REMINDER: "Magic Radio" on Thursday, April 3 at 12:00 pm in J1-050

(Embedded image moved to file: pic12268.jpg)

&
(Embedded image moved to file: pic09318.gif)

invite you to a film screening
|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| |
| MAGIC RADIO |
| (Embedded image moved The FM Revolution in Niger |
| to file: pic05602.jpg) written and directed by Luc Peter |
| and Stéphanie Barbey |
| |
| |
| In Niger, where more than 80% of |
| the population is illiterate, radio |
| is the main means of mass |
| communication. Simple yet |
| reliable, the radio is |
| everywhere?in the streets, homes, |
| and the bush. It entertains, |
| educates, informs, and helps |
| provide a check on power. Today, |
| through the radio waves, the |
| citizens of Niger seize the |
| microphone and taste democracy. It |
| is revolution FM. |
| |
| Screened in French with English |
| subtitles |
| Click here for more about radio's |
| impact on capacity development in |
| Niger |
| |
| |
|------------------------------------------------------------------|

Thursday, April 3, 2008
12:00pm
World Bank J Building, Auditorium J1-050

Note: This button will also add the event to your Lotus Notes calendar
For non Bank staff, please RSVP by sending an email to
infoshopevents@worldbank.org

DISCUSSED BY
Mark Nelson
Program Manager, World Bank Institute
Mr. Nelson is program leader for governance diagnostics work at the
World Bank Institute. Before his current position, he was team
leader of WBI?s European office, where he focused on governance
issues, including the role of the media and other external
accountability institutions in fostering good governance and
development. From 1985 through 1996, Mr. Nelson was European
diplomatic correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, where he
covered the negotiations leading to the Maastricht Treaty, the fall
of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the war in
Bosnia. From 1992 to 1993, he was a senior associate at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace, where he co-directed a major
study on U.S.-European relations and wrote extensively on the
Bosnian war and other subjects for newspapers and scholarly
journals.

Kreszentia Duer
New Business Development Leader, World Bank Institute
Ms. Duer manages the World Bank Institute?s technical assistance
program to strengthen policies, institutions, and capacities for
Civic Engagement, Empowerment, and Respect for Diversity (CEERD) in
developing countries. Her thirty years of experience in the World
Bank includes leadership and management of country and sector
programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, in
community driven development, rural and urban development, and
environment; and innovation in cultural industries and intellectual
property rights, education, governance and accountability,
broadcasting policy and telecommunications. She is a member of the
Editorial Board of the journal, Policy Sciences; co-editor of
Promoting Social Cohesion through Education (World Bank, 2006), and
co-author of Broadcasting, Voice and Accountability: A Public
Interest Approach to Policy, Law and Regulation (World Bank, 2008).

Ajay Tejasvi
Program Coordinator, World Bank Institute
Mr. Tejasvi works at the World Bank Institute's Capacity Development
Resource Center and is involved in a variety of knowledge management
and knowledge generation efforts. He is co-author of the Capacity
Development Brief on the FM revolution in Niger and is involved in
governance and capacity development initiatives.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the InfoShop
The InfoShop is the public information center of the World Bank and
serves as a forum for substantial debate on international
development. Our extensive events program consists of more than 250
events over the past two years and has hosted many internationally
recognized speakers including Queen Noor, Francis Fukuyama, Jeffrey
Sachs, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Thomas Friedman, and Carly
Fiorina. The InfoShop functions as the only publicly accessible
space at headquarters and provides internal and external audiences
with over 15,000 titles published by the World Bank, international
organizations, and other publishers on development issues.
For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org/infoshop

Comments about the events program:

http://go.worldbank.org/TDG9T8O9K0

"The Practice of Fiscal Federalism" on Monday, April 14 at 12:00 pm

InfoShop/World Bank Publication Information Center & The World Bank Institute
Poverty Reduction & Economic Management Division

INVITE YOU TO A LAUNCH OF A RECENT McGILL-QUEENS PRESS PUBLICATION

CHAIRED BY
Justin Yifu Lin
Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, Development Research Economics, World
Bank

