64374 Inside this Issue Features Bank Study has High Hopes for Africa . . .. . ........... 1,2 Bank Study Upbeat UN Gender Conference Agrees Post-Beijing Plan ........ 1, 5 Diamonds Are Some Countries' on Africa Worst Friends .......... 8 Report says growth and democracy picking up Special Report The May 13, 2000 edition of the cerebral London weekly, The World Bankers Race for the Economist, titled its cover story on Africa "The Hopeless Continent. " The magazine then went on to justify this pessimistic Cure ................. 1, 3 characterization of the continent with a catalog of woes, includ­ ing wars, corrupt governments, pestilence and famine. Departments While many observers judged the conclusions of the magazine HSD: Travel Stress Takes to be fair and representative of many African realities, the paper a Toll .. ............... 4 told only the unpleasant part of the story. LAC: Hosting Supreme An authoritative study, co-sponsored by the World Bank and Cou rt Justices .......... 7 other development organizations, paints a more optimistic picture of the continent's prospects, highlighting some successes that have gone largely unsung, and pointing out windows of opportunity which, if wisely exploited, would ensure growth and development Photo by Edwin G . Huffman , The World Bank for the sub-region in the 21st century. With a resumption of fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea, continuing military uncertainty in Sierra Leone, and rising polit­ S ub-Saharan Mrica faces enormous challenges but, under ical tensions in Zimbabwe and elsewhere, the new report-Can the right conditions, it could end the cycle of missed Nrica Claim the 21st Century?-agrees that while war and dis­ opportunities and conflict that has marred its prospects cord have renewed doubts about Mrica's future, a more complex during the latter half of the 20th century, and spur greater devel­ and encouraging reality is also unfolding. opment results for many of its people, according to the report on Mrica's outlook in the new century. Continued on page 2 BANK'S W@RID r an Editor: Julius M. Wamey Groups team up to tackle high rate of breast cancer in Bank Production Editor: Joyce Petruzzelli T hose stepping off the Metro at the Washington Mall or Design: strolling down Constitution Avenue on Saturday, June 3, Patricia Hord.Graphik Design no doubt saw pink ...that is, pink and white T-shirts bear­ Contributors to this Issue: Ana Elisa Luna Barros ing the name Susan G. Komen. And of the 69,000 runners and Cheri lynn Bennett walkers in this year's Race for the Cure, about 220 would have Deborah Campos Angela Gentile-Blackwell been very familiar. Kerry McNamara That's because this year, for the first time, the World Bank was Frank Vincent an official team entry in the Susan G. Komen 5K Race for the Yeddanapudi Radhika Cure. The team, dubbed Globetrotters for a Cure, raised over Advisory Board Members: Cheri lynn Bennett (HSDIS) $4,200 for breast cancer research. Begun in 1989, the event was Eric Chinje (EXTRO) conceived, designed, and implemented by the Susan G. Komen Alexander E. Fleming (ECSPF) Lawrence Macdonald (DECVP) Breast Cancer Foundation to promote positive awareness, educa­ Emmanuel Mbi (AFTI2) tion, and early detection of breast cancer. Proceeds from last Maureen M . Moore (lSGDR) Pauline Ramprasad (HRSSE) Some 69,000 runners and walkers took part in the Race for the Diana S. Walker (HDNVP) Cure, including the World Bank Globetrotters . Continued on page 3 Frederick Wright (ACTIF) Robert Wright (CEXCR) Bank's World is a monthly publication for N Gen er Conference: Beiiing staff of the World Bank Group and is pub­ lished by the Media Relations Division of External Affairs. The views expressed in Bank's World are those of the writers and do o low- not necessarily reflect the position of the World Bank Group, the members of its Board of Directors, or the countries they represent. The paper welcomes news and features relat­ Plan gree ed to the work of the institution or its staff. To the extent possible, stories submitted should also be accompanied by photographs. Photographs will be returned upon request. World Bank delegation ioins debate Material may also be submitted via email or fax. Bank's World reserves the right to edit all M articles. ore than 10,000 delegates from some 180 countries Negotiations over an action plan to make sure achievements gathered in New York last week for a special United are protected and continued got bogged down as talks became World Bank Group 1818 H Street, NW Nations session to see how far governments have come mired in reproductive rights and health issues, but delegates Washington, DC 20433 in achieving gender equality in the five years since committing came to an agreement in the session's waning hours. Phone: (202) 473-7920 Fax: (202) 522-050012638 to such action at the watershed Fourth World Conference on email: banksworld@worldbank.org Women in Beijing. . Continued on page 5 Bank Report Upbeat (Continued from page 1) of 25 percent of the adult population: Botswana, 25.1 percent, and Zimbabwe, 25.84. "Eighty percent of Mricans are fighting poverty rather than Given these challenges, how can Mrica prosper in the 21st each other," says the report in an attempt to dispel some widely century? According to the study, fundamental policy changes held misperceptions. "Economic growth has taken hold. Political will be required to improve Mrica's prospects. With its rapidly systems are more open and the press is freer than ten years ago." growing population, the region needs to grow by five percent a It says most countries are ditching outdated solutions, while year just to keep the number of poor from rising. If the percent­ drawing on the wealth of their cultures. age living in dire poverty is to be halved by 2015, annual growth The report notes that domestic economic activity, such as food will have to exceed seven percent and income must be distrib­ production, small-scale enterprises and intra-Mrican trade, is uted more equitably. becoming more important. It says this diversification of the This will require decisive action in four main areas: region's economies is "probably the best overall news for the • Resolving conflict and improving governance to guide politi­ To fight poverty future, and the clearest sign that the most important