THE 1818 SOCIETY

BULLETIN Volume 3, Issue 24

www.worldbank.org/1818

March 2015

From The 1818 Society President’s Desk Dear Members: The Society’s Annual Meeting is being held this year on 27-29 October, 2015 in the Preston Auditorium of the World Bank Group (WBG) MC Building in Washington. There is so much happening before that, so I will update you on a few matters of direct concern to you. First, the Pension Fund. As you know, the Society is satisfied with the way the Pension Fund is managed and operates, while always recognizing the importance for further enhancements. While the WBG's Annual Report on the Pension Fund has been improving in accuracy and transparency, several members have made useful suggestions to improve it further. The 1818 Pension team is currently consulting with a number of members who have expertise in this area. We expect the presentation at this year' annual meeting to continue the improving trend. Second, on your gaining access to information on your pension payments. The new Pension Portal will be inaugurated this summer. You will then be able to monitor your pension payments and deductions on a monthly basis, besides having quick access to other information on pensions. This will meet a long pending demand of yours. You will have the opportunity at the Annual Meetings to review its performance. Third, on the Retiree Medical Insurance Plan (RMIP) prescription drugs program for US residents. The transition from Express Scripts to CVS is over. There were several legitimate complaints by individual members during the transition, ranging from delayed receipt of membership cards to dissatisfaction about a single source of mail order for maintenance medicines. The adjustment period does take some time for any change. At least two lessons were learnt: (i) do not change providers if their present performance is satisfactory, unless major economy and efficiency gains are expected from the change, or unless the providers have become a harmful vested interest. (ii) when you do change, get inputs from as many members as possible beforehand so as to identify where new problems will arise, or old ones will reappear. Take these fully into account before rushing with the implementation of change. I must add that WBG HR and our 1818 team diligently handled numerous emails and phone calls. A global 1818 member team is now collaborating with HR on the rebidding of the Aetna-VanBreda contracts as administrators of the RMIP and the new contracts (effective 2016) may include possible changes to some features of the RMIP. Members are requested to send their concerns to this team

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through the 1818 Office ([email protected], use RMIP in the subject line) especially with regard to their experience with the current administrators of the RMIP. Fourth, many of you would like your expertise and experience put to good use by the WBG. You find it difficult to identify managers who need you. Managers have frequently complained that they are "pestered" by alumni job seekers. This is a doubly unhappy situation. An alumni data base is part of the remedy. But our past efforts have not succeeded. More recently, we added an alumni section to the WBG's consultant data base called SkillsFinder. This too, did not work well. It did not allow members to switch between fee-free and paid consultancies, nor did it allow members to get in touch with other alumni on the WBG data base. Its data entry systems were unfriendly. Therefore the 1818 Board has decided that the Society will set up its own Database for Alumni Skills and Expertise (DASE) on its own website, which is also being modernized. A proposal is now being finalized to make this happen in the next few months. Anis Dani is in charge of this DASE initiative, and he will request your personal inputs, but only when the system is ready to go active. You will have the opportunity of discussing how to take this initiative further down the road at the 1818 Annual Meetings. Finally, many members enjoy 1818 reunions. A number of exciting Chapter reunions have been mentioned in other parts of this Bulletin, but I would like to draw attention to the most recent one in Costa Rica, which was successfully organized by a worthy NGO just for the Society. Watch out for similar reunions in the future: Iran, Peru and lots more! Why not organize a reunion in your own back yard! With best regards Shiva (J Shivakumar President, The 1818 Society)

Chapter Events ANZ CHAPTER The major concern of the ANZ Chapter, since its meeting in November 2014, has been the court case affecting the taxation of the Bank’s pension in Australia. After the initial favourable decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (March 2014) that found that the Bank’s pension was not subject to income tax in Australia, the Australian Taxation Office appealed against that decision to the Federal Court of Australia. In December 2014, the Federal Court of Australia found that the Bank’s pension was an emolument. Nevertheless, the way that the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act was drafted, giving immunity from income tax in Australia to salaries and emoluments received from the Bank, also led to the court’s interpretation that the immunity ceased once the person retired and was no longer an officer of the Bank. However, one of the three judges, in a separate opinion, considered that according to public international law the Bank’s pension was not taxable. This implies that the drafting of the Act is in conflict with the convention on the UN specialized agencies that Australia signed without reservations.

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In view of other precedent findings by the High Court, an application of leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia has been made. We are waiting on the result of this first step. If leave is granted, then a decision will need to be made whether to proceed with the actual appeal. A major issue is the large costs involved and potential financial liability in the appeal to the High Court – the highest court in the Australian legal system. To proceed, there will be need for substantial financial support by all those likely to benefit from a positive outcome. This is of relevance not only to those who retired and live in Australia, but also to current employees of the Bank who would like to be residents of Australia after their retirement. Support from all will be essential to make the appeal to the High Court a reality. For matters concerning the Australian and New Zealand Chapter please contact Jo. M. Martins, at [email protected], Tel: 61 + 2 + 9973 3022. BRITISH CHAPTER Reunion and Christmas Lunch. 6 December 2014 The lunch at the Thistle Kingsley Hotel in Bloomsbury Way was attended by 52 members and guests, a slight increase in numbers over 2013. A drinks reception, held in the hotel bar, provided an opportunity to meet old friends. Lunch was then served with a three-course menu, including traditional turkey with trimmings or salmon, followed by Christmas pudding. Crackers and party poppers contributed to the occasion. Photos of the event can be viewed on the 1818 Society British Chapter website: www.1818bc.org.uk Spring Reunion and AGM. 2015. Dublin. The event will be held in Dublin from 8 – 10 May, 2015. Members and guests are assured of good accommodation in Bewleys Hotel, Ballsbridge, a short distance from the city centre. The programme includes tours of the best of Georgian Dublin and of Trinity College, with a visit to the college library to view the Book of Kells, a unique medieval illuminated manuscript. There will also be a trip through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains, including a visit to the wonderful gardens at Powerscourt House and, of course, plenty of Dublin “craic”. Booking forms were distributed in February 2015. A considerable number of members had previously registered interest in attending the Dublin reunion. Regrettably, it is not possible to arrange guided tours for more than 100 attendees, so places on the tours will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Early booking is advised. However, members who cannot be included in the guided tours are welcome to book at the hotel and join the social functions on Friday and Saturday evenings and the Annual General Meeting and lunch on Sunday. A booking form should be submitted in the usual way. You will be informed if places on the tours are not available. Contact Ian Hill at [email protected] CANADIAN CHAPTER The Canadian Chapter welcomes new members. Any former WBG staff who have not joined are welcome to contact Jim Smith at [email protected]. Jim would also welcome help in the task of contacting other Canadians who may potentially be interested in joining the Chapter. Assistance in maintaining the Chapter and promoting its activities would be greatly appreciated.

