PhD Scholarship: Rights-based Alternatives in International Development

Posted on 5 February 2016

This research will be part of an exciting partnership between the Centre for Applied Human Rights (CAHR) and ActionAid focusing on rights-based development alternatives. A successful White Rose DTC ESRC Collaborative Studentship application means that CAHR is offering a full home/EU PhD scholarship in this field.

Global poverty levels remain unacceptably high despite decades of aid. Recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) open space for alternatives to emerge to the mix of neoliberalism and charity that often characterises development policy. There are many examples of communities doing development in a way that puts more emphasis on the realisation of rights than mainstream approaches; these 'rights-based alternatives' can and should inform the implementation of the SDGs.

The documentation and promotion of such rights-based alternatives will constitute much of the work of ActionAid, a leading development NGO, from 2017-22. The doctoral research will take a participatory approach to documenting examples of alternatives, testing whether storytelling/narrative can help communities to articulate how these alternatives are rights-based and to advocate for their recognition and adoption by policy-makers.

The candidate will be supervised by Professor Paul Gready, Director of CAHR, and ActionAid International’s head of programme development.

To apply, please use the normal ESRC application form and choose the 'Collaborative' award box, available at
https://www.york.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/fees-funding/research/esrc/

Applications should be submitted by 5pm on Friday 4 March. Candidates will also have to apply to do a PhD with the Politics Department through the normal route (see the departmental website for further information).