The World Bank and IMF 2012 Annual Meeting Civil Society Policy Forum took place from October 10 – 13 2012 at the Tokyo International Forum. Soroptimist International member Sumie Ito from the Japan Higashi region was in attendance to report back to us about the event.
The Civil Society Policy Forum began with a CSO Roundtable. Executive Director Mr. Masaki Inaba of Ugoku/Ugokasu stated “This CSO Forum is expected to deal with widening economic disparity, basic education, basic health coverage, disaster resilience, youth unemployment and CSO accountability". CSO representatives pushed for changes to The World Bank’s policy development operations. The strengthening of environmental risk assessment, gender, improving accountability for results and enhancing governance were also raised as issues to be addressed.
The World Bank stated that MDG1 has been achieved at the global level, but in low income countries enormous populations are left behind in extreme poverty and hunger. Even in middle income countries, wider economic disparity and unemployment plague their prospects for broad-based growth and social cohesion. Universal Health Coverage seems to be a contributor to inclusive growth. In one of the sessions, entitled ‘Investing in Health: for Whom?’, Ms.Nicole Klingen, Acting Director for Civil Society Consultative Group on Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank, stated that the Bank provides financing and policy advice to help countries expand equitable access to quality, affordable health care; protect people from worsening poverty due to illness; and achieve universal access to health care in a fiscally sustainable way. Investing in better health systems she believes, is the key to achieving better health for all. In Sierra Leone, Universal Health Coverage for pregnant women and children has been achieved through The World Bank’s support.
IT Evolution of Elderly Women
Disaster Resilience was one of the new initiatives addressed in this annual meeting. Prior to the meeting, the Sendai Dialogue Event showed the suffering caused from the East Japan Great Earthquakes and the Tsunami. World Bank President Jim Young Kim said it was time for global economic policy makers to take proactive measures to mitigate the impact of natural disasters and that disaster counter measures should be taken into consideration for all development planning.
The following is a case study of a multi-stakeholder partnership assisting women in their recovery from disaster:
In the Nagahora area of Rikuzentakada City, 28 houses of 60 were carried away into the sea by the Tsunami, and people sheltered in a school gymnasium. Most of them were over sixty years old : the younger people had left their village to Tokyo or other cities. The elderly created a strong network. Microsoft Japan donated ‘Rakuraku phones’ or easy mobile phones and ICT volunteer students of Chiba University offered to help them with the use of them. At first, the elderly women were reluctant, but soon they became absorbed in social media and even set up a blog. Academics and professionals joined them. Through negotiating with their local government, 26 temporary houses were built. They call them Nagahora Genkimura, or Nagahora Cheering Village, where they sell the special products of their city through the internet, and are now planning to create their permanent village on the hill there. You could call this women’s evolution through IT education and collaboration.