.ESSD Page 1 of 12 23128 IFC I MIGA I IDA I ICSID I WB External Site October 2000 MM Bank Group Regions I Sectors I VPUs I ESSD Network .. . . . . . ..... .... .. ..... .. . .. .. . .. ........ . ................. .................. .. .. ............................................... ...................... . . . . ... . *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _ v h The monthly newsletter of the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development Network ENVI RONMENT Environment strategy consultations in full swing Some 17 World Bank environment consultations have already taken place around the world, from Japan, to Hungary, to Brazil. Upcoming consultations are planned between now and December for India, Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, the United States, China, and Canada. During the various consultations, it became evident that there are significant differences in participants' concerns -- within ECA client countries, the Bank as a "knowledge bank" was important to EU accession countries; in the Russian Federation, the policy aspects of Bank assistance have been emphasized; while in Central Asia and the Caucasus, the Bank's lending role was critical. Support for the poverty focus of the strategy has been mixed, some regarding it as a given that the reduction of poverty and sustainable development are compatible, others have said that growth and environmental security should be emphasized, while others support stronger emphasis on global environmental concerns. In nearly every meeting, participants have emphasized the need for better sustainability indicators and valuation of environmental services, and the necessity of coping with environmental concerns in an integrated manner. "These consultations are critical for gathering feedback from our constituents and partners," says Kristalina Georgieva. "We also need to bear in mind that to make the environment strategy a reality, it's going to need buy-in from top to bottom within the Bank." A discussion draft of the strategy framework, Toward an Environment Strategy for the World Bank Group, is available on the Environment Strategy Consultation website, accessible via the World Bank's environment website: www.worldbank.org/environment. The new environment strategy will be completed and presented to senior management and the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors in early 2001. Contact: Judith Moore (x89301) http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int.../2CC1BC004E 1681 E685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 ESSD Page 2 of 12 Cricitical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) moves towards effectiveness The CEPF targets 21 of the 25 most critically important and highly threatened ecosystems on the planet, or "hotspots". A public launch took place last August in Pasadena, in which Mr. Wolfensohn pledged the Bank's intention to provide $25 million, to be matched by an additional $25 million from the GEF, with a total 5-year target of $150 million. This innovative partnership with Conservation International (CI) and the GEF allows the Bank to provide direct assistance to local stakeholders for ecosystem conservation, thus improving the sustainability of locat livelihoods. The Fund's areas of focus during its first year of operations will be on three hotspot areas: the Vilcabamba-Amboro Biological Corridor located in Peru and Bolivia, the country of Madagascar, and the Guinean Forest region in West Africa. Each subsequent year, the Fund will invest in a minimum of five additional critical ecosystems. CI is currently in the process of finalizing the first three Ecosystem Profiles which will guide investment in each of the regions. The Bank's team has been busily negotating the final Board package with CI, and finding creative ways to maintain the Fund's agility while upholding all Bank relevant policies, including its environmental and social safeguards. The Fund provides quick and easy access to grant guidelines and application forms through the Internet, and applications can be submitted ontine starting in November, via www.cepf.net. Contact: Gonzalo Castro (x31107) and Kerstin Canby (x31407) Climate Change in the eyes of its new team leader The Sixth Conference of the Parties (COP-6) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change begins at the Hague on Monday, November 13th. Discussions will address a range of issues, including: adaptation to the impacts of climate change; implementing the flexible mechanisms of and compliance with the Kyoto Protocol; capacity-building and institutional-strenghtening in the developing countries; and measures to contain deforestation and other land-use changes that lead to emissions. COP-6 negotiations are expected to provide guidance to Bank climate-change program priorities on issues such as leveraging Bank operations to enhance capacity, and incorporating climate-risk assessments in poverty-reduction programmes in sectors such as water resources, agricutture, coastal-zone management, etc. The COP-6 negotiations will also impact the parallel negotiations for GEF reptinishment -- the GEF being the financial mechanism of the Climate Change Convention. The Bank is the largest implementer of GEF climate-change projects, and GEF-funding has enabled the Bank to craft innovative projects for rural-energy supply, renewable-energy commercialization, and energy efficiency. It is expected that some of the messages from COP-6 would also leverage the Bank's comparative advantage in developing country operations to mainstream ctimate-change activities. The Climate Change Team will carry out a number of briefings for Bank staff prior to COP-6, and plans to organize a debriefing meet after the event. An approach paper for climate-change activities in the Bank also plans to be developed after COP-6. - Ajay Mathur, Climate Change Team Leader (x32561) RURAL http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int .../2CC1BC004E1 681 E685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 .ESSD Page 3 of 12 Feeding minds, fighting