PRESENTED BY EDITOR
Anwar Shah
Lead economist and Program Leader, Public Sector Governance, World Bank
Institute
Executive Board Member, International Institute of Public Finance
Fellow, The Institute for Public Economics

COMMENTS BY
Teresa Ter-Minassian
Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, International Monetary Fund

Monday, April 14, 2008
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Auditorium J1-050
World Bank J Building
701 18th Street NW

*RSVP REQUIRED* Please send an email to infoshopevents@worldbank.org

The Practice of Fiscal Federalism
Comparative Perspectives

A Global Dialogue on Federalism Volume #4
edited by Anwar Shah

A comparative analysis of shifting fiscal powers in twelve federal countries

Leading scholars and practitioners examine constitutional design and taxing,
spending, and regulatory responsibilities at the federal, state/provincial, and
local/municipal levels in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia,
Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. This
volume also explores the effects of intergovernmental fiscal relations on
securing economic unions and improving social welfare.

Contributors provide a fascinating account of how federal countries are
confronting the traditional challenges of conflicts over division of fiscal
powers while also coping with emerging challenges of globalization and citizen
empowerment arising from the information revolution. They analyze how
relationships and roles of different orders of government are being reshaped and
show how local solutions inspired by global principles help strengthen
government accountability and improve the quality of life for citizens.

For more information about the book and to order it, please click here.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the InfoShop
The InfoShop is the public information center of the World Bank and serves as a
forum for substantial debate on international development. Our extensive events
program consists of more than 250 events over the past two years and has hosted
many internationally recognized speakers including Queen Noor, Francis Fukuyama,
Jeffrey Sachs, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Thomas Friedman, and Carly Fiorina.
The InfoShop functions as the only publicly accessible space at headquarters and
provides internal and external audiences with over 15,000 titles published by
the World Bank, international organizations, and other publishers on development
issues.
For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org/infoshop
Comments about the events program: http://go.worldbank.org/TDG9T8O9K0

"The Practice of Fiscal Federalism" on Monday, April 14 at 12:00 pm

(Embedded image moved to file: pic25561.jpg)

&
The World Bank Institute Poverty Reduction & Economic Management
Division

INVITE YOU TO A LAUNCH OF A RECENT McGILL-QUEENS PRESS PUBLICATION

CHAIRED BY
Justin Yifu Lin
Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, Development Research Economics, World
Bank

PRESENTED BY EDITOR
Anwar Shah
Lead economist and Program Leader, Public Sector Governance, World
Bank Institute
Executive Board Member, International Institute of Public Finance
Fellow, The Institute for Public Economics

COMMENTS BY
Teresa Ter-Minassian
Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, International Monetary Fund
|--------------------+---------------------------------------------|
| | |
| | |
| (Embedded image | |
| moved to file: | The Practice of Fiscal Federalism |
| pic31627.jpg) | Comparative Perspectives |
| Monday, April | |
| 14, 2008 | A Global Dialogue on Federalism Volume #4 |
| 12:00 - 2:00 pm | edited by Anwar Shah |
| Auditorium | |
| J1-050 | A comparative analysis of shifting fiscal |
| World Bank J | powers in twelve federal countries |
| Building | |
| 701 18th Street | Leading scholars and practitioners |
| NW | examine constitutional design and taxing, |
| | spending, and regulatory responsibilities |
| | at the federal, state/provincial, and |
| | local/municipal levels in Australia, |
| | Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, |
| | Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Spain, |
| | Switzerland, and the United States. This |
| | volume also explores the effects of |
| | intergovernmental fiscal relations on |
| | securing economic unions and improving |
| | social welfare. |
| | |
| | Contributors provide a fascinating |
| | account of how federal countries are |
| | confronting the traditional challenges of |
| | conflicts over division of fiscal powers |
| | while also coping with emerging |
| | challenges of globalization and citizen |
| | empowerment arising from the information |
| | revolution. They analyze how |
| | relationships and roles of different |
| | orders of government are being reshaped |
| | and show how local solutions inspired by |
| | global principles help strengthen |
| | government accountability and improve the |
| | quality of life for citizens. |
| | |
| | For more information about the book and |
| | to order it, please click here. |
| | |
| | |
|--------------------+---------------------------------------------|