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CHILEAN CHAPTER Upon return from summer vacation period, starting mid-March, Chapter activities will resume. Planned meetings will take place in a venue and time to be agreed to cover the following topics and activities of interest to our members:  Discussion on the recently approved tax reform with Jaime del Valle and Carolina Fuenzalida (http://fydv.cl/estudio/), who were involved in the preparation and review of the reforms in Congress. 

A dinner gathering with Alberto van Klaveren (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Alberto_van_Klaveren), Chilean Representative and State Agent to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, regarding the country’s legal proceedings in that court concerning international borders with Peru and ongoing court hearings on border dispute with Bolivia.

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One or two "Life Certificate & Coffee" gatherings to enable members to sign each other’s witness forms for submission to Pension Administration.

For the coming months, and until further notice, points of contact for the following issues are: Aetna -- Jorge García-Mujica, [email protected] Vanbreda -- María angélica Correa, [email protected] Webpage -- Rocardo Martín, [email protected] SRP currency & foreign exchange issues -- Jorge García-Mujica, [email protected] SRP general -- Miguel Schloss, [email protected] Q@A Newsletter -- M. Corea, [email protected]; G. Moreno, [email protected]; M. Rodriguez, [email protected]; [email protected] For publications by the Chilean Chapter members, please go to the Chapter website at https://sites.google.com/site/1818chile/home DUTCH CHAPTER The Dutch Chapter is informal, without registration or membership fees. Therefore maintaining an up-to-date address system (and keeping track of E-service provider changes) poses a constant challenge. If you have recently changed your e-mail address, please inform the secretary at [email protected] Sixteenth Annual Reunion - Dutch Chapter - September 3-5, 2015, Amsterdam Preparations for this reunion are in the final stages. The highlights of the program include:   

Stay in a classic Amsterdam Hotel (Die Port van Cleve) where the Heineken Brewery was founded in the 19th century. It is located right in the center of town, two minutes from Dam Square and the Royal Palace, and 10 minutes from the central railway station. Transport through the Amsterdam canals on an “old timer” sight-seeing boat dating from the early 20th century, with lunch on board. Happy hour and dinner in the historical setting of the old Amsterdam Commodities Exchange; a second dinner in our hotel which includes a presentation by a Dutch Rembrandt expert.

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Visits to two museums: first, the beautifully renovated Amsterdam Maritime Museum by the old port, with a life-size replica of a 17th century Dutch merchant ship; secondly, the Amsterdam Hermitage museum housed in the 17th century former Home for Old Men and Women on the Amstel River.

Logistical details: Hotel (Die Port van Cleve): cost per night, per couple: 155 Euros, including

breakfast. For singles 135 Euros per night. Program costs, to cover dinners and drinks, boat rides, museum visits, etc., will be 200 Euros per person. Amsterdam has many more attractions so you could come earlier or extend your stay and visit the Rijksmuseum, the van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank House, among others. All these are within walking distance or a short tram ride away from the hotel. For more details about the program or if you are planning to participate, please contact the organizers and you will be sent an information package including the Room Reservation form. Henk Groen: [email protected] Mariette van Beek: [email protected] Seventeenth Annual Reunion, September 1-3, 2016, Dordrecht Identification missions have taken place to the cities of Dordrecht, Breda and Gouda. Dordrecht is the oldest city of the Netherlands. In the Middle Ages, it became an important trading center. Major Dutch historic events took place there, such as the first meeting of the States of Holland in 1572 and the Synod in 1618-19. This is reflected in the old inner city. Situated at the confluence of three major rivers, it presents fascinating views of 24-hour continuous inland shipping movements. The famous Biesbosch estuary is close by. Breda was a fortified city of political and military significance. From the 14th century, it became a recidence city of the House of Nassau. Breda became an industrial center of the food and beverage industry. At present, it is more focussed on the service Future Reunions industry and has become a center for education and a lively 2017 August 31 – September 2 student town. It has a long military tradition as a fortified 2018 August 30 - September 1 city, with many military establishments. The military 2019 September 5-7 academy is still situated in Breda. It is the political, administrative and religious center of West Brabant, and a town known for its southern hospitality and atmosphere. Gouda situated in the heart of Holland. At the confluence of two rivers, it became already in the Middle Ages an important city. The city is of course world famous because of its Gouda cheese, but also because of the production of candles, smoking pipes and syrup waffles. Identification mission chief: Jan ter Vrugt ([email protected]). The selection will be made at the next 1818 Dutch Board meeting. FLORIDA CHAPTER 1818 Florida Chapter: 2015-2016 Season Well life here just flows – sun, sea, and fun! With tennis almost daily, yoga on the beach and piano practice – the days fly by! But, enough about me. I feel fairly sure that we are all enjoying life here in Florida, and in the wink of the eye, many of you will be returning up north or across the oceans.

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So before the snowbirds fly away, Karin Nordlander organized a lunch in Boca Raton in late February; there will be a lunch here in SW Florida sometime in March, when Shiva will be back from India. Details will be posted on the Florida website when these are finalized; please, email me ([email protected]) if you wish to join us. We are also trying to organize a lunch for the NW region, possibly in Jacksonville. Stay tuned for the dates. Besides lunches in the three Chapter regions, there are various 1818/Chapter activities that may be of interest to members:  The Miami Opera: Take the bus from Cape Coral-Naples to the Opera? Including transport, dinner, pre-performance lecture and performance, $140 pp. If interested, please email Eugene Buffo at ehandjhb @gmail.com. 

The Florida Humanities Council gathering in St. Augustine, April 17-19 promises a really interesting weekend in America’s oldest city. This is likely to be of considerable interest to Florida residents in general and will fill up quickly. The announcement came out in early November and capacity is about 30 people. If interested, details are on the Chapter website, left hand menu or contact http://floridahumanities.org/events/cultural-tours/st-augustine-450-years-history directly to register.

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Space Coast Reunion, 2016: Robin Broadfield is organizing a 3-day Space Coast reunion in late February/early March 2016. The reunion will feature visits to the Kennedy Space Center, Port Canaveral's interesting Enterprise Tower and, weather permitting, a guided kayak eco-tour and/or an air-boat ride. The Merritt National Wildlife Refuge, a renowned birding area, is close by. We would have a welcome cocktail and group dinner on the first and third evenings. For those coming from farther afield and wanting to spend more time in the Florida sun, historic St Augustine is nearby, there are some wonderful beaches in the vicinity, plus golf, bird watching and, of course, the attractions of Orlando. We will likely stay at the Inn at Cocoa Beach, a boutique hotel on the ocean with several good restaurants close by. I just checked out their website (http://theinnatcocoabeach.com) and this is what I learnt: “Mornings at the Inn are always special! Follow the enticing aroma of our home baked muffins and specialty breads to find a pleasant surprise beyond the French doors – expansive beachfront, 350 degrees of water sports, sun-splashed pool, a fully equipped exercise room, massage room, steam bath. Too energetic? - just enjoy the spectacular views from your private balcony."