hunger A coalition of international and national organizations, including the World Bank, launched a new educational curriculum -- Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger -- on October 12th. The curriculum is the first in a series to introduce children all over the world and at all grade levels to the problem of hunger and what needs to be done. The curriculum covers the topics: What is hunger and malnutrition and who are the hungry? Why are people hungry and malnourished? What can we do to help end hunger? The founding members of Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger are the American Federation of Teachers; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; International Education and Resource Network; International Food Policy Research Institute; National Peace Corps Association; Newsweek Magazine Education Program; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; U.S. National Committee for World Food Day; and the World Bank. Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger is available on FAO's North America Liaison Office web site, at http://www.fao.org/fmfh/. Contact: Lynn Brown (x88175) New rural strategy in the works As the Environment Family is in the final stages of formulating its new strategy, the Rural Family is now moving ahead preparing their strategy. Preparatory discussions took place at Rural Week in March, and now the team, led by Csaba Csaki, has developed a concept note, commissioned a number of background studies, and planned a series of consultations. The new strategy will not be dismissing the goals of the old strategy, but rather moving forward to take account of changes in the global environment, shifting some of the emphases and, above all, making it more action- oriented. At the heart of the work are the regional strategies and action plans currently under preparation. The first draft strategy will be available by January next year in time for a series of regional consultations with partners in government, donor organizations, and civil society. Keep an eye out for an announcement in the next two or three weeks of a strategy update website which will provide one-stop shopping for anything you need to know. Attached is the first newsletter which has the process and concept documents within and details of the regional teams. The team looks forward to receiving any comments you may have. Contact: Christin Cogley (x35977) CGIAR Scientists Awarded Millenium World Food Prize CGIAR scientists Dr. Evangelina Villegas and Dr. Surinder K. Vasal have been awarded the Millennium World Food Prize for three decades of ardent research to produce a higher yielding, more wholesome type of corn -- quality protein maize -- that is helping meet the food and nutrition needs of millions of poor people. Both scientists are affiliated with the CGIAR's International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico. Dr. Villegas is the first woman ever to receive the World Food Prize. The new corn looks and tastes Like normal maize, but contains twice the amount of essential amino acids (lysine and tryptophan). Its nutritive value approaches that of protein from skim milk, so children can meet 90 percent of their daily protein needs by eating only 175 grams. The scientists developed the new corn through traditional plant breeding, then tested it and distributed it as a free "public good" to developing countries. With this award, eight of the 18 scientists who have received the World Food Prize currently are or previously have been associated with CGIAR research. For the full story, visit the CGIAR website at www.cgiar.org, or Future Harvest at http:/jwww.futureharvest.org Contacts: Shirley Geer (x38930), Sarwat Hussain (x35690), and Barbara Rose (x34734) http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int .../2CClBC004E1681 E685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 .ESSD Page 4 of 12 CGIAR International Centers CGIAR Chairman and ESSD Vice President Ian Johnson will inaugurate International Centers Week (also known as ICW2000) from October 23 - 27 at the World Bank. Hundreds of CGIAR members, scientists, and agricultural researchers are expected to attend. Key agenda items include: * CGIAR vision and strategy, organizational structure, and governance issues; . Long-term financing strategy, including proposals on a public awareness and resource mobilization initiative to support the strategy's implementation; and * Continuing CGIAR business, including discussion and approval of the 2001 financing plan and 2002 research directions. Contacts: Shirley Geer (x38930) and Sarwat Hussain (x35690) CGIAR field trips A week after taking over as CGIAR Chairman in mid-July, Ian Johnson and Rural Development Director Robert Thompson visited CIMMYT, the flagship CGIAR Center located outside Mexico City. The two World Bank officials (Thompson also serves as the Bank's CGIAR cosponsor representative) spent two days in the fields and laboratories observing first-hand how agricultural science is promoting rural development and reducing poverty. In September, Chief Scientist Robert Watson and Kenya Country Director Harold Wackman joined Johnson and Thompson for a four-day visit to the Nairobi-based ILRI and ICRAF. In addition to briefings by the scientists, the group met with farmers in the densely populated rural highlands of Kenya and on peri- urban farms near Nairobi. Contacts: Shirley Geer (x38930) and Sarwat Hussain (x35690) Gene sequencing of cattle parasite promises rapid vaccine development Researchers in the United States and at the International Livestock Research Institute of Kenya have joined forces to decode the DNA of one of Africa's most destructive cattle parasites. The availability of detailed genetic information about the parasite that causes East Coast fever -- a leading cause of death in African cattle -- should speed the development of a cost-effective vaccine and also speed advances in treatment of human diseases such as malaria and cancer. For the full story, visit Future Harvest at http://www.futureharvest.org Improved rice