CEA meetings and JKG Prize
The Progressive Economics Forum was founded at the 1998 Canadian Economics Association meetings. Each year since then, we have put on panels as part of the CEA conference. We feel that we have added a great deal to the diversity of the CEA program, a point that has been demonstrated by high levels of attendance by both PEF’ers as well as regular CEA members.
John Kenneth Galbraith Prize in Economics
At the 2006 PEF annual general meeting, the members decided to seek the development of a new Prize in Economics in honour of John Kenneth Galbraith, the great Canadian economist who had just passed away. Mario Seccaracia sought and received the approval of the Galbraith family from Jamie Galbraith, and Jamie joined us at the 2007 CEA meetings to inaugurate the Prize and deliver the first lecture. Jamie’s inspiring lecture (available here) played to a packed room, and set out a new research paradigm for economics after contemplating the legacy of his father’s work.
The first John Kenneth Galbraith Prize in Economics was awarded in 2008 at the CEA meetings in Vancouver, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the PEF. It will be awarded every two years thereafter. The 2008 co-winners are Mel Watkins and Kari Polanyi Levitt. The text of Mel Watkins’ Lecture is available here; Kari Levitt’s Lecture is here.
The PEF recently completed a fundraising campaign to create an endowment to support the awarding of the Prize every two years in perpetuity.
The PEF’s 2007 AGM set out a Terms of Reference for the new Galbraith Prize:
a) The JKG Prize and Lecture will be awarded every two years, with the first award in 2008. It will be presented as part of the annual Canadian Economics Association meetings.
b) The recipient of the Prize must deliver the Lecture (no lecture, no prize).
c) The Prize will be awarded based on a demonstrated contribution combining economic analysis with a commitment to social justice, whose work exemplifies the goals and objectives of the PEF.
d) A five-person Selection Committee will be appointed by the PEF Steering Committee to bring forward nominations in the year before the prize is awarded. The Selection Committee will have at a minimum one academic, one labour member, and one member from a community/social justice/environmental organization.
e) PEF members will have an opportunity to nominate candidates, but the award will be determined by the Selection Committee.
f) The PEF will award a $2,000 honourarium for the Prize and Lecture, and will cover travel and accommodation expenses for the recipient.