The cost for three night's accommodation and two group dinners (excluding alcohol) will be in the range of $550-600 per person/double occupancy. If this appeals, please email Robin at ([email protected]) and let him know of your interest. 1818 Society Trip to Costa Rica, February 2015 Rather than another cruise in 2015, we/the Chapter have worked with Orlando Carvajal, a Costa Rican national and IMF staff member, to organize a winter trip to Costa Rica. On February 18, 2015 some forty 1818 members, family and friends traveled to Costa Rica. Members come from the D.C. metropolitan area, Florida, California, Indiana, South Carolina, Canada, Austria, and Germany. The group will spend nine days traveling through four different zones of the country: the cloud forests, the rain forests and volcanoes, the Guanacaste beaches and dry forest, and ending the trip in the capital city. There will be plenty of group excursions to visit national parks,

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volcanoes, and see up close the country’s rich wildlife and biodiversity. Several members will either arrive earlier or stay on after the retreat to explore more of this beautiful country on their own This trip was fully subscribed in early January but we look forward to sharing members’ photos and experiences from the trip – and also, to persuading Orlando to organize another in the near future, perhaps next winter. We are indebted to Orlando Carvajal for his hard work to make this a truly outstanding trip for us. Orlando is also the founder of Dale Una Mano (Give a Hand), a Costa Rican youth leadership NGO, which is the beneficiary organization of the trip. The Dale Una Mano uses the transformative process of service-learning to develop and foster youth leadership skills and promote cultural exchange. To learn more about the NGO, please visit www.dale1manocr.org. 1818 members will also visit an elementary school to meet students and donate school uniforms and shoes to lowincome children so they can start the school year on time. Given the great 1818 response to this trip, Orlando and his colleagues are planning future trips to Costa Rica. To learn more about these, please contact Orlando at [email protected]. Finally, if any of you have suggestions for future activities, would like to organize a lunch or an event in your area, please send me an email and I will post on our web, or can email to the group. If not, we’ll kick back and enjoy, while the north shovels. And, we do welcome any 1818 members visiting Florida to join our events! Wishing you all a healthy and happy 2015 Sandra Hadler, Chair, Florida Chapter, [email protected] Regional Coordinators’ Contacts: NE: Robin Broadfield

[email protected]

Ormond Beach

SE: Karin Nordlander

[email protected]

Boca Raton

SW: Sandra Hadler

[email protected]

Naples

NW: VACANT

FRENCH-SPEAKING CHAPTER The Conseil d'Administration (Board) of the French-Speaking Chapter met in Paris on January 28 as planned. The two principal items on the agenda were: (a) preparation of the forthcoming general assembly of 1818 France; and (b) the preparation of the spring trip to Luxembourg. Regarding the General Assembly, the date has been reconfirmed for April 9 at 5:30 pm at the World Bank Office in Paris, as usual. On the agenda for the meeting there will be the election of several members of the Board, reflecting the fact that several current members are at the end of their current

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three-year terms. Several of these members have already indicated that they are willing and ready to serve again if re-elected. But notification has been sent to all current members of 1818 France inviting those who may be willing and interested to serve on the Board to make themselves known to Olivier Lafourcade, the current President. With respect to the proposed trip to Luxembourg, the dates have been reconfirmed, from June 2 to 5, 2015. Serious preoccupation has emerged from the fact that, as of January 28, only a handful of people have registered, while the deadline for registration had been set for the end of February. A note has now been sent to all members asking for interested people to register urgently for the trip, before the end of February. If there are not sufficient registered people before the deadline, we may be faced with the need to cancel the trip altogether, as the company mobilized to organize the trip may not be in a position to secure all the needed elements, i.e. hotel reservations, meal accommodations, transport, etc. There is thus a renewed call for speedy responses from interested colleagues. All those who are interested in finding more about the trip are invited to contact Olivier Lafourcade at [email protected], and/or Jacqueline Noel at [email protected]. Information concerning the French Speaking Chapter is available on the website: http:www.1818france.org. For additional information please contact Olivier Lafourcade at [email protected] GERMAN-SPEAKING CHAPTER The German-Speaking Chapter will hold its 2015 Annual Meeting from September 4 - 7 in Prague. Details regarding the program will be posted shortly on the Chapter’s website: www.kreis-1818.de. The German-Speaking 1818 Society Chapter now also has its own website at www.kreis-1818.de. Interested 1818 Society members can register. The website is bi-lingual: German and English. INDIA CHAPTER For information on the India Chapter of The 1818 Society, please contact Vaikalathur Ravishankar at [email protected]. IRAN CHAPTER The Founding Members of Iran Chapter met in January and February 2015. The meetings focused on Chapter’s housekeeping issues, in preparation for the next meeting with the larger group--all those who have registered with the Chapter during the past several weeks. The discussion centered on Chapter’s work plan for 2015 and the tentative scheduling of the planned events. These events include private sector development, experience with economic policy making, energy sector, and gender and development, all as they relate to Iran. The format, venue and date for each event will be announced to the Chapter members in due time. Chapter’s latest membership status also was reviewed. There are currently 28 registered members. In addition, there are 10-12 who are expected to join the Chapter soon. If you need any further information please contact Mohammad Farhandi at: [email protected].

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JAPAN CHAPTER The Japanese and English language version of the Japan Chapter’s web homepage can be found at http//www.1818societyjapan.com/. For further information and/or details, the contacts in Japan are: Ms. Y. Okamoto, Director, at [email protected]; and Mr. H. Hamaguchi, President, at [email protected]. For the Washington DC area, contact Mr. K. D. Kikuchi, Headquarters Liaison at [email protected]. As Japan Chapter’s membership rules are more liberal than the 1818 Society’s rules in terms of eligibility, we would always welcome you as a new member. Please contact our administrator through e-mail: [email protected] for details. FUND-BANK SKI CLUB The winter’s ski season is almost over. The Club has organized four very successful trips: December 2014 - Vail, Colorado January 2015 - Steamboat, Colorado February 2015 - Zermatt, Switzerland March 2015 - Vail, Colorado Already in the planning stage for January 2016 - Andorra. Stay tuned! Although the Club is constantly seeking to attract active staff members for its trips, the level of participation by members of the 1818 Society remains significant. We are now announcing the 2015 non-ski trip scheduled for November 5-19 - Mexico’s Copper Canyon and Sea of Cortez. This will be a trip of a lifetime - a 15-day adventure to the heart of Mexico’s spectacular Copper Canyon, where we’ll ride the world-renowned train, enjoyed guided hikes through Taranhumara Indian settlements, visit lonely mission churches, look over the edge of the Canyon, and explore the colonial splendor of Alamos and El Fuerte. Full details and an application form can be found on the club’s website at www.fundbankskiclub.org, or email the trip leader [email protected]. JOIN THE HIKING CLUB Dust off your hiking shoes and let’s hit the trail. When you retire from the Bank you lose most privileges – email, intranet, parking, gym facilities – but you can still participate in the Hiking Club. We have organized over 50 hikes along the numerous hiking trails in and around the Washington area. We organize one hike every month, plus a few extras when the weather is nice. The hikes are usually all day outings with 4-6 hours of actual hiking and 1,500 – 2,500 ft. elevation gain. We have done a lot of hiking in the Shenandoah National Park and some in Maryland. But we also had several excellent hikes, some surprising ones, within the metropolitan area.

