The World Bank is a development bank... for whom?
It's October, time for the annual meeting of the World Bank in Washington DC in which the annual results and future plans will be presented to the outside world. It also gives NGOs from all over the world an oppotunity to talk with World Bank’s administrators and relevant staff on future policies. Pieter Jansen of Both ENDS travelled to Washington together with three representatives of local organisations in the South: Yu Chen of Green Watershed from China, Mayra Tenjo of ILSA from Colombia and Ram Wangkheirakpam of NEPA from India. Their main purpose is to highlight the importance of social- and environmental requirements that the investments of the World Bank should meet, the so-called 'safeguards'.
Outdated policies of the World Bank
The main topic of discussion for the Bank is the new strategy it’s proposing to help the 40% poorest people of the world with its projects. According to the Bank, this can be achieved by investing in large projects such as hydrodams, to generate the energy needed for economic growth. As the policy makers of the Bank believe that economic growth is the best way to eradicate poverty in this world, its policies focus on large-scale infrastructure. To be able to compete with financers from countries like China, the Bank argues its safeguards should not be too strong.
To learn from mistakes
According to Pieter the Bank has not learned much from the fact that its policies have not had the intended results. “Its policies did not change much over the last decade, while many NGOs state that they have not contributed to poverty reduction at all. To the contrary, they have actually caused more inequality and poverty! We keep telling the Bank’s management and board over and over again that economic growth is not the miraculous solution to combat poverty.”
Experts by experience
"This time, I will not visit Washington on my own. I will be accompanied by people who themselves are harmed by the World Bank’s projects in their own regions and who will share their experiences. Ram, Mayra, Yu and I will mainly talk about the revision of the World Bank’s safeguards. We will meet the directors of the Bank and we will give two presentations: one on the forestry policies of the Bank and the related rules. Another presentation will be about the Bank’s safeguards which we think should become stronger instead of weaker.
Practical examples
“We illustrate our presentations with practical examples. Ram will tell about the impact of a project in Manipur, North East India. The World Bank attempts to introduce cash crops to some of the indigenous communities in this region. According to Ram and many others it is not at all favorable for the local communities to be drawn into the monetary system in the way that the World Bank would like to see it. It will cause even more inequality, disrupt local social relationships within the local communities and it will hamper the decision-making processes in the villages. Yu will point out to the World Bank that the social and environmental criteria of Chinese financers should not serve as an example for those of the World Banks. The Bank tends to take Chinese investments as an argument to weaken its own safeguards. 'If they don’t comply, why should we?'"
Reforestation for selling purposes
"Mayra will express her worries about the land rights of smallholder farmers which are threatened by the implementation of climate projects. On the one hand reforestation projects do benefit the environment (absorbing extra CO2), but on the other hand these projects hardly take into account the situation of local communities living in these areas. The Word Bank should think hard about how to use funds intended for climate projects. Using it for 'reforestation projects' in countries like Colombia is certainly not the way. These are not forests: they are enormous swaths of land covered with many trees of the same kind. This is extreme monoculture, and the wood will eventually be sold while local people do not share in the benefits. To the contrary: this 'reforestation' causes smallholder farmers to lose their farmlands and their livelihoods."
Prosperity
"I am pleased that Both ENDS was able to bring together these people and get them in touch with people from the World Bank. This way they could illustrate with their own examples that the Bank’s current path is not reducing poverty. The existing safeguards should promote sustainable development rather than disrupt communities and cause further environmental damage.”
More information?
Blog of Yu Chen (Green Watershed from China)
11 March 2013 - item on safeguards World Bank
Short video: Margarita Flores of ILSA on safeguards of the World Bank
Read more about this subject
-
Video / 3 juli 2024
Jonila Castro of AKAP KA & Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment
Jonila Castro works for AKAP KA Manila Bay and/or Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE). The livelihood of the majority of the Filipino people depends on the environment, on the seas and the lands and mountains.
-
News / 3 juli 2024
Illegal logging is devastating Suriname's forest: The Saamaka and their fight against deforestation
The Saamaka people of Suriname have long resisted the government's violation of their land rights. Despite a 2007 ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) against such violations, the government continues to grant logging and mining concessions on Saamaka territory without free prior and informed consent (FPIC). New report shows this has led to deforestation, land dispossession, and disruption of their livelihoods. A recent example includes a 42.7 km road built through their lands for logging access.
-
Publication / 2 juli 2024
-
Blog / 21 juni 2024
International coorperation - especially now!
This blog is written in Dutch
-
News / 19 juni 2024
Recognition for PROBIOMA from the Chamber of Deputies of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
PROBIOMA have received recognition from the Chamber of Deputies of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The presentation of this tribute took place at the Museum of Natural History Noel Kempff Mercado, in the framework of the Environment Day.
-
Publication / 18 juni 2024
-
News / 18 juni 2024
Impact of oil extraction on women's health in Bayelsa
In the context of Shell's imminent divestment from onshore oil industry in the Niger Delta, Both ENDS partner Kebetkache publishes a new report showing severe health and environmental challenges faced by the women of Otuabagi in the Niger Delta due to Shell's crude oil exploration. -
News / 18 juni 2024
Dutch government threatens to put human lives at risk again in infamous TotalEnergies gas project in Mozambique
The Dutch government threatens to blunder again by providing export support for TotalEnergies' controversial gas project in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. This follows from an analysis of 9000 documents from FOI requests, commissioned by Milieudefensie and Both ENDS. Anne de Jonghe, Both ENDS: “When the export support was issued in 2021, critical voices were minimized, while TotalEnergies was heard and trusted. That should not happen again."
