The world will be a more peaceful and secure place if people are given an opportunity to hope; this is the basis for economic, social and intellectual growth, says James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank.
– People with hope do not take a gun and go out and shoot you. People with hope are the basis for economic, for social, for intellectual growth, Wolfensohn added.
As the key note speaker at the 10th anniversary of the Conference de Montreal last week, the largest international forum on trade and development in Canada, Wolfensohn stressed the importance of addressing the tremendous inequity and instability in the world by giving people more voice, opportunities, a safe place to live, and a chance to build on their culture and their history.
– How is it that we can develop a world with growing instability, growing inequity and with a growing number of people without hope?” Wolfensohn asked about a thousand participants including business, academic and government leaders.
He said unless hope is provided to these people then everyone in the world is less secure. – You are much more likely to have peace and security if those people have the very same thing that you all want here: they want voice, women do not want to be beaten, they want an opportunity for their children, they would like to have a safe location in which to live.
Referring to an example of a project that brings hope to people, Wolfensohn paid tribute to the Cree Community of Northern Quebec, citing its ground breaking deal with the government of Quebec on development of the James Bay hydroelectric project.
James Bay is seen as a model around the world for aboriginal-state relations and it has become a case study used by the Bank on how the interests of aboriginal peoples can be an integral part of development.
Further, the President of the World Bank praised Canadas leadership for its commitment to advocating free trade for developing countries, its pro-active policies related to aid, its work on governance, its financing of AIDS treatment, its greater recognition for the rights of indigenous people, and its respect for equity and social justice.
He said Canada was not only a model economically, but also a model in terms of people living together, of mutual respect, and of values.
Canada is a founding member of the World Bank Group and is currently its eight largest shareholder. Wolfensohn paid tribute to Canadas legacy at the Bank highlighting that it was Nobel Laureate Prime Minister, Lester Pearson, who originally challenged developed countries to allocate 0,7 per cent of their gross national income (GNI) to helping poor countries.
Wolfensohn also encouraged Canadian government and businesses to increase total trade (currently at 6 per cent) with developing countries. He said increasing investment in developing countries represents a great business opportunity: by 2050 the GDP of developing countries will represent 40 percent of global GDP at a value of 56 trillion US dollar, up from todays 18 to 19 percent of GDP at a value of 6 to 7 trillion dollar.
However, Wolfensohn, pointed out the importance of having “a naivete of purpose”, which means that one does things not just because of economic motives but because it is morally right.
– Canada has, and can be a light to much of the world in terms of the value systems, in terms of the morality and ethics, and may I say too few people are proclaiming that today as a reason to be involved in development, he said.
Wolfenshon reminded his audience that in todays world of 6 billion people, 5 billion live in developing countries, more than 2,3 billion people live for under two dollar a day, and 1,2 billion live under one dollar a day.
In this same world, 1,5 billion people have no access to clean water, around 2,5 billion people do not have access to sanitation, and 1,5 billion do not have access to electricity.
– The view that we (at the World Bank) take is that this form of inequity, this form of instability, cannot last if there is to be stability and peace on our planet, he said.
Thus, Wolfensohn encouraged participants at the conference to look beyond the arguments of self- interest, security, or economics to contribute to development worldwide.
– It is a belief that you have the responsibility, as citizens of the world, to let others share in the good fortune of this multicultural society, he said in his concluding remarks, which were rewarded by a spontaneous standing ovation.
– You have the knowledge, you have the resources, you have the experience, but most of all you have the moral fiber and the belief that development is the right thing, and you can then truly be a light to the world, the President concluded.
To read the full speech, please go to: Remarks at the Conference de Montreal