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The hiking club, was started by three people within IEG and is now a Bank Group hiking club, run by volunteers. Bank management is not involved, and the group, which consists of people from all age groups and grades, is put together on a first-cum-first served basis. Some managers (including a couple of VPs) are avid hikers but on the trail everyone is an equal person. The group size varies but is usually 15-25 people. We car pool and share costs, ending our hikes with a shared meal. This is a great way to motivate yourself to enjoy the outdoors with people of all ages, and grow your networks. The hiking club has now grown to a mailing list of around 200. We cap the group size at 25 for practical reasons. If there is more demand we can organize extra hikes to accommodate new members. Family and friends are welcome, so the group is not limited to World Bank Group staff only. If you are interested, send an email to Anis Dani ([email protected]), and your name will be added to the mailing list. SUMMER TREK TO WESTERN TIBET The Hiking Club is planning a three-week high altitude trek to the fabled Kailash-Manasarovar region in western Tibet. The region has a great deal of mythology associated with it but is also the source of four major rivers of South Asia – Brahmaputra, Indus, Karnali-Ganga, Sutlej. We don’t plan to scale any peaks so there is no technical alpine climbing involved. But it will be a strenuous trek at altitudes between 4,000 – 5,600 meters (13,000 – 18,500 ft.) above sea level. Trekkers will assemble in Nepal and travel overland to Tibet where we plan to spend a few days acclimatizing to the altitude before trekking around Mt. Kailash, which involves crossing the Drolma La pass at 5,600 m. The trip will include trekking to the sources of two of the 4 rivers. To avoid the monsoon the trek has to be done in June or September. We are currently in discussion with the trekking company and their counterparts in Tibet on the detailed itinerary, timing and costing of the trip. Our preferred group size is 6-12 people. We still have a few spots open. If anyone is interested in joining, contact Anis Dani ([email protected]). IRAN TOUR Timing: Early September, 2015. Length: 11 days and 10 nights. Cities: Tehran (4 nights), Isfahan (2 nights), Shiraz (2 nights), one additional destination or longer stay at an existing one at the traveler's choice. Costs: approximately $2,500/person (double occupancy, single occupancy surcharge) covering all internal flights, airport transfer, tour transportation, 5-star hotel or best in town, trained Englishspeaking tour guides. Exact amount depends on final reservations. Deadline: April 15th. Space for 25 rooms only. If interested, please contact Nadereh Chamlou [email protected]

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The 1818 Society Contacts

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2014-2015 THE 1818 SOCIETY :

[email protected] Ph. +1 202 458-1956 Mailing address: P.O. Box 27388 Washington, DC 20038-7388 Physical Address: MC-1 852, Main Complex, World Bank Group. World Bank Mail Stop no: MSN MC 1-104.

President:

J. Shivakumar, [email protected]

Office Managers:

Miren Fernandez, [email protected] Swati Srivastava, [email protected]

Chapters:

ANZ – Jo. M. Martins, [email protected] Canada – Jim Smith, [email protected] Chile – Miguel Schloss, [email protected] Florida ― Sandra Hadler, [email protected] French-Speaking – Olivier Lafourcade, [email protected] German-Speaking – Franz Kaps, [email protected] India – Vaikalathur Ravishankar, [email protected] Iran Chapter (DC) – Mohammad Farhandi, [email protected] The Netherlands – Robert Jan van der Lugt, [email protected] Japan – Harutaka Hamaguchi, [email protected] British ― Alan Roe, [email protected] Agriculture and Rural Development Chapter Shawki Barghouti, [email protected] 1818 Economists' Chapter Vikram Nehru, [email protected]

Thematic Groups/Chapters

Education Group Sverrir Sigurdsson, [email protected] Energy Group Eugene McCarthy, [email protected] Gender and Development Chapter Nadereh Chamlou, [email protected], Dominique Lallement, [email protected] Global Finance Chapter Rene Costa, [email protected] Governance Thematic Group Vinay Bhargava, [email protected] 1818 Society WBG History Thematic Group Chuck Ziegler, [email protected] HNP Group Kees Kostermans, [email protected] The Social And Environmental Chapter Michael Cernea; [email protected], Nick Flanders; [email protected]. Transport Chapter Graham Smith, [email protected] Maria Margarita Nuñez, [email protected] Urban and Water Group Dick MacEwen [email protected]

Thematic Group Events Each 1818 Thematic Group would like to link up with new retirees from its Group. Right now, leaders of the Thematic Groups review the list of new members in each 1818 Society Bulletin to spot newcomers affiliated with their sectors. Please help us improve on this hit-and-miss system by alerting the Thematic Group contacts mentioned below about new members affiliated with Operational Thematic Groups. 1818 AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER In March, John Spears will provide an update about the on-going issues of forestry, climate change and agriculture. Another speaker will be Stephen Mink, who just joined The 1818 Society after many years serving the Africa Region. Stephen will share with us his thoughts about agriculture in Africa and what we learned over the last decade about the course of development of African agriculture. Please send feedback and suggestions to [email protected] about issues you would like the Chapter to share with members of The 1818 Society. 1818 SOCIETY ECONOMISTS' CHAPTER "The 1818 Economists' Chapter started its 2015 program on February 18th with a presentation by Datuk Ramesh Chander on "Lies, Damned Lies, and Chinese Statistics". Ramesh chronicled the changes in China's statistical system over the past three and a half decades, and highlighted the critical weaknesses in the system that impact on data quality. A hardy crowd of Bank retirees braved sub-zero temperatures to attend the talk, and engaged in a lively discussion. On April 8th, the 1818 Economists' Chapter will be pleased to host Milan Vaishnav, an Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who will speak on "Crime, Corruption, and Politics in India". Dr. Vaishnav’s primary research focus is the political economy of India, and he examines issues such as corruption, ethnic politics, governance and state capacity, election finance, and distributive politics. His remarks will be particularly interesting in light of the recent local government elections in Delhi and the resounding victory of the Aam Aadmi Party (the Common Man's Party), which ran on an anti-corruption platform. And then in May, Pieter Bottelier, who now teaches at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, has graciously agreed to speak on China's shadow banking system, a fascinating topic desperate for clear elucidation -- something Pieter will be sure to provide. More details will be made available closer to the date. So it's going to be an exciting Spring seminar series this year at the 1818 Economists' Chapter, and I hope you will all attend and bring along friends, family, and colleagues. Of course, we are always on the lookout for excellent speakers, and we rely on your ideas and suggestions to build our seminar program. So please do send us your thoughts and perhaps even volunteer to be a speaker yourself. Members of the Economists' Chapter are always eager to learn about the work of their colleagues, so

