Uppsala conference on Religious Actors as Drivers of Change

An International conference on ”Faith in Civil Society. Religious Actors as Drivers of Change” will be held at Uppsala University on 24–25 April 2012. It is organized by Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development in cooperation with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation.
The conference will discuss how to understand diverse faith-inspired actors, who not always fit neatly within liberal notions of civil society. When are they promoters of social change, democratisation and development, and how do their adherents envision such changes? Researchers, actors in international development cooperation, activists, and others with interest in the issues to participate and make presentations are invited to attend the conference. 
The keynote speakers include Vinu (Kezevino) Aram (photo), a physician, Hindu leader, child health specialist and Director of the organisation Shanti Ashram in Coimbatore, India since 2001. She will also participate in a panel on ”Religious doctrines and the female body: Clashing notions of sexual and reproductive rights”
The conference is being planned by Mia Melin and Heidi Moksnes, coordinators of the project ”Outlook on Civil Society” at CSD.
Full information on the conference web page.