reframe

Blogging from the Bank

// June 21st, 2005 // My Personal Journey

Im sitting in a washington conference room with three World Bank Agencies and 16 of the world�s largest youth organisations. We have convened the Youth Development and Peace Forum- a network working with The Bank on a development and poverty agenda. The focus of this meeting is Non-Formal Education- so it would seem that AIESEC has a fair bit to offer on the topic. However everyone else is working on using NFE where formal education is missing or of poor quality, rather than looking at how NFE can be used to complement education. Again AIESEC seems to be the only org at this level that is focussing on these �top talents� – which gives us a valuable niche. Its also quite short sighted that these agencies don�t see the long-term potential of developing individuals who can make major positive change at a local, national and global level.

The delegates are quite diverse. The differences can be seen in how they act about their attendence here. The Eurocrats and others considering themselves �major players� feel they have the right to be here and are not wasting a moment in lobbying their agenda. It�s incredible to see young people who have molded themselves on political buereaucracy- such a change from the direct, independent thinking and higher outcome focussed mentality more common in @ers. On the other hand we have other global orgs- who are more independent and obviously have less strong relations with the Bank. Most of these reps feel they have a responsibility to be here to contribute but don�t expect much. Then we have the smaller orgs or national reps that seem to be fighting their impact battle in this forum and find a way to bring any topic into their field.

Yet again I am surprise at how different @ is; our people, our cultural space, our discussion and conference environment. In short, we kick ass.

Tomorrow we will be inputting into the World Development Report- the Banks key analysis global development. Signing off- your Bretton-Woods semiskeptic.