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the InfoShop
The InfoShop is the public information center of the World Bank and
serves as a forum for substantial debate on international
development. Our extensive events program consists of more than 250
events over the past two years and has hosted many internationally
recognized speakers including Queen Noor, Francis Fukuyama, Jeffrey
Sachs, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Thomas Friedman, and Carly
Fiorina. The InfoShop functions as the only publicly accessible
space at headquarters and provides internal and external audiences
with over 15,000 titles published by the World Bank, international
organizations, and other publishers on development issues.
For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org/infoshop

Comments about the events program:

http://go.worldbank.org/TDG9T8O9K0

REMINDER: "Implementing the EITI: Applying Early Lessons from the Field" - April 2 - 12:00 - 2:00 pm - Room J1-050

(Embedded image moved to file: pic13509.jpg)

&
Oil, Gas, Mining, and Chemicals Department

Invite you to a panel discussion featuring a recent publication


Implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative
(Embedded Applying Early Lessons from the Field
image moved
to file: Begun by a group of governments, companies, and
pic30300.jpg) civil society groups in 2002, the Extractive
Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) has since
become the highest profile international standard
for promoting transparency and accountability in
countries dependent on oil, gas, minerals, and
metals. The EITI has been called a ?curious
coalition? by some, but it is a coalition that is
now helping to drive good governance and
anticorruption programs in countries across the
world.

Implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative builds on the lessons learned by the
countries that have led the way in implementing the
EITI. The book will help those new to the
initiative navigate their way through the various
steps in implementing an EITI program and will be
of interest to readers working in the areas of
anticorruption; mining; oil, gas, and chemicals;
and corporate governance.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008
12:00 - 2:00 pm
World Bank J Building, Auditorium J1-050
701 18th Street, NW

For non Bank staff, please RSVP to infoshopevents@worldbank.org

CHAIR
Somit Varma
Director, Oil, Gas, Mining, and Chemicals Department, World Bank
Mr. Varma joined the World Bank Group in 1992 as an Investment
Officer in the Corporate Finance Services Division.
He was appointed Director of the joint WB/IFC Oil, Gas, Mining, and
Chemicals Department in July 2007.

PANELISTS
Paulo de Sa
Manager, Oil , Gas, and Mining Policy Division, World Bank
Mr. de Sa has worked for the World Bank for 14 years in several
areas like industrial restructuring, financial services and mining
sector policy advice. As Manager of the Oil, Gas and Mining Policy
Division (COCPO) he coordinates the Bank?s extractive industries
related activities in more than 50 countries.

Eleodoro Mayorga Alba
Coordinator, Oil, Gas, and Mining Policy Division (Africa Region),
World Bank
Mr. Mayorga Alba began working for the World Bank in as an Energy
Economist in August 1991. He has assisted in the implementation of
the EITI in 8 countries; currently he is the Coordinator for
Extractive Industries in the Africa Region.

Anwar Ravat
EITI Program Manager, Oil, Gas, And Mining Policy Division, World
Bank
Mr. Ravat began working for the World Bank in 1992. He has been
Program Manager for the EITI since 2007.

