The Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (ISSC-UiB) deeply regrets the loss of our friend and colleague Bob Deacon. He generously devoted his time, knowledge and passion for social justice to many collaborative projects aimed at building critical knowledge to contribute to preventing and eradicating poverty.
As already mentioned by Thomas Pogge on these pages, Bob was a member of our Scientific Committee and an active contributor to and organizer of several CROP activities (with subsequent publications) in different parts of the world. In the words of Isabel Ortiz, Bob “died with his boots on” and for us that meant inspiring us and working closely with us in the organization of a workshop in St Petersburg on “Social Policy, Inequality, and Poverty in post-Socialist Societies” in June 2017. We do admire such a commitment. It was not easy to convince him to develop and materialize this idea when we first discussed it – and now we know why. Our admiration for his commitment only increases when we realize that he was probably conscious that his terminal illness perhaps would not allow him to enjoy the production and publication of such a new book. Nevertheless, he proceeded with an enthusiasm that was his trademark. We are sure that all of those who participated in this event, his last collaboration with CROP, agree the book resulting from the workshop he conceived should be dedicated to his memory and to his permanent search for a more just world.
Alberto D. Cimadamore
Director. Comparative Research Programme on Poverty (CROP) University of Bergen (UiB) / International Social Science Council (ISSC)
Jekteviksbakken 31, N-5006 Bergen, Norway