World Bank Podcasts

Veronica Li’s experience as a World Bank loans officer in Somalia over twenty years, gave birth to her literary alter-ego – a highly trained intelligence officer who uses her mind and her physical prowess to uncover intrigue, murder, and murky goings-on. Her novel, ‘Nightfall in Mogadishu’, takes place in Somalia in 1990 as the country is on the very brink of political collapse and violence. It is high action murder/mystery set against the backdrop of the real-life tragedy of Somalia that has dragged on for decades and resulted in wide scale death and destruction. In the book, Veronica Li recalls some of her own experiences witnessing events in Somalia, while also summoning up her skills as a writer, to create a page-turning novel. Bookmark explores the creative literary works of World Bank Group staff members. To listen to others episodes of the series, visit: soundcloud.com/worldbank/sets/bookmark

Lyn Squire was once head of research for the World Bank Group. But the qualities that he possessed in his career have not left him, even if he has retired from the institution. In his first novel, ‘The Last Chapter, he combines his inquisitive nature, research skills and love of the English novelist Charles Dickens, to write a murder mystery novel. Lyn Squire’s book looks at the fate of Dickens and his final unfinished novel ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’. Speaking on ‘Bookmark’, Lyn Squire relates how he used both fictional and real characters from Charles Dickens’ lifetime, to answer mysteries – literary and otherwise - stretching back almost one hundred and fifty years. Bookmark explores the creative literary works of World Bank Group staff members. To listen to others episodes of the series, visit: https://soundcloud.com/worldbank/sets/bookmark

Nazila Fathi was a little girl when the Iranian Revolution took place, and she grew up in the shadows of the upheaval and changes wrought by the new regime. She went on to become an accomplished journalist in her home country writing for a number foreign publications – most notably ‘The New York Times’. In what she describes as her historical memoir, ‘The Lonely War: One Woman's Account of the Struggle for Modern Iran’, Nazila Fathi relates her personal experiences and thoughts of reporting and witnessing events over the course of more than two decades. Now living in the United States and working for the World Bank Group, she reflects in ‘Bookmark’ upon her experiences as an Iranian, a woman and a journalist. She talks of how events in her home country both touched her personally, and also affected people throughout Iranian society. Bookmark explores the creative literary works of World Bank Group staff members. To listen to others episodes of the series, visit: http://www.soundcloud.com/worldbank/sets/boo

Narin Seng Jamison was born and brought up in Cambodia, but despite living for most of her life outside her home country, it remains very much with her. Her book ‘Cooking the Cambodian Way: The Intertwined Story of Cooking and Culture in Cambodia’ is not just about recipes it also concerns recovering and preserving a culinary culture as a response to the horrors of the Khmer Rouge. Narin – who worked for decades for the World Bank sees food as sustenance not just for the body but also for the soul of her country. Bookmark explores the creative literary works of World Bank Group staff members. To listen to others episodes of the series, visit: soundcloud.com/worldbank/sets/bookmark

Daniel Sellen has worked in almost thirty countries around the globe for the World Bank. He’s now dedicated to ensuring the well-being of the employees as chair of the Staff Association. His experience in DC and far beyond is the basis for his novel spread across differing continents and countries that tells a story of six intertwined individuals. Daniel brings his insights to present the differing perspectives of those from developing countries and those in one way or another who are attempting to help. Bookmark explores the creative literary works of World Bank Group staff members. To listen to others episodes of the series, visit: soundcloud.com/worldbank/sets/bookmark

Agi Kiss is an ecologist with a passion for Africa. Having spent a number of years working for the World Bank in Kenya she was inspired by what she saw of the wildlife to write a story for children. Her book tells the story of a cheetah and her brood of cubs in particular the youngest and most mischievous. The book demonstrates Agi Kiss’s love for the animals and nature of East Africa while also highlighting the responsibility of humans to respect and understand the environment. Bookmark explores the creative literary works of World Bank Group staff members. To listen to others episodes of the series, visit: https://soundcloud.com/worldbank/sets/bookmark

Lights, camera, #climateaction! Connect4Climate partnered with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) to present the Cine Verde section at the World Premieres Film Festival in Manila. It showcased film producers that use the power of film to encourage more debate on environmental and climate issues. #PabsyLive takes us behind-the-scenes and meets with film executives on sustainable filmmaking and climate-related themes. The global video competition, #Film4Climate, was also announced during the festival. For more information visit: https://www.connect4climate.org/ Enter the #Film4Climate Competition: https://www.film4climate.net

The World Bank is adopting a new policy governing procurement in projects financed by the Bank. Join communications officer Pabsy Pabalan and Robert Hunja, World Bank Director for Solutions and Innovations in Procurement, as they delve into the new system. *** ABOUT PABSYLIVE A young professional and a native of the Philippines, Pabsy has become our star reporter and a trusted voice with young people. Her interviews capture a wide range of World Bank Group issues: agriculture and sustainability, food and water security, childhood development, forced marriage, climate change, microfinance, transportation, labor issues and regulations, and digital dividends. Read more: blogs.worldbank.org/voices/pabsyliv…prings-meetings

Brazil and Mozambique are both countries under the Forest Investment Program. They share similar types of forests – the Miombo in Mozambique and the Cerrado in Brazil – and a common challenge: how to ensure forests contribute to rural livelihoods. Specialists from both countries met to exchange knowledge, ideas and best practices in sustainable forest management and to learn how to empower forest communities in the Cerrado and Miombo forests.