varities drive 30-year expansion of rice production In spite of one of the worst droughts in a decade, India's farmers recently produced the country's largest rice crop in history -- 88 million tons or nearly 20 percent of the world total. Agricultural experts attribute their success to improved high-yielding rice varieties. Surprisingly, this latest harvest represents only the most recent success in what has been a trend in improved rice yields and greater benefits for developing countries and the world's poor over the past 30 years. For the full story, visit Future Harvest at http://www.futureharvest.org Famine victims in Ethiopia, elsewhere face paralysis from food of last resort Thousands of people confronting drought and crop failures in Ethiopia, India, and Pakistan face permanent paralysis from eating grasspea -- a potentially dangerous plant and food source that can survive weeks and months without rain. According to scientists at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the Washington-based Future Harvest, the incidence of the disease is likely to increase over the next several months as drought conditions in Africa and Asia intensify. While harmless to humans in small quantities, a steady diet of grasspea seeds over a three-month period causes a neurological disorder that frequently results in irreversible paralysis of the leg muscles. Researchers working at ICARDA recently http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int .../2CC1BC004E1681E685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 .ESSD Page 5 of 12 harvested the first grasspea lines that can be eaten without fear of paralysis. For the full story, visit Future Harvest at http://www.futureharvest.org Partnership for Agricultural Sustainability On October 19, 2000, key representatives from the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) come to meet Bank colleagues to draft an action plan based on conclusions from three regional workshops on sustainable agriculture held in Belize, Turkey, and Senegal over the past year-and-a-half. During those regional workshops, representatives from farmers associations, national and regional rural development and agricultural agencies, international bodies, and non-governmental organizations identified priority constraints to sustainable agriculture and reviewed current knowledge, networking opportunities, and technological advances that will address these constraints. The workshops' recommendations included action on land reform, biotechnology and micro-credit. This upcoming meeting furthers the IFAP- Bank partnership, and will determine next steps as these two organizations attempt to assist young farmers around the world to sustainably increase the agricultural productivity of their land. Contact: Eugene Terry (x38544) Two Rural thematic groups selected most effective Bankwide During the summer of 2000, a Bank-wide survey on effectiveness was conducted by the Knowledge Management group covering 110 thematic groups. Two thematic groups from the Rural Family were selected among the three leaders in Overall Thematic Group Effectiveness -- the AKIS Thematic Group and the Land Policy and Administration Thematic Group. Over 800 responses were received, with about a 20 percent response rate. Congratulations to all involved! Best of the best contributed papers in Berlin The most recent International Association of Agricultural Economists meeting was held in Berlin in August, and was a gathering of some 1000 economists, including many Bank staff. One Bank participant deserving of particular attention was in a competition run for the first time, to recognize the Best Contributed Paper, from a field of some 500 papers originally contributed. Of the 150 papers selected for presentation, three were selected by an international panel to be presented in a major Plenary session, and one of these eventually declared the "Best", based on the presentation itself. On this occasion, the winner was a newly appointed YP working on rural issues in DEC, Rinku Murgai, for her paper linked to her Berkeley Ph.D. work, entitled "The Green Revolution and the Productivity Paradox: Evidence from the Indian Punjab". Our hearty congratulations to her! Contact: Jock Anderson (x30437) SOCIAL Addressing culture in Prague Ian Johnson gave the keynote address at the recent "Economy and Culture: A Partnership for the 21st Century" conference hosted by the City of Prague, held just before this year's Annual Meetings. Ian's speech touched on how culture matters to the world's poor, how culture is critical to the Bank's work, and putting culture on the Bank's agenda through education, restoration of historic cities, and cultural development. Please find attached the full speech: culture speech FINAL.doc http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int.../2CClBC004E1681 E685256A620053F4F6?0penDocumen 11/6/01 .ESSD Page 6 of 12 Bank-NGO interaction in Prague Some 480 NGOs, including NGO press staff, were accredited to the Annual Meetings this year -- three times the number at the Spring Meetings. A series of special workshops organized for NGOs to interact with Fund and Bank officials and delegates were generally well attended and constructive, with topics that included CDD, HIPC/PRSP, the WDR, environment, disclosure policy, and structural adjustment. NGOs also ran an "Alternative Forum", and Fund and Bank officials participated in some of the "off-campus" workshops. NGOs took critical positions on a number of issues, such as social dimensions of structural adjustment, HIPC/PRSP linking, and specific Bank funded projects. Although some accredited NGOs also participated in protests, they distanced themselves from the violence. Some "lessons learned" from this year's Annual Meetings include the need for much greater investment in reaching out to civil society groups that desire to engage constructively with the Bank, as welt as lessons on how we might improve the design of future workshops. Contacts: William Reuben (x85012) or Jeff Thindwa (x81 112) Community Driven Development at the Annual Meetings As part of