COMMENTARY
Sanjay Pradhan
Sector Director, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, World
Bank
Mr. Pradhan is Director, Public Sector Governance, responsible for
overseeing and supporting the Bank?s work on improving governance
across regions. He joined the Bank in 1986, and earlier served as
Sector Manager for the South Asia and ECA regions.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the InfoShop
The InfoShop is the public information center of the World Bank and
serves as a forum for substantial debate on international
development. Our extensive events program consists of more than 250
events over the past two years and has hosted many internationally
recognized speakers including Queen Noor, Francis Fukuyama, Jeffrey
Sachs, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Thomas Friedman, and Carly
Fiorina. The InfoShop functions as the only publicly accessible
space at headquarters and provides internal and external audiences
with over 15,000 titles published by the World Bank, international
organizations, and other publishers on development issues.
For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org/infoshop

Comments about the events program:

http://go.worldbank.org/TDG9T8O9K0

Paulo de Sa
Manager
Oil, Gas and Mining Policy Division
Telephone No. 202-473-4241
Fax No. 202-522-0396

Book Launch: "Implementing the EITI: Applying Early Lessons from the Field" - April 2 - 12:00 - 2:00 pm - Room J1-050

InfoShop & Oil, Gas, Mining, and Chemicals Department

Invite you to a panel discussion featuring a recent publication

Implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
Applying Early Lessons from the Field

Begun by a group of governments, companies, and civil society groups in 2002,
the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) has since become the
highest profile international standard for promoting transparency and
accountability in countries dependent on oil, gas, minerals, and metals. The
EITI has been called a ?curious coalition? by some, but it is a coalition that
is now helping to drive good governance and anticorruption programs in countries
across the world.

Implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative builds on the
lessons learned by the countries that have led the way in implementing the EITI.
The book will help those new to the initiative navigate their way through the
various steps in implementing an EITI program and will be of interest to readers
working in the areas of anticorruption; mining; oil, gas, and chemicals; and
corporate governance.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008
12:00 - 2:00 pm
World Bank J Building, Auditorium J1-050
701 18th Street, NW

*RSVP REQUIRED* Please send an email to infoshopevents@worldbank.org

CHAIR
Somit Varma
Director, Oil, Gas, Mining, and Chemicals Department, World Bank
Mr. Varma came to the bank in 1992 as an Investment Officer in the Corporate
Financial Services Division. He was appointed as the Director, Oil, Gas, Mining,
and Chemicals Department in July 2007.

PANELISTS
Paulo de Sa
Manager, Oil , Gas, and Mining Division, World Bank
Mr. de Sa began working for the World Bank as an Industrial Economist in August
1984. He was appointed as the Manager of the World Bank Oil, Gas, and Mining
Policy Division in August 2007.

Eleodoro Mayorga Alba
Coordinator, Oil, Gas, and Mining Policy Division (Africa Region), World Bank
Mr. Mayorga Alba began working for the World Bank in as an Energy Economist in
August 1991. He has assisted in the implementation of the EITI in 8 countries;
currently he is the Coordinator for Extractive Industries in the Africa Region.

Anwar Ravat
EITI Program Manager, Oil, Gas, And Mining Policy Division, World Bank
Mr. Ravat began working for the World Bank in 1992. He has been Program Manager
for the EITI since 2007.

COMMENTARY
Sanjay Pradhan
Sector Manager, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, World Bank
Mr. Sanjay Pradhan is Director, Public Sector Governance, responsible for
overseeing and supporting the Bank?s work on improving governance across
regions. He joined the Bank in 1986, and earlier served as Sector Manager for
the South Asia and ECA regions.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the InfoShop
The InfoShop is the public information center of the World Bank and serves as a
forum for substantial debate on international development. Our extensive events
program consists of more than 250 events over the past two years and has hosted
many internationally recognized speakers including Queen Noor, Francis Fukuyama,
Jeffrey Sachs, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Thomas Friedman, and Carly Fiorina.
The InfoShop functions as the only publicly accessible space at headquarters and
provides internal and external audiences with over 15,000 titles published by
the World Bank, international organizations, and other publishers on development
issues.
For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org/infoshop
Comments about the events program: http://go.worldbank.org/TDG9T8O9K0

"Blood Diamond" screened in J1-050 on Tuesday, April 1 at 12:30pm

(Embedded image moved to file: pic18588.jpg)

