12 May 2000 : development events:

Recent Events

Worldaware: The twelfth annual Worldaware Business Awards were launched for 2000 on the 9th May at a reception at Marlborough House. Hosted by Lord Cairns, Chairman of the Commonwealth Business Council and of the Worldaware Awards Judges, business and diplomatic guests heard from the new Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon, who will p[resent this year’s Awards; and from Sir Jim Lester, Chairman of Worldaware, who was delighted to announce the expansion of the scheme to include entries from throughout the Commonwealth. The awards are given for lasting contributions made to social or economic development in developing countries. Closing date for entries is 10 July 2000. For more information about the Worldaware Business Awards scheme visit:
[ www.business-worldaware.org.uk ]

Forthcoming Events

‘Human Rights: Is it any of your Business?‘: The Corporate Citizenship Unit of the Warwick Business School is holding the aforementioned seminar with Amnesty International and the Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum on May 15th 2000. The speakers present will be Sir Geoffrey Chandler of the Amnesty International UK Business Group and Frances House from the PWBLF. The seminar asks why human rights matter to business and seeks to give guidance on interpret and apply human rights guidelines. For further information please go to
[ www.pwblf.org ] or e-mail [ [email protected] ]

The Third Warwick Annual Corporate Citizenship Conference: The conference which deals with the theme of ‘Promoting Global and Local Strategies for Corporate Citizenship‘ will be held on 10 & 11 July 2000 at the University of Warwick. Guest speakers include Peter Hain MP, Minister of State, Foreign Office; Bennett Freeman, US Asst. Deputy Secretary of State; George Kell, Senior Advisor, UN Secretary-General plus representatives from BT Wireless, Centre for Globalisation, Warwick Business School, Shell Chemicals and Rio Tinto.

Commonwealth Countries League: CCL, supported by The Commonwealth Foundation, is holding a conference in celebration of its 75th anniversary. ‘Coming of Age: 21st Century Commonwealth Women’ on Saturday 20th May 2000 is being held at Marlborough House. The programme covers subjects such as ‘The effects of globalisation’ and ‘Citizens and governance: Civil society in the new millennium’. Please contact Nicky Henson for further information.

Overseas Development Institute: The ODI has begun a series of meetings focusing on ‘The Agenda for Global Institutional Reform: Next Steps for Developing Countries’. The meetings which remain will tackle the following themes:

• Thursday 18 May, ‘The international role and regulation of companies‘ (1.30pm)
  Speakers: John Humphrey, Institute of Development Studies; Jacob Werksmann, Trade and Sustainable Development, SOAS.
  
• Wednesday 24 May, ‘Globalisation and poverty‘
  Speakers: Alan Winters, Uni. of Sussex; Henri Bernard Solignac Lecomte, International Economic Development Group, ODI
  
• Wednesday 31 May, ‘The interface between the humanitarian and the political agendas‘
  Speakers: Mark Bowden, FCO; Joanna Macrae, Humanitarian Policy Group, ODI
  
• Wednesday 7 June, ‘Global institutions and developing countries‘
  Speakers: David Batt, Director, International Economic Policy, DFID; Peter Tulloch, Director, Development Division, WTO; and Ngaire Woods, University College, University of Oxford.
  These meetings will be held between 1pm – 2.15pm (unless otherwise stated) in the Conference Room at the Overseas Development Institute. If you wish to attend any of these meetings please contact Nicky Henson or e-mail [ [email protected] ]

Global electronic conference on globalisation, poverty and development: The World Bank in conjunction with the Panos Institute London are sponsoring a month long public electronic conference throughout the month of May on "Globalisation, Development and Poverty". The ‘e-conference’, open to global participation, is the first in a series of conferences proposed by the World Bank on this topic. Each week is to deal with different themes:
Week 1: Globalisation, Development and Poverty: What do we know?
Week 2: Poverty, Basic Needs and Development
~ Looks at the debate from the perspective of the world’s poorest.
Week 3: Modes of Development
~ Debates models of development and whether globalisation ‘implies or imposes a singular model of development.’
Week 4: Whose Development? Globalisation, Empowerment and the Poor.
~ How does globalisation ‘shape and constrain the choices facing nations and communities (particularly the poor) about their development.’
For further information or directions on how to subscribe to the conference visit the forums website:
[ www.worldbank.org/devforum ] or [ www.panos.org.uk ]

‘Citizens and Global Governance‘: The Royal African Society Meeting will be held on Monday 15 May 2000 at the Commonwealth Club. Colin Ball, Director of the Commonwealth Foundation will speak. For further information please contact Nicky Henson or telephone the Royal African Society on 020 7323 6253