Shiela Kast, a newscaster for the Public Broadcasting System and National Public Radio, served as the emcee for the Third Richard Snowdon Lecture at Trinity College in Washington, DC on March 30th. The lecture was sponsored by the Interfaith Conference (IFC) of Washington. She provided background on the Interfaith Conference, and noted that Washington had declared March 30th IFC Day. She then introduced Pat McGuire, JD, President of Trinity College. She noted Bank President James Wolfensohn’s interest in increasing education for females as a lever for reducing poverty.
Wolfensohn noted that a survey of 60,000 people in 60 developing countries revealed they have the same hopes and aspirations as those in the industrialized world. The survey found that they want an opportunities to develop rather than seeking aid. He suggested many of the same issues are happening in the Washington metropolitan community as well. He mentioned a jobs program of hiring unemployed in the DC, Egypt and Russia and finding work afterwards in their communities.
He said the theme of his address is the Millennium Challenges for Faiths and Development: New Partnerships to Reduce Poverty and Strengthen Conservation. The challenge is immense: 3 billion who live under $2 a day; one and a half billion without access to clean water; 3 billion without sanitation; and millions of children not going to school. The Millennium Challenges, as determined by global leaders are less about money and growth, and more about equity and justice. Rich countries said to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which included halving poverty by 2015, they would build capacity, open their markets to trade, and increase aid. Poor countries pledge to strengthen their governance capacity, protect human rights, improve their financial systems and combat corruption. September 11th symbolized the evaporation of the walls between the rich and poor, and magnified the importance of issues of social justice. And women are hugely disadvantaged.
The $50 billion in development aid is just 0.2% of GDP of rich countries. This can be compared with the $350 billion in domestic food subsidies in rich countries and $900 billion in military expenditures. The World Faith Development Dialogue, which he said he helped organize, seeks to coordinate development activities with the faith community. Out of these dialogues, practical initiatives on HIV/AIDS, education, and health were developed. Wolfensohn mentioned the work of Martin Palmer as instrumental in bringing the faith community more closely into the development process. Wolfensohn then noted that bringing the faith community into development was a necessity as the rich countries focused on domestic issues, and viewed development within the context of Iraq, Afghanistan and terrorism. The reality is the world will grow by two billion people by 2030, almost all in the developing world, and this will exacerbate the untended problems of today.
Wolfensohn said a leadership role must be played by the US. The US and other rich countries have an obligation that transcends economics and addresses issues of humanity, he said.
Kast announced a scholarship program sponsored by the IFC and Washington Post, as well as a conservation initiative for the Anacostia River. She then provided some background on Richard Snowden. Snowden then provide some remarks about the IFC and its annual lecture event.
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