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1818 Thematic Group Events

March 2015

whether you are a development researcher or a practitioner, please do consider our seminar series as an opportunity to disseminate your work. I look forward to your continued, enthusiastic participation in our events. Vikram Nehru Chair, 1818 Economists' Chapter 1818 EDUCATION SECTOR GROUP A copy of the presentation that was given by "Room to Read" in J 1-050 on October 30, 2014 will be posted on The Society’s website by the end of February, 2015, under the heading "Thematic Groups/Education." You can find it and other presentations of the 1818 Education Sector Groups at: http://go.worldbank.org/TS57NJJO30 Please note that as of now, Larry Wolff will be taking an increasingly active role in the activities of our group as its co-chair. And remember to inform us about any e-mail address changes, and/or the names and e-mails of possible new members. Our information system is not good, and we need all the help you can muster to keep it up to date. For information about the activities of the 1818 Education Sector Group, or to have your e-mail added to the distribution list, please contact Sverrir Sigurdsson ([email protected]), Marlaine Lockheed ([email protected]), Eluned Schweitzer ([email protected]), Larry Wolff ([email protected]), Michael Mertaugh ([email protected]), or Eduardo Velez ([email protected]). Other retirees are encouraged to add diversity and ideas by joining the advisory group. Finally, we would like to encourage all of you in the D.C. area to attend the annual conference of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) to be held at the Washington Hilton March 8 to 13. This conference is a fascinating mix of staff from leading organizations in education and development (World Bank, UNESCO, USAID, OECD, IEA, etc.), professors and academics, and enthusiastic and surprisingly sophisticated students. Go to www.CIES2015.org for information on attending. We have organized a session on Monday March 9 at 3 pm highlighting observations of three of our 1818 colleagues, Marlaine Lockheed, Birger Fredriksen, and Bob Prouty, chaired by Larry Wolff, entitled “One Hundred Years of Trying to Put Knowledge into Practice.” Sverrir Sigurdsson ([email protected]) is the organizer of the 1818 Education Group. In addition to Sverrir, the organizing/advisory group consists of Marlaine Lockheed ([email protected]), Eluned Schweitzer ([email protected]), Eduardo Velez ([email protected]) and Larry Wolff ([email protected]). Other Society members are encouraged to add diversity and ideas by joining the advisory group. The Education Group invites its audience to propose speakers and topics at future events. You can send your proposals to: Sverrir Sigurdsson ([email protected]), Marlaine Lockheed ([email protected]), Eluned Schweitzer ([email protected]), Larry Wolff ([email protected]), Michael Mertaugh ([email protected]), or Eduardo Velez ([email protected]).

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1818 Thematic Group Events

March 2015

1818 ENERGY GROUP For our first presentation of the New Year (February 19), Ziad Alahdad, spoke to us on “Reviving Integrated Energy Planning” His presentation addressed the experience of Pakistan – a country mired in persistent energy crises, due in part to the lack of an integrated institutional structure at the policy level to ensure sound sector-wide planning. We are posting a summary of his presentation on The 1818 Society's website before the end of February. As many of you know, Ziad retired from the Bank in 2006 as Director of Operations for the World Bank Institute). He headed the Country Offices for Romania and Turkey, was deputy chief of the Central Asia Office, and was the Bank’s Energy Adviser in Pakistan, where he earlier served as a senior executive in the natural gas industry. His presentation was well received and elicited a lot of interest from former Bank energy staff, as well as from current Bank energy staff We are hoping to have at least one, possibly two, more presentations before the end of June. As already indicated in an earlier announcement, Ananda Covindassamy has agreed to take a critical look at the barriers and other obstacles to increased regional energy trade in Sub-Saharan Africa, following up Praful Patel’s presentation on regional infrastructure in Africa in February 2014. We are also hoping to identify outside speakers on prospects for further hydro development in developing countries; we also want to take another critical look at climate change issues. We shall be providing further details on these potential presentations in March. In the meantime, please encourage recently retired Bank Group energy staff to join us. For further information about activities of the Energy Sector Group, please contact either Mike Gillette ([email protected]), Mohammad Farhandi ([email protected]), Akin Oduolowu ([email protected]); Eugene McCarthy ([email protected]); Alain Barbu ([email protected]); or Hal Wackman ([email protected]). GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER The 1818 Gender and Development Chapter was established in 2014. The objectives of the Chapter are to: (a) convene The Society’s considerable development experience around this important global agenda, i.e., those who worked directly before or those wanted to know/do more but did not have the chance; and (b) serve as a platform to engage with experts and practitioners inside and outside the World Bank Group to deepen our knowledge of this diverse and cross-cutting topic. The Chapter held its first meeting on February 5th. The guest speaker was Dr. Janet Stotsky, former Adviser in the IMF’s Office of Budget and Planning in the Fiscal Affairs, Western Hemisphere and African Departments. Janet initiated work on gender and macroeconomics at the IMF in 2006 with the preparation of two working papers, one a survey of gender and macroeconomics and another a survey of gender budgeting initiatives. She later contributed to a special issue of Finance and Development in June 2013 on "Women at Work." She is currently supervising the preparation of a book on gender budgeting, under the auspices of the IMF. She also commented on other initiatives at the IMF on gender, including the recent incorporation of gender issues into selected Article IV consultations. The meeting was well attended by former and current staff, as well as outside guests. It was moderated by Nadereh Chamlou, co-chair of the Chapter. Participants welcomed the inclusion of this important, yet up to now missing, topic within the activities of The 1818 Society, and particularly the kick-off of