changes on cal and economic development. with passion and professionalism for lasting results the continent are happening at ground level," in local communi­ • Greater equity and more investment in Mrica's people. ties and among individual farmers, rather than just at the top. • Increasing competitiveness and diversifying economies. To help people help themselves It suggests that where countries, such as Mozambique and • Better support from the international development community. and their environment by providing resources, Ghana, have made key economic reforms-liberalizing markets "Although the challenges facing Mrica may seem insurmount­ sharing knowledge, building capacity, and trade, improving economic management, and promoting pri­ able, the continent has enormous untapped potential and hidden andforging partnerships vate sector activity-growth and personal incomes have risen growth reserves," says Alan Gelb, chief economist for the World in the public and private sectors and poverty has been reduced. Bank's Mrica region, speaking on behalf of the steering commit­ To be an excellent institution Elsewhere on the continent, there is also good news. Nigeria tee of the new report. "The development process is cumulative, able to attract, excite, is re-building its economy and political system after years of with success in one area opening up opportunities in others. Like and nurture diverse and committed staff hardship under a brutal military dictatorship; private investment other developing regions, Mrica can benefit from virtuous CIr­ with exceptional skills has picked up; and large projects, such as the Maputo Transport cles, involving different aspects of development." who know how to listen and learn Corridor (between Mozambique and South Mrica), are offering some solutions to Mrica's pressing infrastructure needs. In addi­ Investing in People o - !lJiidjing priinCipies tion, more effective regulation in key sectors-such as opening up West Mrica's airspace to competition-will also help to gal­ vanize economic performance. To claim the 21 st century, Mrica must overcome its human development crisis, and tangibly improve the quality of life for its Client centered "Mrica has huge challenges but the good news is that in the people~particularly its women, children and the poor, the report Working in partnership past five years growth rates in these countries have been picking says. Accountable for quality results up, and we are beginning to see greater participation and democ­ Mrica's future economic growth will depend less on its natur­ Dedicated to financial integrity al resources, which are being and cost-effectiveness depleted, and more on its labor Inspired and innovative skills and its ability to lower birth rates. Poor health costs Mrica twice as much as any other o region. Investing in people pro­ motes their individual skills and prospects and gives them the Personal honesty, integrity, commitment ability to lift themselves out of Working together in teams ­ poverty. with openness and trust Mrican women are a hidden Empowering others growth reserve. For example, the and respecting differences report shows that Mrican women Encouraging risk-taking work far longer hours than and responsibility African men, especially in agri­ Enjoying our work culture and also in the home, col­ and our families lecting water and firewood, and Lusaka, Zambia. Edwin G . Huffman, The World Bank. yet due to local customs and legal restrictions, women have less ratization in Mrican countries," says Callisto Madavo, vice pres­ access than men to resources ident of the World Bank Mrica region. "People are more con­ such as land, and other assets like credit, fertilizer, and educa­ cerned about corruption, and are holding their governments tion. Between 1960 and 1990, average schooling for Mrican accountable. All this is very encouraging and paving the way for women increased by only 1.2 years, the lowest gain of any region. Mrica's development." Studies suggest that if Mrican women were given equal access But Mrica's challenges remain enormous. The study-jointly to education and other productive resources, national growth compiled by the Mrican Development Bank, the Mrican rates could be as much as 0.8 percentage points higher. The Economic Research Consortium, the Global Coalition on Mrica, report says, therefore, that boosting gender equality in Mrica the United Nations Economic Commission on Mrica, and the could have considerable potential to accelerate growth. World Bank-says that despite progress since 1995, Mrica It also notes that, while more money is needed for investing in enters the 21st century with some of the world's poorest coun­ people, so is imaginative reform. For example, in Uganda, mater­ tries. nal mortality was halved in three years when traditional mid­ Average income per capita is lower than at the end of the wives joined forces with public health centers to use modern 1960s. Incomes, assets, and access to essential services are communications in their local work. unequally distributed. The region's total income is not much Access to basic services needs to be improved throughout the more than Belgium's, and is divided among 48 countries with a region and the many successful examples of decentralized deliv­ median GDP of just over US$2 billion- about the output of a ery should be expanded more broadly. Extra financial resources, town of 60,000 in a rich country. Excluding South Mrica, the community participation and stronger international cooperation continent has fewer roads than Poland. And HIV/AIDS is fast can support these efforts But these investments will be futile if reversing some of the social gains of the last 40 years. For exam­ Mrican leaders do not fight HIV/AIDS more effectively. III ple, two Mrican countries now have HIV infection rates in excess By Julius Warney, Editor World Bankers Race (Continued from page 1) Regarding the Komen Race, Eysenck says, "You can understand the pink T-shirts, but the white ... it's pretty staggering. You get to year's race, some $3.1 million, went to 24 hospitals, research see people in the best possible light." centers, and breast health organizations in Washington, DC. Eysenck and other World Bank staffers, including a nurse in "Not only did the team raise money for breast cancer research the Health