All Blog Posts
Member blogs include thematic articles of 600-800 words on books or research by members, or human interest stories by members. To submit a thematic blog write to the relevant TG chair; for human interest blogs write to 1818society@wbgalumni.org, with “Blog Proposal” in the subject line.
| Title | Author | Publication Date | Content | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bank’s Ambitious Gender Strategy | Frank Vogl | Feb 1, 2024 | The World Bank is on the cusp of finalizing a 2024-2030 gender development strategy. It draws on the experiences of the last decade where, for example, the number of Bank... | Read More |
| If You Came This Way | James Brown | Feb 1, 2024 | My interview at the Bank in the winter of 1970-71 began with the YP Coordinator saying, “Canadian, huh. That won’t hurt you.” I was hired, so I guess he was... | Read More |
| Chile’s experience transitioning from an energy supply crisis to major investments in renewables | Miguel Schloss | Jan 18, 2024 | There are times when crises can provide a sober warning about unaddressed problems than all discourses and learned studies. The crisis detonated almost 15 years ago by the gas supply... | Read More |
| Tackling Climate Change: The Bank’s Poisoned Chalice? | S. Ramachandran | Jan 12, 2024 | After much wrangling at periodic gatherings in Rio, Copenhagen and Paris, governments have agreed to reduce emissions that cause global warming. Many emissions deplete the stratosphere’s protective ozone layer affecting... | Read More |
| Stories from My 14 Years at the World Bank (1979-1993)* | Nancy Birdsall | Jan 11, 2024 | I was inspired by the November 29 CGD event on women’s leadership at the international financial institutions (IFIs), featuring a presentation of the results of this data-based study by CGD... | Read More |
| Changes in Bank Retirees’ Longevity | Anis Dani & Brenda Bermudez | Dec 13, 2023 | Two years ago, Bill McGreevy had analyzed mortality data of WBG retirees for an article in the Quarterly. After a gap of two years, we decided to analyze data on... | Read More |
| Are days of dollar dominance numbered in global commerce and finance? | Istvan Dobozi | Dec 10, 2023 | Historically, there were two national currencies – the British pound and the Dutch gulden – that played an important role as world reserve currencies and money of world commerce. But... | Read More |
| Rosalynn Carter’s Invitation to Me to Work for President Carter on the Global Development Initiative | Uma Lele | Dec 7, 2023 | Rosalynn Carter, the past first lady of the United States, who passed away on November 19, 2023, invited me to work with President Carter. After the Berlin Wall came down,... | Read More |
| Business Jargon: A Trip Down Memory Lane | Joseph Barone | Nov 1, 2023 | Business Jargon “are words or phrases used by business employees to convey unique ideas and directions.”[1] The World Bank, like every other organization, no matter the size or industry, was... | Read More |
| Secret Tuscany (an 1818 Society tour) | Marisa Diaz-Etchevehere | Nov 1, 2023 | Although I have been to Tuscany in Italy several times in the past, when I saw a tour called “Secret Tuscany” advertised in an e-mail from the 1818 Society, I... | Read More |
| Canadian Rockies CMH Summer 2023 | Xiao Ye | Oct 6, 2023 | Terry, my husband, and I joined the Canadian Rockies hiking trip in July. We spent a day and half in Calgary, which turned out to be a city with the... | Read More |
| Original World Bank Cost-Efficiency Indicators: Then & Now | Bill Katzenstein | Oct 5, 2023 | The Bank’s first review of its expenses in relation to lending, conducted in 1955, centered on three graphs illustrating the record of expenses and operations back to its startup. The... | Read More |
| The Lucrative Dangers of Tobacco Farming [1] | Uma Lele | Aug 1, 2023 | The global spread of tobacco production and use is like gun proliferation in the US. It is one of those evils that causes widespread harm – such as lung cancer,... | Read More |
| Destruction of World Bank-supported Hydropower Plant in Ukraine | Istvan Dobozi | Aug 1, 2023 | Ukraine has considerable hydropower resource potential. It operates nine major hydropower plants, accounting for about 10 per cent of the country’s total electricity generation mix, which is dominated by nuclear... | Read More |
| Pakistan: Hunza – Batura – Fairy Meadows: A hidden gem | Miriam Schneidman | Jul 14, 2023 | Sipping on a cup of chai on the balcony of the Raikot Sarai lodge while gazing at Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest mountain peak in the world (8126 m) ---... | Read More |
| Bidii Yetu – Cross Africa Odyssey to Raise Awareness of the Potential of People with Disabilities | Matthew Gamser | Jul 14, 2023 | A year ago I reconnected with an old friend and former colleague who, due to a hereditary disease, progressively lost feeling in his legs from his forties. Now in his... | Read More |
| Toward A More Effective WBG Response To Global Challenges | René Costa | Jun 30, 2023 | The World Bank Group (WBG), a long-standing development lender, is facing criticism for not being broad enough in its mandate to address global challenges, its governance weaknesses, and its complex... | Read More |
| Remembering Korea: Moments from the K-Tour of May 2023 | Chad Leechor | Jun 30, 2023 | On a cool sunny day, we gather at the Incheon Airport near Seoul, to start a stint of energetic hiking plus cultural immersion. There are 16 members of the 1818... | Read More |
| One Hundred and Fifty Shades of Green | Preeti S. Ahuja | Jun 14, 2023 | Just as my fingers finished typing “One Hundred Shades of Green” – a name I thought to be apt for my microblog (and designed to carefully avoid any confusion with... | Read More |
| A UNIVERSAL FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK FOR GLOBAL CONCERNS | René Costa | Jun 1, 2023 | “While there are countless solutions to tackling what has been described by the UN as the “existential threat” of our times, it is not fully clear how these solutions would... | Read More |