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1818 Thematic Group Events

March 2015

the Chapter with this topic and speaker. The speaker elaborated on the current efforts to integrate the gender dimension within the Article IV consultations, which has been piloted in Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Italy. This an important break-through and promises to be a growing field for the Fund, in which the Bank and the Fund can collaborate. The Chapter intends to cover gender and development issues across a wide range of sectors and geographic regions, and seeks to collaborate with other 1818 Society Chapters in this respect. In fact, several ideas on gender and energy and renewable energy, gender and transportation, gender and finance (not just micro-finance), gender and economic growth, etc. were proposed during the meeting. Hence, any suggestions on topics and interests to speak are welcome. Next month’s speaker will be Caren Grown, the Global Practice Leader at the World Bank, on March 12, 2015. An announcement will be forthcoming. For suggestions and comments, please contact: Nadereh Chamlou at [email protected], Dominique Lallement at [email protected] and Mark Blackden at [email protected]. FYI, links to docs discussed at the Chapter: Women, Work, and the Economy: Macro-economic Gains from Gender Equity -- https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/sdn/2013/sdn1310.pdf and Gender and its Relevance to Macro-economic Policy: A Survery: https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ ft/wp/2006/wp06233.pdf GLOBAL FINANCE CHAPTER The Global Finance Chapter celebrated its first anniversary on December 15, 2014. Wolfgang Schaefer, Senior Economic Adviser and co-chair of our Chapter, organized a very pleasant lunch at the Metropolitan Club in Washington D.C. We were pleased to welcome many of our friends who had been so active during the past few months. Apart from succulent meals and desserts, and the warm ambiance that prevail during close to two hours, we all agree that our activities in 2014 had met our objectives of excellence, and that those we have scheduled for 2015 promised to be as good, if not even more rewarding, for all of our members. We have already started the New Year with a new approach to presentations, which is, having a speaker and one or more discussants. On January 22, 2015, Damian von Stauffenberg, formerly of the IFC and subsequently the founder and now Chairman of the firm MicroRate, spoke to us on the rapid growth, accomplishments and remaining problems of microfinance. David Roodman, formerly of the Center for Global Development and the Gates Foundation, and author of the very well received Due Diligence: An Impertinent Inquiry into Microfinance, was the discussant. The most striking conclusion that they conveyed to us is that micro finance has not really become a fundamental factor in poverty reduction, nor has the provision of small-scale financing empowered the recipients, particularly women. The most striking aspect of this fast-growing sector is that it is now an essential component of the industrial fabric. The most striking lesson is that the savings of micro financing beneficiaries are the sine qua non condition of success. Therefore, while the public-private debate is unlikely to abate in the foreseeable future, institutions involved in micro financing will have to curb somewhat their enthusiasm and search for profitable endeavors, for it is not the availability of funds that is missing, but the establishment of an appropriate regulatory framework that would enable institutions to evaluate better the risks involved and corresponding guarantees that sometimes cannot be better assessed.

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1818 Thematic Group Events

March 2015

During the coming months we will welcome Pieter Bottelier and Praful Patel to talk to us about China’s growing involvement in the financing of development projects all over the world; Thilo Schweizer to explain to us the intricacies of the Dodd-Frank regulations and their implementation; Millard Long to cast some light on how so much stimulus to the Japanese economy has produced so little growth and, the extent to which Japan will be able to engineer a soft landing; Silvana Vatnik to give us her perspective on the Argentina financial sector, and more on other interesting g subjects. We also expect to make good progress on joint presentations with other sectors, for global finance is concerned with all the sectors of the economy. We are calling on all other Chapters and Groups to contact us to shape up such collaboration. Likewise, our efforts to better liaise with the WBG Global Practices and Cross Cutting Solution Areas (CCAS) Units have not met the promising development that one would have expected in the wake of the WBG reorganization. We hope that year 2015 will be more encouraging. Information on the Global Finance Chapter’s program of activities and feedback on presentations and minutes of meetings is available on our Chapter’s section in the 1818 Society Internet site. You may also contact: René Costa, Chairman ([email protected]), or John Nellis, Co-chairman and Senior Adviser, public administration and finance ([email protected]); or, Wolfgang Schaefer, Co-chairman and Senior Adviser, private sector and PPP ([email protected]); or Jed Shilling, Co-chairman and Senior Adviser, economics and trade ([email protected]). 1818 SOCIETY WORLD BANK HISTORY THEMATIC GROUP At the suggestion of the History Thematic Group, funds have been authorized for recording the presentations at all of the Thematic Group sessions, using World Bank recording facilities. This marks a great step forward in outreach to Society members, as the recordings will be posted on The 1818 Society's web site, thus making them far more accessible not only to The Society's world-wide membership, but indeed to anyone who has an internet connection. These recordings will also be offered to the World Bank Group Archives. Speaking of the World Bank Group Archives, there have been recent discussions between The Society and the Archives, resulting in an agreement to organize a panel discussion on responding to Global Practices challenges. As currently envisioned, a particular Global Practice will be selected, its challenges identified, and a panel of two current staff members concerned with that Global Practice and two 1818 Society members with experience in the area of the Global Practice will discuss the ways in which the challenges had been addressed in the past, what was learned from their experiences, and how best to move forward in further addressing those challenges. If you are interested in joining this Thematic Group, or have suggestions for topics and presenters, please contact Chuck Ziegler, History Thematic Group Coordinator, at [email protected]. 1818 HNP GROUP A survey was held amongst members of the HNP Group of the 1818 Society in November and December, 2014. The aim of the survey was to gather ideas, comments and suggestions from the members in order to develop a strategy /program for the HNP Group.

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1818 Thematic Group Events

March 2015

Results showed that amongst responders there is clearly a motivation not only to receive information about HNP developments in the Bank and globally, but also to contribute to the Bank’s HNP agenda. Being kept up to date on WB-HNP and on global HNP developments topped the agenda. While it would be difficult to organize a systemic regular update on HNP issues, the objective can largely be achieved by:   

accessing the WB website, as almost all documents and all recordings of public events are now publicly available per World Bank disclosure policy; attending HNP Brown Bag Lunches, seminars in the Bank and interact there with HNP staff; a meeting between HNP Global Practice leadership and the 1818 HNP Group.