Invites you to a film screening
|--------------------+---------------------------------------------|
| | |
| | |
| (Embedded image | |
| moved to file: | BLOOD DIAMOND |
| pic06422.jpg) | |
| | |
| | Set against the backdrop of civil war and |
| | chaos in 1990's Sierra Leone, Blood |
| | Diamond is the story of Danny Archer - an |
| | ex mercenary from Zimbabwe - and Solomon |
| | Vandy - a Mende fisherman. Both men are |
| | African, but their histories as different |
| | as any can be, until their fates become |
| | joined in a common quest to recover a |
| | rare pink diamond that can transform |
| | their lives. While in prison for |
| | smuggling, Archer learns that Solomon - |
| | who was taken from his family and forced |
| | to work in the diamond fields - has found |
| | and hidden the extraordinary rough stone. |
| | With the help of Maddy Bowen, an American |
| | journalist whose idealism is tempered by |
| | a deepening connection with Archer, the |
| | two men embark on a trek through rebel |
| | territory, a journey that could save |
| | Solomon's family and give Archer the |
| | second chance he thought he would never |
| | have. |
| | |
| | For more information about the movie, |
| | please click here. |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|--------------------+---------------------------------------------|

Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Auditorium J1-050
The movie will start promptly at 12:30pm

For non Bank staff, please RSVP to infoshopevents@worldbank.org

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the InfoShop
The InfoShop is the public information center of the World Bank and
serves as a forum for substantial debate on international
development. Our extensive events program consists of more than 250
events over the past two years and has hosted many internationally
recognized speakers including Queen Noor, Francis Fukuyama, Jeffrey
Sachs, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Thomas Friedman, and Carly
Fiorina. The InfoShop functions as the only publicly accessible
space at headquarters and provides internal and external audiences
with over 15,000 titles published by the World Bank, international
organizations, and other publishers on development issues.
For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org/infoshop

Comments about the events program:

http://go.worldbank.org/TDG9T8O9K0

BOOK LAUNCH: "Financing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises through Financial Intermediaries" on April 11 at the IFC

The Independent Evaluation Group & World Bank InfoShop/Public Information Center

Invite you to a Panel Discussion and Launch of the IEG Study on

Financing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises through Financial Intermediaries

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2008
10 am - 12 pm
IFC Auditorium
International Finance Corporation
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue (Entrance on K Street)

Please RSVP to infoshopevents@worldbank.org

EVENT DESCRIPTION
The Independent Evaluation Group brings together evaluators, financiers,
practitioners, and a microfinance bank to talk about micro, small, and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) in the developing world.

MSMEs constitute the bulk of the private sector in most developing countries and
can contribute significantly to economic growth, employment creation, and
poverty reduction. However, limited access to finance has often constrained
their development, particularly in frontier countries (high-risk or low-income).

Supporting the MSMEs through financial intermediaries in these countries has
been a strategic priority for IFC, and the current IEG study examines the
effectiveness of these strategies during the period of 1994- 2006.

For more information, please visit: http://www.ifc.org/ieg

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Vinod Thomas
Director General, Evaluation
Independent Evaluation Group, The World Bank Group
Mr. Thomas is the Director-General of the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) at
the World Bank Group. His previous positions include Country Director for
Brazil, Vice President of the World Bank Institute (WBI), and Chief Economist
for the World Bank in the East Asia and Pacific Region. In addition, he was the
staff Director for the 1991 World Development Report entitled The Challenge of
Development.

CHAIR
Marvin Taylor-Dormond
Director, Independent Evaluation Group-IFC
Mr. Taylor-Dormond is the Director of the Independent Evaluation Group at IFC
(IEG-IFC). Mr. Taylor-Dormond joined IEG-IFC after a successful career in the
Central American Bank of Economic Integration in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where he
held positions such as Controller (Independent Oversight and Evaluation
Authority), Executive Vice President and most recently, Chief Economist and
Chief Evaluation. He also served as Vice-Minister of Finance for the Republic of
Costa Rica, his native country.