Room, are establishing an informal group to offer sup­ and education," says Cheri Bennett, the Health Services port to those diagnosed with breast cancer. Although they are still Department's health promotion manager and team organizer, working on their objectives, they hope to formalize the group "but also hope and a collaborative team spirit of those walking in shortly. Most members of the group are survivors, and others are memory or in celebration of someone close to them. The support "chemo buddies," good friends that showed support during a of those involved was tremendous." friend's treatment. "There are so many small things that you can do that add up," But, says Eysenck, this is not to belittle the support services says Senior Human Resources Officer Eric Schlesinger. "We can offered by the Bank: "When something like this happens, the all do our part in both our work and in our communities­ World Bank support system is phenomenal, and colleagues and " whether it is done here in Washington or the home countries and friends in EXT and elsewhere were amazing." field offices." Every year since 1995, Eric has raced for a cure During the past few years, a higher than normal incidence of for breast cancer, breast cancer has been found among World Bank staffers. A wearing an "In health report released in July 1999 found that "Bank women Memory of. .. " banner have an 80 percent higher incidence of breast cancer than US that carries his moth­ women of the er-in-Iaw's name. same age." Tr a d i t ion ally, To address breast cancer sur­ this concern, vivors in the Race for the Health the Cure wear pink T­ Services shirts, while other par­ Department ticipants wear white. established a But all are allowed to Breast attach pink "In Health Celebration of. .. " Program in and "In Memory 1994, when of. .. " banners to the Bank their shirts. Some knew anec­ banners say "In dotally and through Celebration insurance claims that of. .. Me," others say the rate was high, but "In Celebration had no solid proof. of. ..All the Women," The cornerstone of the and others simply program is onsite say "In Memory mammography, which of. .. Grandma." in its first four years of Rose-Marie operation, screened Harris, a temporary more than 3,000 staff member in the women. Mrica region, walked to show her support for those battling HSD also sponsors an annual Breast Cancer Walk in October, breast cancer. She proudly recognizes the fact that she was the and organizes educational programs on women's health issues, World Bank's oldest participant. "Don't forget," says Rose­ including breast cancer, throughout the year, says Bennett. Marie, who became a bride in January of this year, "that three out Participation in the Susan G. Komen Race will become a regular of the ten staffers in our unit [AITF3] participated in the Komen component of the program. Race-this is an excellent ratio." The Health Services Department is now teaming up with the Salma Sulemanji, a program assistant in PRMPS, also walked Staff Association to take breast cancer awareness among Bank to show her support, following closely on the heels of her partic­ staffers to a higher level. ipation in last month's Avon 3-Day Walk for the Cure. "At first, I "While the Bank has put a number of initiatives in place, we thought it would be fun," says Sulemanji. "But then, I realized I feel that with the Bank population of 5,474 women, we haven't must do this. I must do something to help." In one week, she addressed the problem adequately," says SA Chair Morallina raised the required $1,850 in sponsorship to participate in the George. "If there is a problem, we need to know what it is. If 60-mile Avon event, and began training last Sunday for next there isn't one, we need to communicate that as well. To find out, year's Avon 3-Day Walk. we plan to work with the new HSD director, when appointed, to For her part, INFUD Program Assistant Maria Eugenia fund research or else conduct it ourselves." Quintero did not walk alone in memory of her sister, who passed In the meantime, the two groups co-hosted a breakfast, June away from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1999. "I started partic­ 27 from 8:30-10 am in the MC Atrium, to thank those who par~ ipating in the race in 1998 with the Inter-American Development ticipated in the race. Carolyn B. Hendricks, MD, a well-known Bank-that's where my sister worked for 27 years. Back then, I oncologist specializing in breast cancer, was expected to speak at ran in support of her as a 'survivor.' In 1999, after she passed the event. away, my family went on our own 'In Memory of...' And now, in Helpful links: For more on the breast cancer support group 2000, I joined the Bank team with the five children from both of get-togethers, contact Connie Eysenck at ceysenck@world­ our marriages, and my husband." bank.org. Visit http:Uhsd/brstcare.htm for more on HSD's breast Connie Eysenck, a breast cancer survivor and publications care program. For information on the Bank's participation in next officer in EXTOp, discovered a lump while on mission in Mrica. year's Komen 5K Race, contact Cheri Bennett at Upon returning to Washington, she was diagnosed with Stage II cbennett@worldbank.org. II breast cancer that had spread to a lymph node. She and her fam­ Katherine F errey, EXTPT ily decided to "hit it as hard as we could," undergoing four Deborah Campos and Frank Vincent, photo coverage. months of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation treatment. an sts Trav ea t Symposium Travel stress and iet lag affect well-being, work "On mZSSlOn we work late into the night and on weekends ­ when I get back to HQ the amount ofe-mail and unfinished business is almost overwhelming. " "My spouse seems tired and irritable much of the time - the children and I have learned to keep our distance" Panel found that little has been done to study the psychological "I worry about staying in touch with my teenaged daughter effects of travel on staff when I am away... she needs my guidance" changes that can affect mood, concentration and judgement, "My son points to airplanes in the sky and says, 'Is that which has implications for quality of work and work relations. daddy?'" Physiological changes due to time zone travel may have more of an effect on work perfonnance than many travelers realize. "Don't