this year's Program of Seminars, ESSD organized a workshop on Community- Driven Development. The workshop was held on Friday, September 22nd at the Prague Congress Centre. About 45 representatives from civil society organizations, government, and press participated in the event. World Bank panelists included Johannes Linn, VP for Eastern and Central Europe; Mieko Nishimizu, VP for South Asia; and Alan Gelb, Chief Economist and Sector Director, Africa Region. Sheela Patel, Director of the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres in India was invited as a discussant. Steen Jorgensen, Director of Social Development, moderated the discussion. The discussion included the need to explore new partnerships between the state, civil society, and donors in the provision of basic services; the creation of conditions to facilitate the participation of women in community-driven activities; the linkages between community involvement and good governance; and the importance of including community-driven development approaches into the national and local government development planning. Contact: Eveling Bermudez (x31421) After the Guns Go Silent: The Business of Peace The Post-Conflict Unit hosted a seminar entitled After the Guns Go Silent: The Business of Peace, at the Annual Meetings in Prague. The session looked at past and current post-conflict situations, and the conditions and cooperative efforts necessary to ensure that assistance reaches the affected populations and begins to normalize the economy. It looked a the questions: What are the priorities for "jump-starting" the economies of post-conflict countries and creating the conditions for renewed trade and investment? What is the correct timing and sequencing for these interventions? What makes entering post-conflict situations financially viable for the private sector? What conditions need to be in place, and what risks need to be evaluated? Who is best qualified to lead these large-scale efforts? What are the obstacles to effective public- private cooperation? Moderator of the seminar was Hilary Bowker, President, Bowker Media + Communications, United Kingdom. Panelists were Jonathan Berman, Political and Economic Link Consulting (PELC), USA; Daniel Lubetzky, Chairman And Founder, PeaceWorks Holdings LLC, USA; Nejira Nalic, Director, BOSPO, Bosnia a Herzegovina; Andres Penate, Regional Adviser for Latin America, British Petroleum, United Kingdom; and Patrick, Spilliaert, Senior Vice President, Vivendi Environment, France. Contact: Frode Davanger (x31658) http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int.../2CCIBC004E1681E685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 ESSD Page 7 of 12 REGIONAL NEWS Africa New rice for Africa On October 12, Bank representatives met with colleagues from the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) and the UNDP to consolidate an international consortium to act on exciting new rice-based production technologies for West Africa. Breakthroughs have already proved successfut at the small-farmer level in Guinea, and promise substantial increases in the productivity of the rice-based systems in the sub- region within three or four years. NERICA (new rice for Africa) technologies should also contribute to improved incomes and lower consumer prices for the commodity. This meeting lays a foundation for Bank commitment with its partners to help disseminate and scale-up the technology to larger farms and to other countries in the sub-region. Contact: Eugene Terry (x38544) East-Asia Illegal logging control in East-Asia On August 28-29, the World Bank-WWF Alliance in association with WBI, the US Forest Service, and DFID (UK) sponsored a 2-day technical workshop in Jakarta. The group discussed the country studies of Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United States as well as ongoing work in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and other areas in the general area of illegal removals and methods of dealing with this. Among the most important outcomes were: the realization that there are practical and effective methods for detection, suppression and prevention of illegal logging, and sources of assistance and advice for governments that want to implement them; that community empowerment and sense of forest ownership is fundamental to many of the successful models; that remote sensing is a very useful tool in detection if its limitations are recognized and compensated for by groundwork; and that there are some significant trans-boundary issues that require cooperation between governments, such as between Indonesia and Malaysia. Contacts: Tom Walton (in WB Indonesia office) and Bill Magrath (in WB China office) Latin-America A new free-standing indigenous peoples development project in Latin America On September 18, 2000, the World Bank approved Argentina's Indigenous Community Development LIL. The project will establish the basis for community-driven sustainable development on indigenous territories by strengthening social organization and culture, formulating local development and natural resource management plans, and testing innovative approaches to address key socioeconomic and environmental issues in a gender-sensitive manner. Contacts: Jorge Uquillas (x39776) and Sandra Cesilini (in WB Argentina office) PEOPLE IN THE NEWS The Social Development Family would like to welcome Steen Jorgensen, who takes up his position as Director of Social Development and Chair of the Social Development Sector Board effective October 16, replacing Gloria Davis who retired at the end of July. Welcome aboard, Steen! ESSD EXT bids adieu to Nick van Praag. As of October 16th, Nick took up the position of ECA EXT Manager. Good Luck to Nick in his ECA adventures! John Clark started a year's External Service on October 1. He will be Visiting Fellow at http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int .../2CC1BC004E1681 E685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 .ESSD Page 8 of 12 the London School of Economics, where he is helping set up a Centre for Civil Society, and will