PANELISTS
Amitava Banerjee
Manager, Independent Evaluation Group -IFC
Mr. Banerjee joined the World Bank Group in 1979 through the Young Professionals
Program. He has experience as an Investment Officer in Asia, Europe and the
Middle East, and in Advisory Services in the Pacific. In 1998, at the start of
the Asian crisis, he was appointed Regional Manager for Indonesia and Malaysia
and posted to Jakarta, Indonesia. He returned to Headquarters in 2002 as
Manager, Strategy and Coordination for the East Asia and Pacific Department.

James Scriven
Director, Global Financial Markets Group, IFC
Mr. Scriven is Director of Operations for Latin America and the Caribbean, and
Sub-Saharan Africa regions at IFC?s Global Financial Markets Department. He
joined IFC in April 2002 and was responsible for the restructuring efforts in
the Argentine financial sector. Since then, he has held several positions in the
Global Financial Markets Department prior to his current assignment.

Elizabeth Littlefield
Director, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
Ms. Littlefield is one of the World Bank's senior spokespeople on microfinance.
She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor
(CGAP), a multi-donor organization created to help build a large-scale permanent
microfinance industry providing flexible, high-quality financial services on a
sustainable basis to the poor. Prior to joining CGAP in 1999, Ms. Littlefield
was the Managing Director in charge of J.P. Morgan's financing business in
Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and Africa. She
has served on the executive board of several organizations, including Women's
World Banking, Profund, and Africa International Financial Holdings.

Javier Fernández Cueto
Director of Strategy and New Business, Banco Compartamos, Mexico
Before joining Compartamos in 1998, Mr. Fernández-Cueto worked in American
Express as manager for Latin American credit operations. Upon joining
Compartamos, he headed the development of urban operations in Mexico City, and
then became responsible for transforming Compartamos from an NGO into a
microfinance institution. In 2005, he headed the transformation process into a
bank; and in 2007, he participated in the processes for Compartamos? initial
public offering. Mr. Fernández-Cueto is currently the Strategy and New
Businesses Managing Director for Compartamos responsible for the aligning and
fulfillment of Compartamos? strategy as well as developing new businesses
opportunities.

* * * * * * * *
About IEG-IFC
The Independent Evaluation Group at IFC (IEG-IFC) independently evaluates IFC's
operations, including its investment activities and advisory services operations
with particular attention to accountability - IFC's achievement of its
objectives for private sector development, and learning - identification and
dissemination of lessons and findings that can be operationalized by IFC staff
and others involved or interested in sustainable private sector development.
For more information, visit: http://www.ifc.org/ieg

About the InfoShop
The InfoShop is the public information center of the World Bank and serves as a
forum for substantial debate on international development. Our extensive events
program consists of more than 250 events over the past two years and has hosted
many internationally recognized speakers including Queen Noor, Francis Fukuyama,
Jeffrey Sachs, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Thomas Friedman, and Carly Fiorina.
The InfoShop functions as the only publicly accessible space at headquarters and
provides internal and external audiences with over 15,000 titles published by
the World Bank, international organizations, and other publishers on development
issues.
For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org/infoshop
Comments about the events program: http://go.worldbank.org/TDG9T8O9K0

BOOK LAUNCH: "Financing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises through Financial Intermediaries" on April 11 at 10:00 am in IFC Auditorium

(Embedded image moved to file: pic23281.jpg) & (Embedded image moved to
file: pic16827.gif)
Invite you to

a Panel Discussion and Launch of the IEG Study on

Financing Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises through Financial Intermediaries

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2008
10 am - 12 pm
IFC Auditorium
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue (Entrance on K Street)