underestimate the forgetfulness ofeven seasoned travel­ These facts and many comments from the attendees, includ­ ers - I know what I need to do to stay balanced and reduce the ing several corporate medical directors, raised questions about stress of travel, but I don't do it consistently!" the effects of frequent business travel on work functioning of employees. Bernhard Liese, fonner medical director and cur­ rently Senior Advisor, Human Development in the Mrica Region, T hese and many other comments on travel stress highlight some of the issues that almost 100 health professionals stated in his keynote address that if there is a psychosocial from 50 different organizations discussed at a profession­ impact of frequent travel on staff and their families, "it is most al Travel Health Symposium in late April, hosted by the Joint certai nly mirrored in the work place". One very key issue is how Bank-Fund Health Services Department (HSD) here at the Bank. organizations should promote healthy work environments for The symposium, titled "Stress, the Business Traveler and their travelers. Corporate Health," was co-sponsored by the American College of What do these findings on stress and jet lag mean for the Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). Speakers World Bank and the IMF? At a minimum there are some health on the agenda included health researchers who reported on three costs associated with travel stress. lust as important are the of only a handful of published studies of stress among business potential costs to effectively accomplishing the business of the travelers, as well as experts on jet lag and other travel research. Bank and Fund. What can be done should be done to help? A panel of medical directors, from Smith Kline Beecham, Travelers and their families have some suggestions: General Electric, British Airways, the United Nations, and our • enforce limits on the amount of travel undertaken by a staff own loint Bank-Fund department, reviewed the current status member, and monitor this and future directions for occupational health and research on • manage travel to reduce the uncertainty of mission timing travel. • staff and managers commit to a flexible day off for staff after The symposium was developed as a result of two published travel studies by HSD that showed Bank travelers to be more at risk for • allow for more calls home to family while on mission stress than their non-traveling colleagues. Concerned about According to Lennart Dimberg, Occupational Health stress among the more than 5,000 traveling staff of the Bank and Specialist, and Jim Striker, Clinical Psychologist, who headed Fund, HSD communicated with occupational health profession­ the HSD team that developed and implemented the symposium, als at other organizations internationally, and many of them iden­ HSD plans several follow up actions. HSD will follow up with tified these same stresses among their travelling employees. Yet several corporate medical departments and travel researchers for very little has been done to study the psychosocial aspects of further research and to share best practices for promoting psy­ travel or the effects of frequent travel on work functioning among chosocial health among travelers. One area for further study is business travelers. The Bank's Travel Health Symposium was the impact of jet lag on work functioning, especially given the the first professional meeting to specifically address these background of cumulative fatigue for many who are already Issues. working long hours under pressure. In addition to its two previous studies of travelers, HSD HSD plans a series of articles in HealthBeat to highlight some recently has done a review of stress-related health problems tips and suggestions for travelers, as well as updating staff on the among spouses of travelers. It appears that they, too, share a latest research. Program activities for more education on travel higher level of stress with their staff member spouses. health, jet lag, and stress are also in the works. One of HSD's Furthennore, Helen Frick, Manager of Staff Services, presented ideas is to collaborate with the travelers themselves and their at the Symposium on recent surveys done by her group on the spouses, in order to develop best practice recommendations for personal and family impact of travel. These surveys confinned minimizing travel stress and maximizing skills for coping with that the impact of travel stress is high among Bank staff and their stress and jet lag. families and negatively impacts work-life balance. Do you want to give your perspective/ideas on what helps or Among the other speakers at the symposium were several would help you and your colleagues to maintain your personal medical experts on jet lag and sleep disorders. There was con­ and family health - with less stress - while traveling for the sensus that jet lag adds to the other stresses that many traveling Bank or Fund? Send e-mail comments to employees experience. Time zone travel results in physiological TraveISymposium@worldbank.org. II UN Gender Conference (Continued from page 1) chaired by World Bank Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, Kemal Dervis. The Platform for Action agreed to in Beijing provides "princi­ "Much of the recent debate about gender and development ples, goals and policy approaches that women in all parts of the has pitted growth-oriented approaches against rights-oriented world find of great value in their daily struggle to improve their approaches," said report co-author Elizabeth King, presenting lives," said UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as he opened the highlights from the study. "But the evidence we examined sug­ session on "Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and gests that economic development and institutional change are Peace in the 21st Century" on june 5. complementary-and that both are necessary." Annan said he was greatly encouraged by the spirit of coop­ Report co-author Andrew Mason said the research team's eration on the final document, noting the progress and efforts review of experience in more than 100 countries concluded that made to combat trafficking, domestic violence and honor crimes; "although income growth and economic development are good to ensure women's full enjoyment of their