Thursday, July 12, 2007

REMINDER: "Beyond Disasters: Creating Opportunities for Peace" discussed on July 13 at 12:30-2:00pm in J1-050

InfoShop, Worldwatch Institute and the World Bank Institute cordially invite you
to a book launch:

"Beyond Disasters: Creating Opportunities for Peace"
This book examines the recent experiences of Indonesia?s Aceh province, Sri
Lanka, and Kashmir, among others, and suggests ways to better integrate disaster
and conflict responses. The authors note that the human toll taken by natural
disasters is increasing, adding to the list of deadly challenges faced by poor
communities and countries worldwide. Recorded disasters nearly doubled between
1987 and 2006, while the number of people affected by these disasters increased
more than 10 percent. Women, children, and the elderly are among those most
vulnerable. The report concludes that the intersection of disasters, conflict,
and peacemaking requires interdisciplinary responses from governments,
international donors, and civil society.

Friday, July 13, 2007
12:30 - 2:00pm
World Bank J Building, Auditorium J1 - 050
701 18th St. NW corner of 18th St. and Pennsylvania Ave.
Coffee and cookies will be served
RSVP required to infoshopevents@worldbank.org


Welcoming remarks
Rakesh Nangia
Acting Vice President, World Bank Institute

Chair
SAROJ KUMAR JHA
Program Manager, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR),
World Bank Group

Saroj Kumar Jha provides strategic guidance and policy advice for the World
Bank?s disaster prevention and preparedness programs and is also the program
manager of the GFDRR. Prior to joining the Bank, he was a member of the Indian
Administrative Service and worked with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) in India and Iran. He has coordinated a large number of post-disaster
humanitarian relief and long-term recovery and reconstruction projects, and has
worked extensively on the design of early warning systems, assessments, training
and capacity building programs, policy and institution-building initiatives, and
partnerships for disaster prevention and mitigation in different countries. He
holds a degree in civil engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in
Kanpur and has authored several publications on disaster risk reduction.

Presenters
ZOE CHAFE
Co-Author and Research Associate, Worldwatch Institute

Since joining the Worldwatch Institute in 2003, Zoë Chafe has been a frequent
contributor to Worldwatch publications, including State of the World, Vital
Signs, and World Watch magazine. Her recent work focuses on carbon markets,
natural disaster trends, urbanization, and strategies for confronting climate
change. Prior to joining Worldwatch Institute, she worked with the Center on
Ecotourism and Sustainable Development in Washington, DC, the Centre for Science
and Environment in New Delhi, the US Forest Service, the Rocky Mountain
Biological Laboratory, and SustainUS.

MICHAEL RENNER
Co-Author and Senior Researcher, Worldwatch Institute

Michael Renner joined Worldwatch Institute in 1987. His work focuses on new
concepts of security and the ways in which environmental degradation and
competition over resources can generate conflict and human insecurity. He
co-directed Worldwatch's State of the World 2005 report focused on "Redefining
Global Security" and currently directs its Global Security Project. He has
traveled and spoken extensively on environment and security issues, and has led
discussions with policymakers and parliamentarians at the European Parliament
and the Organization for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE). He holds
degrees in political science and international relations from the Universities
of Konstanz (Germany) and Amsterdam.

Commentary
ERIC SCHWARTZ
Executive Director of Connect US

Prior to joining Connect US in 2007, Eric Schwartz served as UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Deputy Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery. Among
other positions, he has also served as a lead expert for the congressionally
mandated Mitchell-Gingrich Task Force on United Nations Reform, second-ranking
official at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a
member of the US National Security Council with responsibilities for a range of
peacekeeping, humanitarian, and refugee issues. He has held fellowships at the
Woodrow Wilson Center, the US Institute of Peace and the Council on Foreign
Relations, and has been a contributor to the Responsibility to Protect Project
of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty. He holds
degrees in law, international relations, and political science from New York
University School of Law, Princeton University, and the State University of New
York at Binghamton.

IAN BANNON
Sector Manager of the Fragile States, Conflict and Social Development Unit,
Africa Region, World Bank

Prior to his current assignment he was manager of the Conflict Prevention and
Reconstruction Unit, and has published widely on conflict and development
themes, including natural resources, education, social development and gender.
He is an economist by training with experience in South Asia, Africa and Latin
America.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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