Greetings! 

"Majesty in the Mountains: Traditional Culture of the Highland Peoples of Southeast Asia" Exhibition of Photos and Artifacts by Victoria Vorreiter.

We are delighted to invite you to the 23rd Annual Conference of our Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (HumanDHS) network, entitled 'Returning Dignity,' at Chiang Mai University in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 8th - 12th March 2014. 

About Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies

The HumanDHS network hosts two conferences each year: one at Columbia University in New York City and one at a different location around the globe. Since 2003 our network has gathered together in Europe (Paris, Berlin, Oslo), Costa Rica, New Zealand, China, South Africa, and other locations. These global conferences allow us to bring together a diverse community of remarkable people working for dignity in the world! 

How We Co-Create Our Conferences  

For those of you who have never joined us for one of our global conferences, please kindly allow us to describe our unique approach. Rather than using a traditional lecture/presentation format, we join together to co-create a program that emphasizes conversations and collaboration. Over the years, we have adapted the 'Open Space Technology' format to create a mutually dignifying experience for all involved. Open Space begins with inviting people to propose ideas for dialogue, selecting shared topics of interest, scheduling dialogue sessions, and finally sharing the important highlights of these dialogues. We invite you to bring your idea for an Open Space dialogue led by you. This collaborative format allows us to define and design the entire conference experience as a community, beginning on the first day.   

Photojournalist Jeff Warner will share: Dignity Amidst The Rubbish, an hour-by-hour look at the lives of a community of refugees from Burma.

Our Conference Agenda: 

• 8th - 9th March: Two pre-conference days on the
  trail visiting tribal communities (still evolving):
  • Indigenous rights and land rights: Ending
    land grabbing 
  • Living on the city dumps: Ending
    urban poverty 
• Day One, 10th March (Women's Day): 
• Introductory greetings
• Planning the Open Space Dignilogue sessions (Dignilogue = dignity + dialogue)
• Day Two, 11th March: Dignilogue sessions 
• Day Three, 12th March: Dignilogue sessions  

Conference Arrangements  

We warmly thank Chayan Vaddhanaphutimost and Kjell Skyllstad for welcoming everyone to this remarkable event! We are also grateful to all participants for taking full responsibility for their own visa, travel, transportation, and accommodation arrangements.   

Registering for the Conference

There is no registration fee for this conference. To cover our expenses, we will summarize the costs during the conference and invite participants to contribute according to their ability. This collaborative approach to financing allows us to keep the conference affordable for all. If you are interested in participating, please kindly click here to email us your introductory information.

Where to Stay and Where to Eat
The University of Chiang Mai has an international guest house on campus with inexpensive accommodations. For lunch during the conference, participants will have to pay. The organisers will arrange for someone to prepare lunch.

Pre and Post-Conference Experiences
Chiang Mai is surrounded by tribal communities that call on our interest and solidarity in their fight for full citizen rights. We look forward to having conference participants taking leadership by suggesting possibilities for learning more about these communities. In addition, we hope to visit the golden temple on Doi Suthep high above the city -- a once in a lifetime experience for anyone who attends!

We Warmly Invite You Join Us
Please feel free to  with your colleagues or students. For the latest details about this conference, as it unfolds, please visit our conference webpage.

P.S. Please kindly note that...  

• All of our conferences and workshops are by invitation only; however, we invite everyone to our Public Events.
• We like to get to know participants prior to all of our conferences and workshops, and prior to issuing an invitation. Please kindly send us your introductory information by clicking here.
• The closed parts of our programs have limited enrollment.
• During our conferences, we always ask all participants for their permission to have their pictures or videos posted on our website. However, if you change your mind later, either in total or for specific pictures/videos, please let us know! Thank you!
• Participants are encouraged to find their own sources of funding or economic support to participate in our conferences. Thank you for doing your own research inquiring about funding sources in your own country and through your own university. See, among others, for the U.S., www.supportcenter.org and www.foundationscenter.org.
• Participants are kindly asked to handle all of their housing and travel arrangements as well as required documentation, including requests for visas. HumanDHS does not have the staff or resources to assist with visa requests. Thank you!