rights to health and for gender equality in the long run, growth alone cannot deliver related services; to empower women economically and political­ the desired results." He said that societies progress more rapid­ ly; and to encourage their full participation in peacekeeping, ly if they also adopt specific measures, such as equal rights to peacemaking and preventive diplo­ land and access to infrastructure and macy services, to narrow gender gaps. Despite progress made in the last Panelists-including Eveline five years, the goals of Beijing still Herfkens, the Netherlands' minister need to be met. Women still earri less for Development Cooperation, Irene than men, have higher unemployment Santiago, president of the Center for rates, are more often unemployed, Women's Leadership, Philippines, and are generally poorer than men, and Mona Zulficar, senior partner and said Annan. And "most countries chairperson of Shalakany Law Office, have yet to legislate in favor of Egypt-urged the World Bank to women's rights to own land. Violence implement the recommendations of against women is still increasing­ the report. both in the home and in the newer "Great report, but what are you types of armed conflict which target going to do about it?" asked ci vilian populations." Herfkens. "Since Beijing, we have These inequalities have senous seen a number of excellent World consequences and are the foundation Bank reports on various topics. The of the World Bank's commitment to World Bank must make sure it trans­ gender equality, said the World Bank's Gender and Development Director Karen Mason, who repre- a'E::ry, ~ l_ lates the policies recommended in the report into action." Herfkens also Photo by Curt Carnemark, The World Bank called on the audience to make sure sen ted the Bank at the week-long meeting. "It is clear from their representatives on the Board of the World Bank and similar everything we know-based on years of on-the-ground experi­ institutions promote the empowerment of women as a primary ence and policy research-that gender is a fundamental devel­ concern. opment issue," said Mason. Santiago urged the Bank to push for increasing women's polit­ The 1995 Beijing platform urged the World Bank to take four ical participation and voice: "On average we have seen a 1 per­ concrete steps: to increase lending for basic education, health, cent increase in women's political participation per decade. It is and credit programs that benefit girls and women; to systemati­ clear that the World Bank together with the development com­ cally consider gender perspectives in all Bank projects; to pro­ munity at large must do more in this area." mote the participation of grassroots women's organizations in the Wrapping up the panel discussion, chairperson Dervis formulation of national economic policies; and to increase the encouraged UN country delegations to help the Bank by appoint­ number of women in management positions at the World Bank ing women executive directors and promoting gender main­ itself. streaming in their own policies. "The World Bank has worked to promote greater female par­ As a special contribution to the meeting, the Bank produced ticipation in development for many years now," said Mason. "But a website and a report highlighting the institution's actions since we used the momentum created by the Beijing Conference to Beijing to integrate gender issues into its development work and redouble our efforts-to broaden and deepen our commitment to organizational culture and structure. Some 2,000 NGO represen­ gender equality in all aspects of our work. And in each of the tatives and government delegates stopped by the Bank's infor­ areas where our partners challenged us to do more, we have seen mation booth to pick up copies of the report, ''Advancing Gender considerable progress." Equality: World Bank Action Since Beijing." ... But, said Mason, this isn't "the moment to rest on our lau­ Among the hundreds of speakers was US First Lady Hillary rels." Some of the recent gender gains remain fragile, and in Clinton, who delivered a spirited speech on women's rights at a some countries, rapid socioeconomic changes have resulted in UNIFEM event on the meeting's opening day. "We are commit­ setbacks and created new challenges. To meet these, "the World ted to making this journey together," Clinton told a cheering Bank is committed to redoubling its efforts to promote gender audience. She praised the UN for leading the global push for equality as part of the fight against poverty." It aims to do so by women's empowerment, but cited areas in which women's rights accounting for the positive links between gender equality, remain under attack. growth, and poverty reduction; by strengthening female partici­ US Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers also spoke at an pation in the policymaking process; and by integrating gender event organized in conjunction with the UN meeting. Citing into development policy dialogues. recent research presented in "Engendering Development," he Mason and other members of the Gender and Development highlighted the strong linkages between female education and Group hosted a special session june 6 to discuss "Engendering economic growth in developing countries. Development," a draft policy research report that analyzes the Some 30,000 participants, in addition to the meeting's official relationship between gender and economic progress in develop­ delegates, attended a myriad of forums for nongovernmental ing countries. Two years in the making, "Engendering organizations. More than 125 events focused on such diverse Development" was also released on the Internet for a discussion topics as microcredit, young women's health, and the trafficking timed to coincide with the special session. Around 500 govern­ of women. III ment and NGO representatives attended the june 6 session, By Angela Gentile-Blackwell, EXTME IIO ur Dream: World F ee of Pove ty" New book details good intentions and solid outcomes of Bank projects The project C ritics of the World Bank tend to focus their fire on the poverty for decades. Such was the case of girls' education III large infrastructure projects it finances or supports, such Bangladesh. expects to as dams, roads, and now a pipeline, charging that these projects mainly serve to swell the foreign