For non Bank staff, please RSVP to infoshopevents@worldbank.org
|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| |
| |
| (Embedded image moved |
| to file: pic09961.jpg) The Independent Evaluation Group |
| brings together evaluators, |
| financiers, practitioners, and a |
| microfinance bank to talk about |
| micro, small, and medium |
| enterprises (MSMEs) in the |
| developing world. |
| |
| MSMEs constitute the bulk of the |
| private sector in most developing |
| countries and can contribute |
| significantly to economic growth, |
| employment creation, and poverty |
| reduction. However, limited access |
| to finance has often constrained |
| their development, particularly in |
| frontier countries (high-risk or |
| low-income). |
| |
| Supporting the MSMEs through |
| financial intermediaries in these |
| countries has been a strategic |
| priority for IFC, and the current |
| IEG study examines the |
| effectiveness of these strategies |
| during the period of 1994- 2006. |
| |
| For more information, please |
| visit: http://www.ifc.org/ieg

|
| |
| |
|------------------------------------------------------------------|

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Vinod Thomas
Director General, Evaluation
Independent Evaluation Group, The World Bank Group
Mr. Thomas is the Director-General of the Independent Evaluation
Group (IEG) at the World Bank Group. His previous positions include
Country Director for Brazil, Vice President of the World Bank
Institute (WBI), and Chief Economist for the World Bank in the East
Asia and Pacific Region. In addition, he was the staff Director for
the 1991 World Development Report entitled The Challenge of
Development.

CHAIR
Marvin Taylor-Dormond
Director, Independent Evaluation Group-IFC
Mr. Taylor-Dormond is the Director of the Independent Evaluation
Group at IFC (IEG-IFC). Mr. Taylor-Dormond joined IEG-IFC after a
successful career in the Central American Bank of Economic
Integration in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where he held positions such
as Controller (Independent Oversight and Evaluation Authority),
Executive Vice President and most recently, Chief Economist and
Chief Evaluation. He also served as Vice-Minister of Finance for the
Republic of Costa Rica, his native country.

PANELISTS
Amitava Banerjee
Manager, Independent Evaluation Group -IFC
Mr. Banerjee joined the World Bank Group in 1979 through the Young
Professionals Program. He has experience as an Investment Officer
in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and in Advisory Services in the
Pacific. In 1998, at the start of the Asian crisis, he was appointed
Regional Manager for Indonesia and Malaysia and posted to Jakarta,
Indonesia. He returned to Headquarters in 2002 as Manager, Strategy
and Coordination for the East Asia and Pacific Department.

James Scriven
Director, Global Financial Markets Group, IFC
Mr. Scriven is Director of Operations for Latin America and the
Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa regions at IFC?s Global Financial
Markets Department. He joined IFC in April 2002 and was responsible
for the restructuring efforts in the Argentine financial sector.
Since then, he has held several positions in the Global Financial
Markets Department prior to his current assignment.

Elizabeth Littlefield
Director, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
Ms. Littlefield is one of the World Bank's senior spokespeople on
microfinance. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Consultative
Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), a multi-donor organization created
to help build a large-scale permanent microfinance industry
providing flexible, high-quality financial services on a sustainable
basis to the poor. Prior to joining CGAP in 1999, Ms. Littlefield
was the Managing Director in charge of J.P. Morgan's financing
business in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, Central Asia,
Middle East and Africa. She has served on the executive board of
several organizations, including Women's World Banking, Profund, and
Africa International Financial Holdings.

Javier Fernández Cueto
Director of Strategy and New Business,
Banco Compartamos, Mexico
Before joining Compartamos in 1998, Mr. Fernández-Cueto worked in
American Express as manager for Latin American credit operations.
Upon joining Compartamos, he headed the development of urban
operations in Mexico City, and then became responsible for
transforming Compartamos from an NGO into a microfinance
institution. In 2005, he headed the transformation process into a
bank; and in 2007, he participated in the processes for Compartamos?
initial public offering. Mr. Fernández-Cueto is currently the
Strategy and New Businesses Managing Director for Compartamos
responsible for the aligning and fulfillment of Compartamos?
strategy as well as developing new businesses opportunities.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________
About IEG-IFC
The Independent Evaluation Group at IFC (IEG-IFC) independently
evaluates IFC's operations, including its investment activities and
advisory services operations with particular attention to
accountability - IFC's achievement of its objectives for private
sector development, and learning - identification and dissemination
of lessons and findings that can be operationalized by IFC staff and
others involved or interested in sustainable private sector
development.
For more information, visit: http://www.ifc.org/ieg