also be writing a book on civil society and the globalization issues. For the time being please address any questions about civil society issues in East Asia and the Pacific region to Peter L. Stephens or Zafer Ecevit. As of October 2nd, Bonnie Bradford moved from the Social Development family to the Bank's Forestry Team. Good luck, Bonnie! PUBLICATIONS Environment Matters The Bank's Annual Review of the Environment: Environment Matters was released at the World Bank/ IMF Annual Meetings in Prague. As every year, this issue of Environment Matters serves as the annual review on the environment and looks back on the World Bank's environmental activities from July 1999 to June 2000. This issue is "new" in several respects. It includes discussions on a number of matters of current interest, as well as reporting on the past year. It has contributions from staff across the ESSD Network, as well as outside the Bank. Furthermore, this is the first issue of Environment Matters printed entirely in color. The full Environment Matters can be accessed electronically via the website at: http://www-esd.worldbank.org/envmat/ Biodiversity Conservation in the Context of Tropical Forest Management Putz, F.E., K. H. Redford, J. G. Robinson, R. Fimbel, and G. M. Blate (2000). Environment Department Papers # 75, Biodiversity Series-impact studies 1, The World Bank, Washington D.C. Discussions about the impacts of tropical forest logging on biodiversity have been plagued by lack of clarity about what is meant by "biodiversity" and about the nature of the logging activities under scrutiny. This new Environment Department Paper serves to clarify these issues and provides a thorough review on the topic. French and Spanish translations will be available in November. Contact: Sharon Esumei (x31906) Available in PDF format from the Bank's biodiversity site: http ://www.worldban k. org/biodiversity Hunting of Wildlife in Tropical Forests: Implications for Biodiversity and Forest Peoples Bennett, E.L. and Robinson, J.G. (2000). Environment Department Papers # 76, Biodiversity Series-impact Studies 2, The World Bank, Washington D.C. Hunting for wild meat in tropical forests, especially with increasing commercialization, is both extirpating many species of mammals and birds, and destroying a critical resource base for forest-dwelling people. This report describes the extent of the crisis, and summarizes its implications for biodiversity conservation and the well-being of tropical forest peoples. Recommendations are made on institutional ways to control the trade and economic mechanisms to reduce demand. Contact: Sharon Esumei (x31906) AvaiLable in PDF format from the Bank's biodiversity site: http://www.worldbank.org/biodiversity http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int .../2CClBC004E168 lE685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 ESSD Page 9 of 12 Performance of Pigeonpea in Participatory On-farm Trial in Mahawite Governorate, Yemen Saleha Al-Nahdi (WB), K.B. Saxena (ICRISAT), Christopher S.Ward (WB), Mehdi, and Al- Bushariy (Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Yemen). In Yemen, pigeonpea participating trials were conducted for the first time and were highly successful. ICP 8094 produced excellent seed yield and in addition was the best for producing green fodder and fuel wood. This line also has the capacity to arrest soil erosion when planted as a hedge crop. The pigeonpea posed no problems as farmers and their families consumed whole dry seeds. Overall the pigeonpea has demonstrated high adaptation and presents several opportunities for the dry areas of Yemen. This paper has been accepted to be publish in International Chickpea and Pigeonpea, Journal, 2000, International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid, Tropic (ICRISAT). ICRISAT will be presenting this paper in an international conference in Iran on Pigeonpeas in November 2000. TRAINING Transition from War to Peace in Sub-Saharan: An Overview and Lessons from the Field The Post Conflict Unit (PCU), in collaboration with the World Bank Institute (WBI), and AFR Social Development Group, is putting together a Module on Post-Conflict Reconstruction for Distance Learning to start in early November. This module aims at: connecting a variety of stakeholders who are dealing with issues of post-conflict reconstruction and development; sharing experiences and lessons learned; providing participants with an analytical framework to examine development options in conflict- affected societies; providing a forum in which participants will be able to acquire conflict analysis tools and skills; and laying the foundations for a longer-term self- sustaining community of practice. This is a unique opportunity for Bank practitioners to reach out to more actors/stakeholders and civil society by using technology to connect some 75 to 100 people (government officials, NGOs, civil society, UN agencies representatives, WB resident missions staff, etc.) from five different locations through videoconferencing. Contact: Frode Davanger (x31658) UPCOMING SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS A New WTO Round: Agriculture, SPS, and the Environment -- Capturing the Benefits for South Asia October 22-25, 2000, Kathmandu, Nepal This event, jointly sponsored by UNCTAD and South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), continues the series of World Bank regional workshops on agricultural trade problems and opportunities facing developing countries. It promotes collaboration between governments and the private sector and brings together international experts with leaders and decision-makers in South Asia. The workshop agenda will cover the WTO negotiations on agriculture (including tariff policy, access to export markets, and subsidies), as well as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and environmental standards. Related issues will also be raised, such as special treatment options for developing countries, food security issues, strategies for rural poverty alleviation, export promotion, and market liberalization. Contact: