Against IFIs

Staff Correspondent/ http://www.newagebd.com/2008/oct/17/busi.html

 Economists, politicians and rights campaigners have stressed that Bangladesh needs to have its own independent policies to protect its economy from the dangers of global turmoil caused by thoughtless expansion of capitalism.

They blamed international capitalist mode of productions, speculative investment, unjust and undemocratic role of international financial institutions and multinationals for the latest global financial crisis, worst since the Great Depression of 1930.

Bangladesh is passing through multi-faceted challenges in the recent past propagated by its economic depression due to deregulation of the state machinery dictated from International Financial Institutions. Commoner's life and livelihood is highly suppressed from inflation, unemployment and unprecedented risks. Triple attack of food, fuel and financial crisis on the global economy is also affecting peoples' daily life as the country is a net food importing LDC and its remittance mostly comes from by exporting garments and frozen foods along with low skilled manpower.  Bangladesh needs increased investment in food, griculture, employment generation along with spending in basic services. But the govt. can not invest more as they have
to pay back more than USD 1500 million for debt servicing per annum to World Bank, IMF, Asian Development Bank and to other bi-lateral donors, which is more than 15% of it's national budget. Besides new loan programs in the name of Multi Donor Trust Fund proposed to be managed by World Bank will trap its citizens to new debt burden. Massive awareness needs to be created to
challenge this undemocratic venture of the Bank.

Thursday 16 October 2008

VOICE is going to organize a discussion meeting on `IFIs are the Major Barriers to Development Effectiveness: Linking Financial Crisis to Food, Debt and Climate Change'.

The objective of the workshop is to critically examine the neo-liberal perspective-- the policies and projects of international financial
institutions (IFIs), and its relation with food, debt and climate crisis. Also the discussion will highlight how the corporate globalization, the IFIs and transnational corporations make the world economic order worsen and create recent global financial crisis which puts negative impact over national economy and affects people's life and livelihood.

Time: 9:00am-1:00pm
Location: CIRDAP Conference Hall , Dhaka

This will involve a wide range of civil society including activists, researchers, academicians, journalists, women groups, farmer's associations,local and national NGOs and members of professional bodies. Eminent economists, experts and representatives of NGOs and CSOs among others will be present as key discussants.

Please contact us for more information! (email: exchange.voice@gmail.com, Mobile: 01712-990078)

[12 October, Dhaka] Speakers at a press conference said that the international financial institutions (IFIs) have a disastrous consequences over people's life and livelihood over the years due to policy prescriptions and bad projects of IFIs.  The press conference was held at the Dhaka Reporter's Unity in the city today to observe the Bangladesh Week of Action against poverty, hunger and unjust development paradigm. The Bangladesh Social Forum organized the press conference on the eve of World Bank-IMF annual general meeting scheduled from coming 15-17 October in Washington DC.

Please join the Bangladesh Week of Action (12-18 October 2008) against Poverty, Hunger and Unjust Development Paradigm. VOICE along with other NGOs, CSOs will launch a week long campaign against illegitimate debt and IFIs. It includes press conference, public programme, cultural show, seminar, workshop, rally and demonstration, poster  and documentary show, capacity building training etc. A culmination programme under the banner of Bangladesh Social Forum will be held on 18th October.

Please extend your solidarity. More soon.

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.info/search_index.php?page=detail_news&news_id=46397

Speakers at a seminar Tuesday critically evaluated the draft national action plan on climate change, saying that the action plan was drafted without any public participation, especially the vulnerable communities.

The day-long consultation on Environment and Climate Change: Role of the ADB in Bangladesh was organised by Voice, a research and advocacy organisation based in Dhaka, and the Manila-based NGO Forum on ADB-an international civil society network, said a press release.

The participants agreed to monitor closely the policies, projects and programmes of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Bangladesh. It was addressed, among others, by Ziaul Haque Mukta, coordinator of Oxfam-International, Asgar Ali Sabri from ActionAid Bangladesh, Iqbal
Hossain from Save the Children-UK, Md. Hilaluddin from Angikar Bangladesh, Hosne Ara from VSO International, Zakir Hossain from Nagorik Uddog, Sajjad Ansari from In Search of Light, Shawkat Ali from Sharp, Remuna Nurain from Bela and Hasan Mehedi from Humanity Watch.

Call to involve public participation in nal'l action plan on climate change

http://thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=56285

Speakers at a consultation yesterday agreed to monitor closely the policies, projects and programmes of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Bangladesh.

They evaluated the recently drafted national action plan on climate change, says a press release. The national action plan was drafted without any public participation especially the vulnerable communities.

The daylong consultation on 'Environment and Climate Change: Role of the ADB in Bangladesh' held at the auditorium of Campaign for Popular Education (Campe) in the city was attended by nearly 40 representatives from NGOs, civil society organisations, academicians, journalists and human rights activists.

The speakers demanded that international financial institutions (IFIs) and northern multinational companies should shed the climate hypocrisy if they want to consider impacts of climate change on people.

Participants from various civil society organizations agreed to monitor closely the
 policies, projects and programs of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Bangladesh in the face of changing nature of the ADB. Speakers critically evaluated recently drafted the national action plan on climate change. The national action plan was drafted without any public participation especially the vulnerable communities. 

The day long consultation on Environment and Climate Change: Role of the ADB in Bangladesh held at the Mohammadpur auditorium attended by nearly 40 representatives from NGOs, civil society organizations, academicians, journalists and human rights activists across the country. Speakers demanded that international financial institutions (IFIs) and northern multinational companies should shed the climate hypocrisy if they want to consider impacts of climate change on people.

The event was organized by Voice, a research and advocacy organization based in Dhaka and Manila based NGO Forum on ADB- an international civil society networks.

VOICE is organizing a day long workshop on 'Environment and Climate Change : Role of Asian Development Bank in Bangladesh’

Day: Tuesday 23 September 2008
Time: 9:00am-6:00pm
Location: Dhaka

The objective of the workshop is to examine the neo-liberal perspective--the policies and projects of international financial organizations (IFIs), and in particular to analyze the role of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Speaker: Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, Executive Director,VOICE, Avlash Raul, NGO Forum on ADB, Dr. Piash Karim, Brac University

The workshop will involve NGOs/CSOs from both national and local levels who are engaged in the relevant field.

Please contact us for more information! (email: exchange.voice@gmail.com, Mobile: 01712-990078)

http://www.newagebd.com/2008/sep/11/oped.html

There is little doubt that climate change is happening. As countries and international organisations ponder over how resolve an impending crisis brought about by global warming, they should also stop to consider whether the prevailing market oriented economy makes enough of an allowance to arrive at sustainable and genuine measures to contain this impending crisis… writes Ahmed Swapan Mahmud