Catalyst of Change

“Catalyst of Change”

An Open Dialogue With
The Legendary Leaders of Asia

Via videoconferencing-link with World Bank GDLN

Distance Learning Centers in Asia and the Pacific

To be moderated by Peter Stephens, Regional Communications Manager of the World Bank. Other invites will include the following:

Former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew on the third week of January 2008;

Former President of the Philippines, Fidel Ramos on the third week of February 2008; and

Former Prime Minister of Thailand, Anand Panyarachun, on the third week of March 2008

Great strides have been made in achieving equitable growth and reducing poverty over the last 50 years. Globally, life expectancy at birth has risen by 20 years and adult illiteracy has been cut in half. Poverty rates have fallen with the proportion of people living in extreme poverty reducing from about 40 percent in 1981 to 21 percent in 2001.

These are fine achievements and within the East Asia region the success has been even greater – the percentage of people living in extreme poverty has been reduced from 30 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 2001 – a trend that continues steadily today with poverty rates falling in almost all countries of the region. This Asian miracle is truly an example for other parts of the world. The lessons of Asia’s experience need to be distilled, captured and shared if future generations of leaders, in Asia and beyond, are to learn and benefit from the greatest period of poverty reduction in history.

A relatively small number of Asian leaders played a central role in this period. From different cultural backgrounds, and dealing with different economic, social and political challenges, they are all recognized for the extraordinary contribution they made to their country’s development and the region’s growth and stability. They are the catalysts of change who are responsible for generating the confidence, hope, vision, policies and drive within their countries that led to sustained economic growth and reduced levels of poverty and which resonated well beyond the borders of their countries. This handful of leaders stand out as people who made a difference: their leadership and vision created an environment that improved the lives of hundreds of millions of people and laid the base for sustainable growth in Asia.

These leaders are approaching the end of their public lives and they hold profoundly important knowledge about the successes and failures, the sequencing of decisions and relationship between different policy actions that have relevance to today’s generation of leaders.

Event Date: 21st of December 2007 (Session 1)

Structure:

1. Twenty emerging young leaders from each participating East Asia and Pacific country will attend a dialogue with outstanding Asian Leaders via the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN).
2. Following the interviews, participants will be invited to pose questions to the leaders.
3. After the question and answer session, the World Bank/development expert will moderate a discussion on the lessons learned.
4. At the end of the series, participants will be invited to submit a 750 word essay on their main lessons from the interview series and how they plan to apply these lessons to their own work.
5. A prize of $750 will be awarded to the three most insightful essays.The interviews and essays will be made available via the GDLN to a wider viewing audience and will be replayed as the basis for learning sessions as part of future

Contacts

Mr. Robbie Macalde
jmacalde@aim.edu
Ph: +632 892 40 11 ext 334
Fax: +632 8302234

Mr. Mel Cledera
vcledera@aim.edu
Ph: +632892 4011 ext. 254
Mr. Gio Candelaria
gcandelaria@aim.edu
Ph: +6328924011 ext.119

Catalyst of Change Invitation (PDF)

Philippines Participants

View session 1 pictures

Catalyst of Change Story