Merlinda Dador Ingco, x87682 Web Site: http://wb[nOO 1 8.worldbank.org/trade/DECridoc. nsf http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int.../2CCIBC004E1681E685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 .ESSD Page 10 of 12 CGIAR International Centers Week On October 23, President James D. Wolfensohn will host the seminar "Frontier Science, Global Public Goods and the CGIAR" in the Preston Auditorium. On October 24, Robert Watson, Chief Scientist, will present an update on climate change, and on October 25, Hans Binswanger, Sector Director for Rural Development in Africa, will discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS on African agriculture. Other highlights include a session on October 25, "The CGIAR in the New Millennium: From Renewal to Rebirth," to honor former CGIAR chairman Ismail Serageldin. The traditional Sir John Crawford Memorial Lecture will be held on October 26 in the H Auditorium, and this year's speaker is J. Craig Venter, President, Celera Genomics, who will speak on "Genomics: From Microbes to Man." The International Centers Week (ICW2000) exhibit, "Science and Technology for Development - CGIAR at work," will be held in the Atrium. CGIAR Chairman Johnson and Robert Thompson, Rural Development Director and CGIAR Cosponsor representative, will Launch the event with a ribbon-cutting as part of opening day ceremonies. The ICW2000 agenda and registration materials are available at www.cgiar.org. Public views on GM foods from around the world October 31, 2000, MC5-W1 50 Doug Miller, President of Environics International of Toronto, wilt be back at the Bank on October 31st to give a presentation on public opinion on biotechnology in general and GM foods in particular. Drawing from three years of tracking in 30-countries via the International Environmental Monitor surveys, he will show differences between the views of Europeans and North Americans as weLl as Asians and Latin Americans on this controversial subject. Doug will also draw from in-depth custom research conducted on behalf of the food biotechnology industry to examine the key benefits that North Americans most strongly respond to when assessing GM foods. This latter research was conducted for the Council for Biotechnology Information (CBI), currently conducting a major public information campaign in North America. The CBI is supported mainly by the seven major technology suppliers (AstraZeneca, Aventis, BASF, Dow, DuPont, Monsanto, and Novartis). The presentation will interest those involved with the challenges of feeding the growing world population and in communicating global agricultural challenges, as welt as Bank agricultural policy, to the public. Contact: Kristyn Ebro (x82736) Kazakhstan civic engagement workshop November 6-7, 2000, Almaty, Kazakhstan The Civic Engagement for Development - Regional Workshop organized by the World Bank Institute for the Central Asian region and sponsored by the Eurasia Foundation, will take place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, November 6-7, 2000. Contact: Larissa Shvetsova (in the World Bank Kazakhstan office) Food safety workshop November 20-21, 2000, Windhoek, Namibia Third in a series of workshops on food safety issues in international agricultural trade, the Windhoek workshop will bring together government officials and private sector companies of the southern Africa region, with international organizations such as the FAO, Codex Alimentarius, International Plant Protection and Animal Health organizations, and the World Bank. Participants will define the opportunities and challenges facing southern African countries in implementing the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement of the WTO, as well as in setting food safety standards, and producing export products that are acceptable on safety grounds to destination markets. The emphasis is also on developing common regional interests and resources, http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int .../2CC1BC004E1681 E685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 .ESSD Page I 1 of 12 and on institution building in the countries of the region. RDV contact: Cees de Haan (x30347) and Susan Scurlock Theiler (x87682) AFTE contact: Michel Simeon (x35513) CALENDAR 16 World Food Day 18-20 Fifty-Fith session of the Second Committee of the General Assembly on Environmental Sustainable Development United Nations New York, NY 23-27 CGIAR International Centers Week World Bank Washington, DC 30-31 WB Environment Strategy Consultation West Africa Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 7-8 WB Environment Strategy Consultation Mexico a Central America San Jose, Costa Rica 8 CEPF Japan Launch Tokyo, Japan 13-24 Sixth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) -- COP 6 UNFCCC The Hague, Netherlands 18-20 WB Environment Strategy Consultation South Asia Colombo, Sri Lanka WB Environment Strategy Consultation 19-21 Middle East Et North Africa Amman, Jordan WB Environment Strategy Consultation 20 United States San Francisco, CA 4-5 (tent.) WB Environment Strategy Consultation http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int.../2CClBC004E1681 E685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 *ESSD Page 12 of 12 Canada Ottawa, Canada 4-9 Fifth Session of the POPs Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) UNEP Johannesburg, South Africa 5 CEO Agricultural Science and Biotechnology Roundtable World Bank Washington, DC Twelfth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol 11-15 UE UNEPi Ouagodougou, Burkina Faso International Biodiversity Day 29 Convention on Biological Diversity http://essd.worldbank.org/essd/int .../2CCIBC004E 1681 E685256A620053F4F6?OpenDocumen 11/6/01 CULTURE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Ian Johnson Vice President, ESSD The World Bank Economy and Culture: A Partnership for the 21St Century September 22, 2000 INTRODUCTION To come to Prague and preach the value of culture may seem a little presumptuous. Few cities in Europe are so prized for their beauty. Every day thousands