Members of the 1818 HNP Group could actively contribute to the Bank’s HNP programs by making themselves available for reviews, such as QERs, and make sure they are on the consultant roster. Several respondents offered to make presentations at the Bank. It seems little stands in their way. In January a meeting was held between Kees Kostermans, the coordinator of the HNP Group, with Tim Evans, Senior Director of the HNP Global Practice, to discuss ways how present staff and retirees of the HNP Global Practice can work better together to advance the Bank's agenda in line with the above results of the survey. Tim was enthusiastic about our proposals and would discuss concrete follow-up actions with his management team. This still has to happen (as by Feb 3, 2015). We will keep you posted. In the meantime we would like to remind retirees that in order to stay up to date, the Bank’s external website www.worldbank.org provides access to all Project Documents and information re disbursements, procurement, results, etc., for each project. All Bank publications can be found on that same website. So there seems little need to do more for me/ the HNP Chapter. Retirees/ Excolleagues who are now employed at Universities, WHO or PAHO, etc., are invited to send information regarding events of potential interest to the HNP Group members to the Group’s coordinator, who can then distribute that information amongst the Group. The same for anyone who would like to make a (serious) presentation at the Bank, and the coordinator will work with you to make it happen. Google Groups can form for us an important platform for exchange of information/discussion and debate amongst HNP Group members. All HNP Group members are invited to put your opinions out there for debate! Go to Google Group < [email protected] >. If not yet a member of this Googlegroup, let Kees Kostermans know and he will send you an invitation to join. Any correspondence re this article, please send to < [email protected] >. THE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHAPTER The Social and Environmental Chapter of the 1818 Society was created effective July 1st, 2014. This Chapter has two Co-Chairpersons: Michael M. Cernea, the World Bank’s former Senior Advisor for Social Policies and Sociology, and Nicholas Flanders, formerly a Principal Environmental Specialist in IFC, who have graciously accepted the responsibilities of leading the Chapter and ensuring an exciting program for the interested 1818 Society members.

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1818 Thematic Group Events

March 2015

Since WBG policies and projects usually have both social and environmental provisions, we hope that this Chapter will be of direct interest not only to the social and environmental specialists among our members, but also to various groups of other members who have addressed the social and environmental dimensions germane to their activities. Therefore, information about activities of this Chapter will be sent to a large number of 1818 members. We suggest that those most directly interested in either social or environmental issues send in a brief e-mail indicating their interests so as to make sure that further communications will reach them. The Co-Chairpersons of these Chapters are also inviting all members to send in proposals on potential activities and presentations they would like to attend. Michael Cernea ([email protected]) & Nicholas Flanders ([email protected]) TRANSPORT CHAPTER As foreseen in the last Bulletin, Michel Audige and Asif Faiz completed their term of office as Chapter co-chairs at the end of December. We thank them for the valued role they have played over the past two years, launching the Chapter, facilitating contacts among Chapter members and with Bank staff, and arranging informative visits to significant transport projects in the D.C. area. We are pleased to report that the monthly ROMEO (Retired Old Members Eating Out) lunches have continued to offer a congenial time and place to meet colleagues and keep abreast of Transport Chapter news and the sector’s ‘hot topics’. Attendance has remained steady at about 10 people. But by no means are they always the same faces: in the year, 32 different members came to at least one lunch. The lunches are held on the third Tuesday of each month at the Irish Inn in Glen Echo, Maryland. Members who do not live in the D.C. area but occasionally have reason to come to D.C., are especially welcome. If you wish to attend but have not received the monthly reminder e-mail, please contact Graham Smith ([email protected]). In mid-January, several Chapter members attended the annual Transforming Transportation conference, sponsored jointly by the Bank and the World Resources Institute/EMBARQ. This year's two-day event, held in the Bank’s Main Complex, drew several hundred participants, not only Bank staff but also many professional colleagues from other agencies and countries. The conference focused on urban transport ('smart cities for shared prosperity') --that is, facilitating ‘clean and green’ mobility for all income levels. This focus on cities recognized that future demographic and economic growth will be concentrated in urban areas. It also recognized that transport policies and institutions at national, provincial and local levels are often not well coordinated, so aligning them warrants special attention. The event was a considerable success, with the former President of Mexico giving a stirring opening speech. A video of the complete speech, as well as other presentations, can be found at the conference website: www.TransformingTransportation.org Turning to the coming year, a plan of Chapter activities is being prepared with inputs from the members. It is likely to include short technical presentations during the lunch meetings and field visits in the D.C. area on other dates. Suggestions will be welcomed. Graham Smith and Maria Margarita Nuñez

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1818 Thematic Group Events

March 2015

1818 URBAN AND WATER GROUP We are always pleased to organize meetings with visiting sector retirees whether for informal conversations or any specific presentation to our group. For contacts or information, please send requests to Dick McEwen ([email protected]) or Edouard Motte ([email protected]). 1818 STAFF RETIREMENT PLAN GROUP The 1818 Staff Retirement Plan (SRP) Group met in January to define its work program for the coming 10 months. Given its new and expanded membership, and with guidance from the 1818 Chair, the following mandate was agreed upon: a) keep 1818 Board informed about SRP funding and performance, and benefit administration issues, in line with its planned work program outlined below; b) serve as sounding board to and for 1818 representatives to the Pension Finance Committee (PFC) and the Pension Benefit Administration Committee (PBAC); c) coordinate with Staff Association representatives to both committees on issues of common relevance; and d) respond to important pension issues and topics of concern raised by members. The Group will not have any fiduciary responsibilities, and will not make any investment recommendations. The following work program was agreed upon: a) seek greater clarity and more frequency in reporting to members on SRP’s performance and funding; b) conduct independent external pension funding account various internal and external factors; and

scenario

analyses,

taking

into

c) strengthen awareness and understanding of issues of particular relevance to net pension plan participants and local staff pensioners. The team thanked Jeff Katz, who has served as a member of the PFC for the last four years, and whose term as PFC representative ends in March, for his valuable contributions. Jeff has kindly agreed to remain on the Group and lead parts of the work program. Javed Hamid will be the new 1818 representative to the PFC, and Deane Jordan will be the Alternate. The other members of the team are: Ken Lay (Vice President, 1818 Board), Toshie Kaboto, Ismail Dalla. The SRP Group is chaired by Nadereh Chamlou, who will also be the 1818 representative to the PBAC. The Group could benefit from additional membership of Net Plan retirees and field office retirees. For any questions or comments, please contact Nadereh Chamlou at [email protected].

