Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institut für Agrar- und Gartenbauwissenschaften

Fragile Lives 2024 is an international expert conference on the use of rigorous, scientific evidence for the development of knowledge-based policy interventions in fragile, conflict-affected and under-developed scenarios.

It will focus specifically on how poly-crises shape individuals, institutions, and interventions at the micro-level and the policies that can boost resilience and coping capacities in the context of these shocks.

Across three themes, we will examine the drivers, dynamics, and impacts of poly-crises, spanning violent conflict, humanitarian emergencies, and the climate crisis:

1. Lives and Livelihoods - How do people respond to and cope with poly-crises around the world?
2. Achieving Zero Hunger - How do we best increase food security in poly-crises?
3. Peace and Prosperity - How can rigorous evidence inform the design of effective peacebuilding measures?

Across two days, Fragile Lives 2024 will:

1. Present rigorous analyses of questions of significant policy interest in the compounding challenges poly-crises;
2. Discuss how causal evidence can be used to develop new policy to improve the lives and livelihoods of people affected by such shocks and poly-crises;
3. Offer novel policy recommendations for how to protect and support vulnerable households and institutions; and
4. Connect academia and practice across disciplines, institutions, sectors, and countries to facilitate learning on how to deal with our increasingly uncertain and challenging world.

Fragile Lives 2024 will take place on 1 & 2 October 2024 at Unter den Linden 6, 10117 Berlin in Germany. It is organized jointly by the Zero Hunger Lab of Humboldt-University of Berlin with IRI THESys and Leibniz Institute of Vegetables and Ornamental Crops (IGZ).

The registration for Fragile Lives 2024 is now open! See the full conference program!

Fragile Lives Opening Speeches:

Julia von Blumenthal (President of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin),

Martina Brockmeier (President of the Leibniz Gemeinschaft),

Deike Potzel (Director General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilisation, Peace Building, and Humanitarian Assistance of the German Federal Foreign Office) and 

Christine Toetzke (Director General Asia, Latin America, Middle East, Eastern/South Eastern Europe of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development)

Keynote Speaker: Agnes Quisumbing (IFPRI), Ibrahim Elbadawi (ERF)

Local Organizers of Fragile Lives 2024:

Tilman Brück (IGZ, HU Berlin and ISDC),
Jonathan Garcia (IGZ and HU Berlin) and
Dorian Lötzer (ISDC) 

Conference Fee: 150 EUR / 100 EUR