of tourists queue up to visit Prague's beautiful museums, to stroll these elegant streets and to immerse themselves in a cultural legacy which is centuries old. Try for a moment to imagine this country without it's vibrant culture. Remove the splendid buildings and museums. Take away the writers, the craftsmen, the historians and all the many people who kept the torch of Czech culture alive when it was extremely dangerous to do so. And now imagine the effect of all that on the people's spirit, on the economy, on the very fabric of life here. Does culture matter? Here, of all places it seems a foolish question. HOW CULTURE MATTERS TO THE WORLD'S POOR. But what about other parts of the world? How does culture affect the well-being of poor people in Africa, Asia and Latin America? At a time when half of the population of the developing world live on less than $2 a day it may seem indulgent to dwell on culture and cultural development. We at the World Bank are often asked whether we can afford to take time from the business of reducing poverty to worry about peoples' cultural needs. 1 The answer is clear: we must be engaged in this agenda because culture can be a key weapon in attacking poverty. In a study entitled Voices of the Poor, the World Bank gathered the comments of 60,000 men and women in 60 countries. And from that exhaustive process we learnt what culture means to poor people and why it matters to them. Poor people have aspirations beyond making money. They want a greater sense of well being. They seek freedom from threats to their security, freedom from crime and violence, and freedom from injustice and corruption. They long for social cohesion and the preservation of their identities. They want self esteem and a say in their future. Again and again the world's poorest have shown us that social capital and cultural identity are essential to their existence. What aid worker has not heard the pride with which indigenous people recount their history. In Guatemala, Mayan elders know of their ancestors' abilities in astronomy and language - and that knowledge is a source of pride. The same is true the world over. The literature, drama and skills passed down from generation to generation give meaning to society that goes beyond a simple measure of wealth. And the creative expression of local culture gives the dis-empowered a voice and a sense of pride and belonging. It has been true throughout Czech history - and it is just as true in many other societies today. Whether we are looking at Monets in Paris or listening to oral histories in Zimbabwe, culture, in it's broadest sense, gives us all richer and more fulfilling lives. You may ask why we did not consider this before. Perhaps we are late-comers, but today our focus has changed. We recognize that cultural considerations are not an add-on to be accommodated. No, culture is not an optional extra, it is a positive asset which is inextricably linked to the success of development. We ignore it at our peril. HOW CULTURE IS CRUCIAL TO THE BANK'S WORK. 2 It is increasingly clear that while economic growth is a vital ingredient in reducing poverty, by itself it is not enough. Over the past five years, the Bank has championed a fresh approach which emphasises the multiple dimensions of development. Culture is part of this more integrated strategy. We have learnt the hard way that our projects and programs will fail if we don't take full account of local traditions and social relations in communities. Take the example of a development project in Latin America which was set up to build homes for displaced people. The homes were built from timber which was framed horizontally - I'm sure that's a perfectly sound way to build a house and no doubt the project designers consulted their engineers. But the new houses stood empty, no one would move into them. Perplexed, the aid workers began to ask why. They learnt that in that area only pigs live in houses with wood which runs horizontally. Culture can also be an economic resource in its own right. Oral histories, music and other traditional activities are an undervalued resource in many developing nations. Economists are beginning to realize that arts and crafts are not an economic backwater but a significant industry in their own right. In the broadest sense, cultural industries amount to 5% or more of the GDP of most countries - that's a significant economic contribution. Add to that the huge financial value of tourism, now the biggest industry in the world, and culture becomes an important resource for development. But it is not all about increasing income. We know that a healthy cultural environment can have a profound effect on the social organization and well being of poor people. In the past few years we have gathered a good deal of empirical evidence on the ways in which cultural factors affect economic performance. For example, it is now generally recognized that cultural factors played a more important role than originally realized in the spectacular growth of the Asian economies during the 1970s and 1980s. To the dismay of many economists it is hard to measure this contribution precisely but it is real and important. If people feel culturally fulfilled they are more likely to contribute to a healthy and prosperous society. 