bank accounts of third An Equal Chance for Girls world dictators and ruin the environment. While at some time halve these charges might have been exaggerated but justified, the Secondary education requires tuition fees in Bangladesh. Bank long ago moved away from such practices, with less than Transportation, uniforms, sports, school supplies, and examina­ 25 percent of its lending now going to large infrastructure pro­ tion fees are additional. And Bangladesh is so poor that even for malnutrition jects. the so-called middle class, one child's tuition can consume as What the critics ignore are the hundreds of low-key develop­ much as half of the family's disposable income. ment projects, often tucked into the hin­ To encourage families to educate their among terlands of developing countries, which girls and help cover the high costs, in the would not make page 10 of a major news­ early 1990s the World Bank and the gov­ paper in the west, but which sometimes ernment of Bangladesh set up the Female preschool spell the difference between life and Secondary School Assistance Project. death in those countries. This project's goals are to increase the Now the real achievements of the Bank number of girls enrolled in the first sev­ children in the are finally being dramatized in a book eral years of secondary school (grades six about the frontline work of the Bank's to ten) and help them to pass their sec­ field office staff and project managers. ondary school certificate examinations so target areas by These are not abstract theorists of the that they become qualified for employ­ condition but rather the missionaries of ment. development who have a view of poverty The project aims to hold the girls in 2003, thereby from the trenches. These are people who library their studies, discourage them from early spend years of their lives visiting and studying the communities marriage and child bearing, and thereby slow population growth. they are committed to help out of the misery in which nature, bad By its nature, the project should help a new generation of women increasing their policy choices, corruption or bad governance have kept them to emerge more confident and with a higher status in society. mired for decades. Their story is now being told in an about-to­ The Bank-supported project covers about one-quarter of the be-published book, Our Dream: A World Free of Poverty, in clear, country. But, because requests for stipends have been numerous, readiness for non-technical prose, with examples of success stories that would in 1994 the government decided to expand coverage to the entire leave few of us indifferent. country. The Asian Development Bank and the Government of " I am humbled by the villagers, slum dwellers, local project Norway are assisting with the national program. school and managers, government officials, and nongovernmental organiza­ "The supervision reports show how the families, villagers and tions in these stories," says Bank Group President James D. government have rallied around girls' education," says project Wolfensohn in his foreword to the book. "What do the stories team assistant Deborah Lee Ricks. "I think this project will have supporting say? That better health, well being, and safety are possible for a long lasting impact on the status of females in Bangladesh," the poor. That people can take advantage of economic opportuni­ she adds. ties. That women can obtain an education and skills and support Uganda's drive themselves. " Feed the Children The stories, covering 15 countries across the regions, say this and more, and as Wolfensohn notes, exemplify the progress that Another ambitious scheme aimed at long term results is for universal communities can make when they become the genuine agents of underway in Uganda, where the Nutrition and Child Develop­ development, working together to create small businesses, ment Project covers 8,000 communities in 25 of Uganda's 45 improve nutrition and child care, reduce violence and build districts. Its approach is to teach better child care practices, prImary infrastructure. including those that will improve psychosocial and cognitive The most arresting feature of the book is not the clear, simple development and increase families' opportunities to earn narrative style, which is already a radical departure from the jar­ Income. education. gon-laden prose of World Bank literature, but the photographic The project expects to halve malnutrition among preschool illustrations that provide compelling visual evidence of dramatic children in the target areas by 2003, thereby increasing their changes in people's lives around the world. Many of them show readiness for school and supporting Uganda's drive for universal a sharp contrast between conditions before the intervention of a primary education. An underlying principle is that early child­ Bank project and those same conditions after Bank staff have hood development will ultimately pay for itself by reducing the been and gone. Only photographs can convey this scale of costs of having children drop out and repeat grades. change believably to the The project's approach is to help develop pre-schools and general public, which is health centers and to teach alternatives to traditional behaviors . what this book has done. Other components include growth monitoring, immunizations, While some of the pro­ pre- and postnatal care and counseling, and cooking and gar­ jects were of a modest dening demonstrations. Nongovernmental organizations mobilize scale, many where ambi­ the parents and surrogate parents and provide facilitation at the tious undertakings, aimed community level. at changing not only the The project makes grants for community micro-projects that way of life in many com­ promote the well being of children. Local nonprofit organizations munities, but transforming help the communities assess needs, propose activities, and apply cultural and belief systems for the grants. The grants pay for such items as daycare materi­ that were helping to keep als, gardening tools, and seeds. The nonprofit organizations pro­ entire countries mired in vide technical supervision and training in such skills as savings, World Bank library management, and basic accounting. For "The women have been amazingly their part, communities contribute goods enthusiastic," says