faculty are going to be in charge of "decorating" and set-up and serving of meals etc. The coffee breaks are being prepared and served under the supervision of one of the BBA students Nat. The meals are all under control and being catered by one of the local Asoke restaurants.

We have had a donation from the owners of Singha Beer of 200 copies of an incredible book by Phra Payutto in English to give to each participant.

McGraw Hill and Berrett-Koehler Publishers have donated 5 copies of Mark Albion's new book More Than Money. They arrived Thursday. I think I will give one copy to each of the first universities in Thailand who register someone. It will be a nice addition to their libraries. UBU and Naresuan University are the first two recipients.

I have transcribed Phra Payutto's opening talk in English and Aj. Apichai translated it to Thai for Thai subtitles. We will combine that video with two other videos we have been a part of making on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy to a single VCD and sell them for 200 baht. That should pay for the production. We will give the "copyright" to Phra Payutto and ask for permission to post the video to YouTube.

Aj. Apichai has purchased 250 copies of his book that is going to the publisher on Monday (and is promised to be ready for the conference) and we will also give each participant a copy of that.

We managed to scrounge enough money to offer a small travel scholarship to a man in Bangladesh who has formed a Buddhist Economics Research Institute there.

We just got a note from a man in Archangelsk Russia who seems to be doing community development that is based on "Buddhist Economics" policies but only by accident. He is also looking for a travel grant. We are trying to help him.

We have located 3 companies here in Thailand who are all about 600-800 employees that are operating on Buddhist Economics principles. We have invited the owners to give a special panel presentation.

I am getting nervous and excited. It is going to be totally awesome.

Comment 11 on The Conference shapes up...

This is what the schedule is looking like these days. None of the links on the paper titles work yet but that will eventually pull up the PDF of the paper.

And the registrants (less the ~30 monks from the monk's university here in Ubon and the maybe 4 from Malaysia, who have announced they will be registering) are looking good too.

This time in 3 weeks, day 1 will almost be over.

Comment 12 on The Conference shapes up...

This is my final mailing. We have entered the home stretch.

Final notice - 2nd International Conference of the Buddhist Economic Research Platform

Two weeks from tomorrow we will be gathering from around the globe to consider a "new" way to do economics.

So much has transpired in the world since August of 2007 when we started dreaming and working towards this gathering. The state of the world's economy today brings home the concept that the economy and the economic principles driving it are broken.

Often crisis is a driving force for change. I have felt in my family and friends at last an understanding that things need to change but no one really has any idea what or how. In reading the papers that have been submitted for this conference, I have realized what a special group of people this is: people who have thought about what is wrong and how to fix it. These are, WE ARE, the people who can take the lead. I hope that this gathering will be more than a source of information like most conferences. I hope it will be a coming together of people that will inspire each of us to the courage to share this more realistic and human approach to economics. Just look at the schedule if you want to get inspired enough to register.

If you have registered already, thank you!

If you have delayed or just forgotten, now is the time to register. We don't want you to get here and be stranded at the airport, or the train or bus station. We also want to make sure you have a place to rest and refresh and food to nourish you while you are here.

If you just haven't thought about it but are now thinking it might be a good way to spend three glorious days in Ubon Ratchathani Province, there is still time to register! But do it today - so you don't forget.

I am so looking forward to seeing you all in two weeks!

Linda Nowakowski

Conference Organizer

2nd International Conference of the Buddhist Economic Research Platform:

Theory AND Action

Comment 13 on The Conference shapes up...

As many of you are aware, things are less that "as usual" here in Thailand at the moment. On Tuesday demonstrations at Suvarnabhumi Airport (the international airport in Bangkok) caused the cancellation of all flights out of Thailand. Flights have still been allowed to land but there are many unhappy travelers. This morning the demonstrators also shut down Don Mueang Airport (the old airport that has become a terminal for domestic flights).

Ajarn Apichai, the Dean of our Faculty of Management Science here at Ubon Rajathanee University, has asked me to tell you that he is certain that things will be back to normal by the end of the week-end. If they are not, we will send out a notification first thing on the 2nd of a cancellation of the conference. We are sorry for any distress that this uncertainty might cause you but we are concerned that you have the information to plan with and that most of all, your trip here to Thailand be a safe one.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at lindern@gmail.com.

Optimistically, I still look forward to sharing time with all of you at the end of next week.

Linda

Since that note, a State of Emergency has been declared. The airports are still closed.

Two of the speakers have already canceled as the airlines have given them the opportunity to get their money back if they make the decision now rather than wait to the last minute. I can not blame them for making the decisions they are making.

Comment 14 on The Conference shapes up...

I am sending a brief update on the situation here. The PAD demonstrators are still in control of both Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Mueang Airport used for domestic flights. Ajarn Apichai has been informed that both sides are unofficially negotiating an end to this occupation. We are monitoring the situation closely and will make a final decision on the conference schedule around 9 am (Thai time) Tuesday morning (GMT = 2 AM DECEMBER 2). Please consult with your airline for what their policies and plans are in this situation. If you were scheduled to make a presentation and or were registered for the conference and will not be attending the conference, please notify me as soon as you possibly can so that we can have as much information as possible to assist in making decisions.

Linda

We have had several more cancellations and messages that a number of the participants have indicated tat they are stranded so far in Thimphu, Bhutan at the site of the Gross National Happiness conference. One of the participants from Canada informed me that his University notified him that he was not permitted to come into Thailand. He had been here and left for a few days to attend a conference in Manila and is not stuck in Manila.

I suspect we will cancel or postpone the conference. I can't really see the point of postponing, but it is not my call. I have been investigating ways that we can have the conference on-line but most look too expensive and too bandwidth demanding for me to operate from here.

Things are going to be a logistical nightmare here for maybe up to a month. There are hundreds of thousands of people stranded here. I can imagine that people who might be able to get here having their flights overbooked going home and losing their seats. What a nightmare.

Bronwen and I opted to not go to Bangkok and attend what remains of the Consumerism conference. I could see perhaps 2 of the participants being there since I know the itineraries of most of them and also know that 3 of them have already canceled being here. Oh, well...I will have an easy week with no classes scheduled!

Comment 15 on The Conference shapes up...

Dear friends,

Thanks to the many of you who have given us feedback.

It has become clear that it will take much more time to open the airports once the demonstrators leave. We have heard up to 10 days for the international airport to check systems and open according to international regulations.

With that additional information and the wise counsel of all of you, we have decided to postpone the conference until early next year. We will check resource availability over the next few days and will be in touch with you all with the amended plans for the new and improved 2nd International Conference of the Buddhist Economic Research Platform: Theory AND Action.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding during these troubled times.

Sincerely,

Linda

-- Linda Nowakowski Conference Coordinator 2nd International Conference Buddhist Economic Research Platform: Theory AND Action.

Comment 16 on The Conference shapes up...

The conference is over!

A new web page is being built and you can see the beginnings here. We will be getting feedback over the next few months to figure out how we might make this into a site to support a large, active, growing community between conferences. You might find some interesting links on the Links page including some video (more to come!), pictures from the conference and the proceedings.

Let me know what you think.

And thanks to all of you for your support over the last year and a half.