3 THE WAY FORWARD. What are we in the international community doing to take these points on board and make our development programs reflect them? First we are changing our thinking. Forty years ago the development debate was largely about macro-economic planning and prudent fiscal management. Today we know that's simply not enough. Even ten years ago I quite simply wouldn't have been giving this speech. But the business of development is now at an exciting juncture, with a new emphasis on bringing all players to the table and taking a more holistic view. We must pay as much attention to the social issues of development as we do to the financial and structural issues. We must listen to the voices of local people and organizations as much as we do to national and international ones. We must understand that reducing poverty is not just about raising productivity and income but, just as importantly, about inclusion and equity. And who can doubt that culture is central to this new paradigm? There are many who have been working on cultural considerations for years. As relative newcomers, we at the World Bank are building partnerships with more experienced governmental and non-governmental organizations in order to combine our various skills and resources. These partnerships bring together international, national and local players. They are building bridges between the formal and the informal sectors With these groups we are addressing the practicalities of action. How do we finance investments in cultural sustainability? What policies should be adopted? How do we mobilize the players? How can we get funding directly to the community level? PUTTING CULTURE ON THE BANK'S AGENDA. The history of development is littered both with great intentions and unfulfilled expectations. Too often fine sounding words have yielded few results. In the area of culture we can and are making real changes - both to our policies and our work in the field. The most effective way to focus on culture is to bring 4 cultural considerations into existing operations so that they inform our development strategy as a whole. A good example of this is education. For the past two years the Bank has been involved in funding an education program for Roma children in Macedonia. We have discovered that the Roma communities will not send their young children to school, it is simply not part of their culture to do so. So the Bank, in conjunction with UNICEF, has worked with the government to established a program of education within the family. We are taking school to them. In Africa, literacy has stayed at the same percentage level for the past 20 years. Why so? We have found that at least part of the problem is that reading takes place only in schools, from textbooks. Place your own children in that position. Can you imagine teaching them to read if you had no books in your home? To tackle this the Bank has started to work alongside groups as diverse as the New York Public Library, the International Federation of Library Associations and several African NGOS to design a program for local library services which draws on the poetic, musical and story-telling traditions of the continent. Let's now look for a moment at how we are taking account of culture as an economic resource in it's own right. For too long many of the world's most important ancient sites and cities have been left to deteriorate. The tombs of Egypt are eroding, old cities like Bangkok and Fez are decaying - I'm sure many of you have witnessed similar examples at first hand. It need not be this way. In Lithuania, the Bank has funded the restoration of the historic city of Vilnius. After just three years we have seen a city transformed: buildings have been restored, street lighting upgraded and roads repaved. From a gray and dingy city, the streets of Old Town Vilnius are now a delight. And this restoration is both a draw for tourists and a source of pride for residents. From St Petersburg to Fez, from Lahore to Lijang in China, the Bank is supporting projects which preserve local culture and give local people an economic and social stake in their town. In many cases we are merely facilitators, it is the residents themselves who are organizing these projects. 5 RECOGNIZING THE RISKS. There are of course risks in this field of cultural development -- risks we need to recognize. Mass tourism can ruin a community and damage the environment. And it's financial benefits can bypass local residents. Far from enhancing cultural uniqueness, poor quality tourism can destroy it. Before tourism projects are financed, we must ensure that our programs are environmentally friendly and designed to help -- not hinder -- poor people. We must also be aware of cultural tensions. In some areas of the world there is a real danger of exacerbating factionalism. We only need look as far as the Balkans to understand this risk. Our programs must be tailored to encourage respect for pluralism and, where possible, improve communication between communities. Cultural uniqueness must not mean cultural strife. Tradition, heritage and culture -- these are words resonant with historical significance. But cultural development is not just a matter of safeguarding the past, it is also about underwriting the future. There are those who fear that this will be increasingly difficult in the era of globalization. They point to the worldwide penetration of Hollywood movies, American jeans and that scourge of all gourmets, Macdonald's. Here in the Czech Republic, President Havel has written about globalization and the dangers of the homogenization of desires and tastes. But in and of itself globalization is neither good nor bad. And there are certainly those in this country who would have appreciated more globalization during the isolationist period of communist rule. Of course, it brings with it the risk of sameness, but if we harness globalization's powers carefully, it can promote different cultural expressions and encourage linkages between them -- not crush them. 6 CONCLUSION Economic analysis has tended to emphasize material progress over the non- material quality of the lives we lead. Increasingly, we have come to realize that this is a huge oversimplification. In 1959 the American economist John Kenneth Galbraith announced that: "Art has nothing whatsoever to do with the sterner preoccupations of the economist". I hope today I have provided some elements of an alternative view. We must bring a new cultural awareness to all of our development efforts - from education to health care, from sanitation to agriculture and urban renewal. The goal of reducing poverty means providing opportunities, empowering communities and increasing their security. In all of this, poor men and women around the world have told us that culture matters. They are right and we must listen and act. IMF C:\TEMP\Ian's final culture speech 09/21/00 7:11 PM 7