Pierre Werbrouck, task or servIces. manager and the Bank's resident represen­ The results have been gratifying, tative in Peru. "The people spend the entire according to community residents and pro­ off-season doing the work. The benefits are ject staff. "I didn't know my child was mal­ so strong that the communities are knock­ nourished," says a mother in one of the ing on the door. The reason is that the pro­ communities, "all the children in the vil­ ject helps people do things they really lage look like this." World Bank library want to do. Nothing is imposed," he says. "Uganda is a fertile country. Just toss a seed and it will grow," Many people outside the development community find World says project task manager Marito Garcia. "So what we have is a Bank literature to be as soporific as a cup of cocoa at bedtime. big job of advocacy, training and communication. In fact, I think Our Dream: A World Free of Poverty is not likely to put anyone perhaps the most unusual feature of this project is that we do not to sleep. If the photographs, which so tellingly dramatize the have much in the way of physical inputs other than weighing human capacity to overcome adversity, don't grab and hold the scales, preschool materials, seeds and gardening tools," he adds . reader's attention, Sandra Granzow's narrative surely will. While presenting highly substantive, well-documented success stories, Rebuilding History in the Sierras the book is also part travelogue and part Bank family album, with Granzow supplying the commentary. Six years ago, the Shining Path guerrillas of Peru would have "This volume not only shows that effective public action can murdered an outsider, says the author of Our Dream. Now, in make a difference to poverty in all its complexity," writes PREM the high Sierras, World Bank staff are helping the Quechua director Michael Walton in his introduction to the book, "it also Indians rebuild pre-Hispanic terraces and irrigation systems, highlights the importance of understanding the impact of devel­ replant decimated forests, and start women's businesses. opment measures on the poor." Modern fanning and conservation, combined with ancient tools Our Dream, which grew out of a revolving photo exhibition and practices, are giving hope to this beautiful region. mounted in the MC in 1999, was a labor of love for the many The Sierra Natural Resources Management and Poverty Bank staff associated with it and for the author. Granzow says she Alleviation Projec t seeks to bring one-quarter of the land in tar­ was inspired by Dominique LaPierre's City of Joy, a book that geted watershed basins under integrated agroforestry manage­ salutes the heroic struggles as well as the generosity and neigh­ ment. To accomplish this, the project is helping the farmers to borliness of Calcutta slum dwellers living in the most desperate establish resource management committees and training them to of circumstances. control pests, protect trees against damage by domestic animals, "My aspiration is that, in some humble way, this volume too manage re-growth, and integrate environmentally sound prac­ will inspire admiration for the people in it and increase the com­ tices into both their farming and their forestry activities. In addi­ mitment to eradicate poverty," she says. tion, the aim is to develop 540 communal tree nurseries, produce The book, whose parentage includes the Bank's management, 20 million seedlings, and plant 17 million trees. The campesino PREM, and the Staff Association, will be published in nursery operators are able to sell their seedlings to forestry pro­ September by Oxford University Press. II jects. Because this is a profit-making business, many communi­ By Julius Warney, Editor ties are moving ahead on their own and copying one another even without project support. Bank Hosts S mit of Supreme Court Justices New network to facilitate communications created T he World Bank facilitated a historic event in the evolu­ Presidents of Supreme Courts held in 1988. Information on the tion of judicial reform on Monday, June 5, when the website is available in four languages including Spanish, chief Justices of 11 Supreme Courts from Latin America English, Portuguese and French. and Spain signed an agreement to improve communication and Participants at the conference had varying expectations and cooperation among them through a new network called IUDI­ impressions. One participant said that primarily she was CIS. The signing ceremony was the culmination of a day long pleased with the information exchange because it would improve conference and discussions between the Chief Justices from the status quo of not having any information exchange at all. Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica, Another said that any communications between judges was good. Venezuela, Spain, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador and "I will quote a saying from back home in South Mrica: clerks Dominican Republic. The Latin America and Caribbean talk with magistrates, magistrates talk with judges and judges, Region's Public Sector Reform Unit organized the conference, they talk only with God," quipped another member. An observer just a day ahead of the Comprehensive Legal and Judicial remarked that some of the participants appeared unsure of the Development Conference. Observers from other countries degree of access to information and felt that this was an issue including France, Canada, Singapore, Pakistan, South Mrica, needing to be addressed in each country and together. III Justices Signed agreement to improve communication and the United States attended the conference as well. By Yeddanapudi Radhika and cooperation . At the conference, the organizers unveiled the prototype for a new website, http://www.iudicis.com. which will facilitate both confidential information exchange at the highest levels as well as provide some public access. High level judicial officers and judges will be able to exchange opinions and information; organize meetings and attend virtual courses. Public access information includes a virtual course on human rights aimed at judges, public and fiscal defenders, lawyers and members of non-governmental organizations; a common database concern­ ing all themes considered priorities at the first Summit of G ee or iamonds u Is Civil Wars New