March 26 , 2004 - Washington, DC In preparation for the Shanghai Conference on scaling up poverty reduction next month, the Bank recently brought together some 200 MBA and international development students and young professionals to debate the issues in the Preston Auditorium. With the theme "Roles for the Next Generation of Leaders in Poverty Reduction - On the Road to Shanghai," the event enabled these young people to learn about the important role they can play, as private sector professionals, in addressing critical development challenges.

The event was organized by the WBI Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility Program together with its partners, including Net Impact and the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research at the Wharton School.

The main objective of the event was to elicit ideas on how to alleviate poverty, and to make sure the views of youth are represented at the upcoming Shanghai Conference, said Djordjija Petkoski, Lead Enterprise Restructuring Specialist in WBI. Although demand outstripped capacity in Washington, the event was web-cast live within the Bank and externally to viewers around the world.

Jemal-ud-din Kassum, Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific Region, offered a frank account of the issues the Bank faces in scaling up successful projects. He noted the importance of a country’s social and economic context and the dilemma of knowing the limits of scaling up. Above all, however, he emphasized that “We cannot let these gaps (in wealth distribution), these disparities, this level of absolute poverty persist in our generation or your generation or the next generation.”

Many participants felt that better access to current leadership and better communication among the world’s youth was essential if they were to help shape the global development agenda. One MBA student noted, “Events such as the conference today and the [recent] online e-Conference are essential to educating ourselves and connecting with our peers. We need to learn from experts, but also from the different perspectives of [young people] around the world.”

A central objective of the event was to spur participants to action. Kassum noted that “Nowadays, the private sector has a responsibility that transcends its own role … . So whether you are leading private enterprise or influencing public policy, you have an important responsibility.” He then issued a challenge to the audience: “So, what is your view? Take a position. And we welcome engagement with you to discuss it.”

The event, specifically designed to provide the audience with perspectives not found in their textbooks, covered such topics as "Poverty Alleviation Through Ethics and Leadership" and an interactive case study from the IFC on What Future Leaders Need to Know: HIV/AIDS and Corporate Strategy.

The audience in Lima convened by the Young Americas Business Trust represented a wide variety of Latin American countries. Participants emphasized the ingenuity of young people in finding ways to escape poverty, but also their need for adequate training and learning resources to enable them to build sustainable livelihoods and enterprises.

In line with the rationale of the Shanghai Learning process, one US-based participant emphasized the “ability to be exposed to and interact with individuals, organizations, and programs that are successful in skills training and entrepreneurial development… Lessons learned can be adapted and implemented into local realities.”

For more information on this event, please contact Djordjija Petkoski, dpetkoski@worldbank.org. For more information on GDLN young entrepreneurship activities, please contact Bari Rabin, brabin@worldbank.org or Rafael Pinto, YBIZ2@oas.org