Author Cass Sunstein has just released a book titled "The World According to Star Wars", a look at what lessons Star Wars can teach us. Join Pabsy Pabalan as she speaks to the author to learn how Star Wars applies to the conflicts and challenges of today's world. #starwars #PabsyLive *** ABOUT PABSYLIVE A young professional and a native of the Philippines, Pabsy has become our star reporter and a trusted voice with young people. Her interviews capture a wide range of World Bank Group issues: agriculture and sustainability, food and water security, childhood development, forced marriage, climate change, microfinance, transportation, labor issues and regulations, and digital dividends. Read more: http://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/pabsylive-springs-meetings

Nearly five years after its publication, Ana Revenga and Sudhir Shetty, the Co-Directors of the World Development Report 2012 on “Gender Equality and Development,” look back on the report’s impact, and Caren Grown, Senior Director of the gender group at the World Bank Group, discusses how the organization’s new Gender Strategy was built on the lessons from the WDR 2012. To download the report, visit: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/4391 To learn more on the World Bank Group’s work on Gender, visit: http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/gender

Half of internally displaced people and 60% of refugees globally now live in towns and cities, where many of them live in rapidly growing informal settlements, lacking access to basic services, and often in dangerous areas. Those populations may be displaced for years or decades. What can we do to help refugees and displaced persons living in towns and cities that are themselves struggling for financial resources, over the long term? World Bank Senior Director Ede Ijjasz-Vásquez talks about how we need to think in new ways about sustainable solutions.

Childhood hunger is an issue that many countries are already addressing, often with school feeding programs aimed at getting kids to school, and keeping them there. Data show that successful school feeding programs can increase enrollment and reduce absenteeism. Once children are in the classroom, these programs can contribute to their learning while improving their health, and their ability to lead happy, healthy and successful lives. Most countries already recognize the need for strong, sustainable programs to supplement their existing social safety nets. The Global School Feeding Sourcebook: Lessons from 14 countries, includes case studies compiled in partnership with government teams from 14 countries – Botswana, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Cote D’Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria and South Africa. Nine of the fourteen sample countries in the report are in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The number of displaced worldwide, has reached a historic high. To cope with this situation, the World Bank Group with the United Nations and other partners held a discussion during the 2016 IMF/World Bank Group Spring Meetings to explore what can be done to help the refugees and the countries that are sheltering them. To understand the tribulation of a displaced family, watch “Struggles of a Syrian Refugee Family in Lebanon" on the World Bank Group's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3nhFpkaTmM

140 journalists from over 40 African countries attended a workshop in Elmina, Ghana, designed to give them a better understanding of the consequences of climate change on fisheries, the effects of illegal fishing and overfishing, and their impact on the fishers' communities around Africa. "Journalists Building a Bridge Over Troubled Waters!" opens a window on fisheries issues and the engagement of these African journalists to rescue the fisheries of the continent.

This episode concludes a discussion with Stephane Hallegatte and Mook Bangalore, two of the authors of the report “Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty.” The authors discuss how simultaneously working to mitigate climate change and reduce extreme poverty can produce a lot of “win-win” outcomes. Listen to Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/worldbank/ideas-unbound-shock-waves-part-1 To download the report, visit: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/22787

Dr. Myrna Cunningham, from the indigenous Miskito community in Nicaragua, knows a lot about indigenous peoples, forests, and climate change. Join Pabsy Pabalan as she uncovers some fascinating lore about the importance of forests. Watch Myrna and other experts in a spirited discussion about exciting initiatives benefiting forests and the people who depend on them: http://live.worldbank.org/think-forests-why-investing-in-forests-is-the-next-big-thing *** ABOUT PABSYLIVE A young professional and a native of the Philippines, Pabsy has become our star reporter and a trusted voice with young people. Her interviews capture a wide range of World Bank Group issues: agriculture and sustainability, food and water security, childhood development, forced marriage, climate change, microfinance, transportation, labor issues and regulations, and digital dividends. To read more: http://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/pabsylive-springs-meetings

This year the World Bank is awarding nine programs from around the world that are working to end gender-based violence, especially against the poor and vulnerable. Join Pabsy Pabalan as she finds out more about one program in Thailand that is helping sex workers stay safe. To learn more, visit: http://worldbank.org/gender To know more about Service Workers IN Group Foundation (SWING), visit: http://www.nswp.org/featured/service-workers-group-swing *** ABOUT PABSYLIVE A young professional and a native of the Philippines, Pabsy has become the World Bank Group's star reporter and a trusted voice with young people. Her interviews capture a wide range of World Bank Group issues: agriculture and sustainability, food and water security, childhood development, forced marriage, climate change, microfinance, transportation, labor issues and regulations, and digital dividends. To read more, visit: http://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/pabsylive-springs-meetings

During the 2016 IMF/World Bank Group’s Spring Meetings in Washington, the World Bank Group has announced that it will invest $2.5 billion in education projects targeting adolescent girls. It will help millions of girls particularly in Africa and Asia, enroll and stay in school. Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States of America, is ecstatic about it, in this edition of Girl’s Power. To watch a replay of the event, go to: http://live.worldbank.org/let-girls-learn-featuring-michelle-obama

In this episode – the first of two parts – Dan and Andres talk with Stephane Hallegatte and Mook Bangalore, two of the authors of the report “Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty.” The report finds that, without action, the effects of climate change could push more than 100 million people into poverty by 2030. But, as the authors explain, there’s good news, too. Listen to Part 2: https://soundcloud.com/worldbank/ideas-unbound-shock-waves-part-2 To download the report, visit: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/22787