report challenges popular notions about <;>rigins of civil conflict N ew World Bank research suggests that civil wars are million a year, the conflict could have been settled some time more often fueled by rebel groups competing with ago. Also, the Angolan rebel group, UNITA, is reputed to have national governments for control of diamonds, coffee, accumulated more than US$4 billion in financial assets during and other valuable primary commodities, rather than by political, its first war with government forces, some of which was then later ethnic, or religious differences. used to start a second round of war. At least half of UNITA's war The new report, "Economic Causes of Civil Conflict and their chest came from diamond mining. Implications for Policy," looked at 47 civil wars from 1960-99 While the most powerful risk factor for civil war is heavy and shows that countries earning around a quarter of their year­ national reliance on exports of primary commodities, other fac­ ly CDP from the export of unprocessed commodities face a far tors such as history, the size of diasporas, economic decline, and higher likelihood of civil war than countries with more diversi­ the ethnic and religious composition of a country also playa sig­ fied economies. Without exports of primary commodities such as nificant role. gemstones or coffee, "ordinary countries are pretty safe from With its capacity for killing and maiming civilians and internal conflict, while when such exports are substantial, the destroying property, civil war threatens the development society is highly dangerous," the report argues. "Primary com­ prospects of many ofthe world's poorest countries, in many cases modities are thus a major part of the conflict story." rolling back decades of progress. More than 4 million people Since conflict prevention has so far paid little attention to have been killed since 1989 in mostly internal conflicts. Millions these causes of conflict, there is considerable scope for both of others have been displaced as refugees, and countless num­ domestic and international policy to prevent civil conflict more bers of landmines remain scattered across the world, claiming effectively, the report says. more than 25,000 casualties a year. Reb e I Founded in 1944 to help re-build Europe after World War II, groups in vul­ the World Bank has become increasingly involved in post-con­ nerable coun­ flict reconstruction work in developing countries afflicted by tries "loot" war. For example, it is coordinating reconstruction aid for primary com­ Kosovo, Bosnia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the modities to West Bank and Caza. The Bank has also supported the re-inte­ stay finan­ gration of former combatants in Cambodia, Chad, Djibouti, cially viable, Mozambique, and Uganda; the re-integration of refugees and according to internally displaced people in Azerbaijan, Liberia, Rwanda, and the report. Sierra Leone; and community development in Angola, This allows Colombia, Eritrea, and Rwanda. Damaged infrastructure has them to pay been rebuilt in Azerbaijan, Haiti, and Tajikistan, while de-min­ their large ing programs have been financed in Azerbaijan, Bosnia, and numbers of Croatia. young, poorly Each of these interventions, along with reintegrating refugees ed ucated sol­ and former combatants, have been carried out in partnership diers and to with the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, keep their regional development banks, bilateral donors, and nongovern­ rebellion mental organizations. alive at home Overall Bank responsibility for post-conflict reconstruction and abroad. work lies with its country teams, which include experts in areas Photo by George Gerster, "Rebel groups need to meet a payroll without producing any­ such as education, health, and infrastructure. To support its the World Bank thing, so they prey on an economic activity that won't collapse country teams, the Bank created a Post-Conflict Unit, which has under the weight of their predatory activities," says Paul Collier, seconded skilled staff from the International Committee of the author of the new study and director of research for the World Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations, to form a rapid­ Bank's Development Economics Department. reaction group capable of responding quickly once hostilities in "Primary commodities are the most 'lootable' of national a given country cease. assets because they're tied to a single spot like a diamond mine With grants totaling $21 million over the past two years, the or a coffee plantation," says Collier. "Once a mine shaft has been Bank has shown that offering emergency funding in countries sunk, it's worth exploiting even if much of the anticipated prof­ threatened by or emerging from conflict is vital to reinforce a its are lost to the rebels. Once coffee trees have been planted, it's fragile peace process, deter resurgent violence, and build a foun­ still worth harvesting their crop even if much of the coffee has to dation for sustainable development. be surrendered. Thus, rebels don't kill off the activity or force it "Fostering development in countries besieged by civil war is to shift elsewhere as would happen if manufacturing were the tar­ clearly not business as usual," says Nat Colletta, manager of the get." World Bank's Post-Conflict Unit, and a social anthropologist with Collier says the "looting" of such resources explains many long ties to post-conflict work in Mrica. "Rebuilding their phys­ current and former civil conflicts. In Sierra Leone, for example, ical assets like hospitals, bridges, and homes, and getting the the capture of rich diamond mines by rebels and the subsequent macro economic framework right, may be necessary but peace sale abroad, is one of the main reasons for renewed bloodshed in needs more than this to survive. Re-knitting the social fabric of the war-stricken country. In Colombia, the rebel group FARC war-tom societies is the new critical ingredient for ensuring sus­ runs lucrative drugs and kidnapping businesses to finance their tainable peace and development for millions of people who have war against government forces, prompting Collier's speculation lived through the hell of civil war." II that without such illegal profits, believed to be more than $700 By Angela Gentile-Blackwell