About the InfoShop
The InfoShop is the public information center of the World Bank and
serves as a forum for substantial debate on international
development. Our extensive events program consists of more than 250
events over the past two years and has hosted many internationally
recognized speakers including Queen Noor, Francis Fukuyama, Jeffrey
Sachs, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Thomas Friedman, and Carly
Fiorina. The InfoShop functions as the only publicly accessible
space at headquarters and provides internal and external audiences
with over 15,000 titles published by the World Bank, international
organizations, and other publishers on development issues.
For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org/infoshop

Comments about the events program:

http://go.worldbank.org/TDG9T8O9K0

REMINDER: Invitation to Presentation: "Understanding the Arab World" on Monday, March 31st at 12:00 pm in JB1-080

(Embedded image moved to file: pic12760.jpg)

&

Human Resources Services Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness Group
(HRSLO)

invite you to a presentation
|----------------------------+-------------------------------------|
| | |
| | |
| | Understanding the Arab World |
| | Oman's Unique Journey toward |
| (Embedded image moved to | Modernization |
| file: pic19357.jpg) | |
| | Part of a five-part series |
| | initiated by HRSLO to promote a |
| | deeper understanding of Arab |
| | culture through knowledge sharing |
| | with World Bank Group staff . |
| | |
| | Monday, March 31st, 2008 |
| | 12:00 - 2:00 pm |
| | |
| | Auditorium JB1-080 |
| | World Bank J Building |
| | 701 18th Street NW |
| | |
| | A reception will follow the |
| | presentation |
| | |
| | For non Bank staff, please RSVP |
| | to infoshopevents@worldbank.org |
| | |
| | |
|----------------------------+-------------------------------------|

PRESENTED BY
Linda Pappas Funsch
Adjunct Professor of History and Global Studies, Hood College
Ms. Funsch's career as Middle East specialist, lecturer, and author
involves extensive case study research and frequent travel
throughout much of the region. Currently teaching at Hood College
(Frederick, MD), she served with the Ford Foundation in both Beirut
and Cairo, initiating and overseeing development projects pertaining
to gender and family.

OPENING REMARKS BY
Iouri Bairatchnyi
Program Manager, Language and Culture Program, HRSLO
In his current position, Mr. Bairatchnyi introduced CultureActive, a
global cultural database that encourages World Bank staff to
increase awareness and knowledge for effective communications across
cultures. In his previous assignment as Senior Training Officer in
HR's Skills Development Division, he developed and designed an
innovative manual on Survival Russian for Business Travelers.

Rebiha Hacene-Djaballah
Lead Trainer, Arabic Language and Culture Program, HRSLO
Ms. Hacene-Djaballah is Lead Trainer of the Arabic Language and
Culture Program at HRSLO. She has taught French literature and
culture at Catholic University (Washington, DC).

MODERATED BY
Zoubida Allaoua
Sector Manager, Social and Economic Development Group, Middle East
and North Africa Region (MNA)
Ms. Allaoua started at the World Bank as a Young Professional in
1988. Since then, she has held various positions including
Economist in the Occidental/Central Africa department. As Sector
Manager in MNA, she is known for her tremendous understanding and
knowledge of the Region. She is also a well regarded manager,
encouraging her staff to take Arabic language and culture
training.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the InfoShop
The InfoShop is the public information center of the World Bank and
serves as a forum for substantial debate on international
development. Our extensive events program consists of more than 250
events over the past two years and has hosted many internationally
recognized speakers including Queen Noor, Francis Fukuyama, Jeffrey
Sachs, Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, Thomas Friedman, and Carly
Fiorina. The InfoShop functions as the only publicly accessible
space at headquarters and provides internal and external audiences
with over 15,000 titles published by the World Bank, international
organizations, and other publishers on development issues.
For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org/infoshop

Comments about the events program:

http://go.worldbank.org/TDG9T8O9K0