-
Event / 17 juni 2024, 15:00 - 16:00
Environmental Litigation: An Underestimated risk for Investors
Extreme weather events, environmental degradation and stakeholder activism force companies to reconsider climate change as an aggravating risk with tangible impacts on global supply chains, business performance, brand reputation and ESG ratings. Business strategies that neglect adequate environmental action can lead to consumer boycotts, negative media attention, investor runs and even legal action.
-
Dossier /
Transformative Talks
At Both ENDS we aim to connect people for change. Together with environmental justice groups from the Global South, we work towards a sustainable, fair and inclusive world.
-
Pathway /
Promoting people-driven solutions
Our goal is a massive upscaling and mainstreaming of bottom-up, planet-friendly practices, supported by favourable governance systems and availability of financial resources. There are many examples of successful community-led livelihood models based on collective participation, healthy ecosystems, gender justice and a vision of wellbeing beyond individual wealth. Approaches such as Regreening focus on ecosystem restoration led by forest communities or local farmers in the Sahel. These initiatives recognise and respect the interdependence between human prosperity and healthy ecosystems. They help to empower women, youth and other groups that often lack access to decision-making processes and tend to be excluded from land, water and forest management to assert their agency and rights to self-determination.
-
Pathway /
Supporting a powerful civil society
Our goal is that civil society can work openly and safely, make their voices heard and influence decision-making on ecosystem challenges and matters of environmental justice and human rights. A strong civil society is indispensable to a healthy society. It checks the power of both state and corporate actors, holds decision-makers accountable, and defends the rights of those marginalised from positions of influence. A strong and independent civil society can advocate for fair and ecologically responsible policies as well as challenge structural inequalities in decision-making. It can also use accountability mechanisms to seek redress for the negative consequences of such inequitable decision-making, and instead promote, implement and upscale transformative practices.
-
Pathway /
Advocating for just governance worldwide
Our goal is to achieve systemic change at all levels of social, political and economic institutions, to ensure that these unconditionally respect human rights and planetary boundaries. This requires policy coherence and consistent decision-making across all sectors - from trade, finance and energy to food production, agriculture, climate action and water management - and across all sections of society - from individual to family, farm, neighbourhood, city, province and national levels.
-
News / 11 juni 2024
Stand in solidarity; sign the petition
Together with a vast majority of Dutch NGO's, political movements and other concerned professionals we have started a petition to call out to the Dutch new government to invest in international cooperation and stop the planned budget cuts (2,5 billion euros).
-
News / 5 juni 2024
Appeal by 70 parties: The Netherlands’ strategy for global food security works!
A broad coalition of Dutch companies, knowledge institutes and civil society organizations wants to work together with the new government to make a real difference in improving global food security. The main focus will lie on supporting farmers and consumers in the Netherlands and beyond, and promoting climate-proof food systems in low- and middle-income countries. The coalition believes that, with our knowledge, expertise, experience and reputation for international cooperation and trade, the Netherlands must adopt an ambitious strategy for making our food systems more sustainable, and so contribute to achieving the targets in the Paris Climate Accord and the Sustainable Development Goals.
-
News / 29 mei 2024
Serious questions about possible Dutch export support for Mozambique's LNG gas project
Members of Parliament Daniëlle Hirsch (PVDA-GL) and Christine Teunissen (PVDD) ask serious questions about possible Dutch export support for the Mozambique LNG gas project. Both ENDS has been advocating for the file for years.
-
Blog / 28 mei 2024
Democratic Values Under Attack in Europe: The Need to Look Beyond the Dutch Dikes and the Role of Philanthropy
Mid May, I read about the expected – yet still shocking – implications of the radical shift to the far-right in the Netherlands. The current coalition agreement includes measures previously adopted by other European countries with similar election outcomes, leading to a curtailment of democratic freedoms, an inward focus, and attempts to limit the role of civil society. With the European elections on the horizon and another rightward shift anticipated, it is more important than ever for philanthropy to join forces in advancing a just climate transition, promoting democratic values, and ensuring all voices are heard.
-
Video / 18 mei 2024
Charity Migwi of Oil Change International
Oil Change International is mainly focused on research, communication, and advocacy. Charity Migwi helps with campaigning to get fossil fuel companies to face out their production of oil and gas. In Africa, for instance Nigeria and Senegal, she works together with communities, especially where the projects are happening to see how they can collaborate and strengthen each other. And they are under pressure of time. Where advocacy takes patience and time, climate change impacts are rising daily. A personal talk about the importance of things that are worth fighting for. At Both ENDS, our aim is to connect people for change.
-
Video / 17 mei 2024
Muhammad Al Amin of WAHLI-Sulawesi
Muhammad Al Amin works as the executive director at WALHISulawesiSelatan. WALHI is an Indonesian environmental non-governmental organization, which is part of the Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) network and the biggest environmental non-profit organization in Indonesia.
-
Video / 16 mei 2024
Lungisa Huna of the Rural Womens's Assembly
Lungisa Huna works at Rural Womens’s Assembly in Cape Town South Africa. She talks about her dreams, concerns and work with the farming women of South Africa.