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1818 Insurance Committee

March 2015

1818 INSURANCE COMMITTEE Dear Members, Transition to the new U.S. Pharmacy Benefit Manager. On January 1, 2015, retirees residing in the U.S. moved to the Bank's new pharmacy benefit manager, CVS/caremark. Retirees residing outside the U.S. also were informed of the changes and sent new CVS/caremark pharmacy cards to use, if needed, when visiting the U.S. CVS/caremark was contracted by the Bank after an exhaustive bid evaluation and negotiation process carried out in the second half of 2014. The process was led by the Bank’s Procurement Department with the participation of a number of stakeholders, including representatives from The 1818 Society and the Staff Association. At the same time, the Bank introduced some changes to the MIP/RMIP pharmacy benefits, including the elimination of the $100 deductible, slight reductions in the annual out of pocket maximum, introduction of co-pay for generic drugs, increase in co-insurance for brand name drugs with a maximum dollar co-pay for every fill, and introduction of a mandatory 90-day mail order (or CVS pickup) for maintenance drugs. The detailed information about these changes was sent by regular mail to members through an HR letter dated November 15, 2014, and by 1818 Society emails to members on December 3 and December 22, 2014, with a follow up on January 5, 2015. For most of our 6,000 plus members and their families, the move was smooth enough. But for many, it wasn't. Close to a hundred members called or emailed HR Operations and the 1818 Society office about problems encountered during the launch (e.g., delayed receipt of CVS card, difficulties accessing CVS versus neighborhood pharmacies, confusion about the mandatory 90-day mail order refill after two 30-day fills, etc.). Likewise, there were close to 160 comments posted on the 1818 LinkedIn discussion space. The 1818 Insurance Committee volunteers sent a summary of these issues to our contacts in HR and teamed with them to resolve individual cases that were serious or time-sensitive. Our HR counterparts, with regular follow up from our 1818 Insurance Committee volunteers, were able to address many of the issues raised. Meetings and exchanges with CVS continue in an effort to resolve transition problems about the new plan. HR mailed their first set of FAQs to all members in early January which consolidated the questions received at that time. A copy of this FAQ can also be found on the 1818 Society website. We are pleased to report that HR will shortly be sending out a second set of FAQs that responds to continuing issues and additional requests for background information by some of our members (e.g. effectiveness of generic drugs, formulary vs non-formulary drugs, justification for Prior Authorization, etc.). Please note that when issues are raised in the 1818 LinkedIn group, members are able to help one another with possible solutions. The 1818 Society also tracks these discussions, and sends trending issues to HR, as appropriate. For confidentiality reasons, 1818 does not provide one-on-one responses or solutions in the LinkedIn discussion space. In order for The 1818 Society to monitor these and other issues, please email your individual concerns to [email protected] and copy [email protected]. That way, our volunteers can follow up more readily with HR if your personal issues are time sensitive or require additional follow up with our HR counterparts. Heads Up: Current RMIP/MIP Medical Plan Administrators Contracts will expire in December 2015

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1818 Insurance Committee

March 2015

The contracts of Aetna and Van Breda as our Medical Plan Administrators will expire in December 2015. HR has launched a bidding process to be able to choose and contract with the “new” Administrators before the end of the year. The 1818 Society is represented on the Bid Evaluation Committee. Because of the confidential nature of this process, our 1818 representatives may not provide us regular updates. However, rest assured that our representatives are taking into account your comments and feedback on the performance of our current Administrators during their participation in this Committee. If you have questions/clarifications, please send them to [email protected] (Subject line: For Attention of the Insurance Committee) (Lesley Shneier, Pat Neill and Evangeline Javier contributed to above article) Annual Life Certificate

A Message from Pension Administration: Life Certificate for the year 2015 will be mailed out during the week of January 19, 2015 to your home address on file with Pension Administration Division. You are required to return the duly completed Life Certificate by April 30, 2015. You may send your Life Certificate to us by facsimile transmission at (202) 522-1723 or email attachment at [email protected]. If you send it by postal service, our mailing address is as follows: Pension Administration Division The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW, MSN C7-702 Washington, DC 20433 As you know, we have enhanced the Life Certificate process. Your signature on the Life Certificate must now be witnessed by an individual who belongs to one of the following categories: Notary Public Authorized Agent Government Official

WBG Staff Member WBG Retiree Commercial Bank Manager Licensed Medical Practitioner

Please complete and return your Life Certificate to us as early as possible in order to ensure an uninterrupted stream of pension payments. In accordance with the Staff Retirement Plan procedures, non-receipt of a duly completed Life Certificate will result in the suspension of pension payment.

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From the Editor

March 2015

World Bank Contacts 2013/2014 Medical Insurance and Benefits : HR Service Center Ph: +1 (202) 473-2222 Fax: +1 (202) 522-2150 Email: [email protected] ALWAYS include your UPI Web: http://www.worldbank.org/hrs

Pension Administration E-mail: [email protected] ALWAYS include your UPI Ph:+1 (202) 458-2977 Fax: +1 (202) 522-1723

FROM THE EDITOR Given that a very significant proportion of our members live in the D.C. area, and that the World Bank headquarters is also located there, a certain level of D.C.-centricity is perhaps inevitable. Thus, it is gratifying to be able to note that The 1818 Society has taken another significant step forward in using technology to bring closer together our widely-dispersed membership. Readers are directed to the History Thematic Group portion of the Thematic Groups section of this Bulletin for a report of how all the Thematic Groups can now have their presentations recorded and posted on The 1818 Society web site, thus making them accessible to our world-wide membership. I strongly encourage the leadership of the various Thematic Groups to avail themselves of this means of both preserving the presentations sponsored by their Thematic Groups, and also vastly expanding their audience. On another matter, I've received very favorable comments on the "Special Historical Supplement" feature. In that context, I would like to renew my invitation to 1818 Society members to make their contributions to the "Supplement." This is your opportunity to enrich the historical understanding of the work of the World Bank as reflected in your own experiences. The general guideline is that it be an approximately 1500 word piece that enhances our understanding of a particular incident or aspect of the Bank's work. If you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected]. Chuck Ziegler Editor NEW MEMBERS We welcome the following Bank Group retirees/alumni to The 1818 Society.

Country of intended residence other than the USA has been added after their names.

Shamsuddin Ahmad

Bangladesh

Chris Atim

Hamid Reza Alavi

Alireza Azimipour

Lucy N. Ambe

Ian K. Bannon

Adriana Arriagada Flynn

Rose Barger

Ghana

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New members

Bruno Bondet De La Bernardie

France

Joaquin Gutierrez

Dany Bosseler

Turkey

John Heath

March 2015

Bonnie Bradford

Hassine Hedda

Tunisia

Lynn R. Brown

Richard Henry

Anita P. Butial

Mira Hong

Tom Butler

Lourdes M. Honrado

Mee Lin Chan

Jianhua Huang

Kenneth M. Chomitz

Mohammed K. Jahangir

John Clyde

Eva Jarawan

Diana Cortijo

Sergio Jellinek

Cherri Cox-Stewart

Yolaine Joseph

Socorro B. Cruz-Abalos

Marc H. Juhel

Yeshareg Dagne Belayneh

Sharon Kannanaikkel

Jose Delcour

Caroline Khan

Monique S. Desthuis-Francis

Puneet Kishor

Mouhamadou Diagne

Ajay Kumar

Rose Mary S. Escano

Judy Ka Yuk Lai

Carole Evangelista

Panneerselvam Lakshiminarayanan

Montaha A. Feghali

Martha Lavende

Colombia

Irma Firbida

Philippe H. Le Houerou

UK

Lily E. Franchini

Michael Levitsky

The Cong Giang

Sarah P. Lipscomb

Matthew D. Glasser

Cristina Lukban

Delfin Sia Go

Marise Mahon

Isabel Guerrero

Rose Malcolm

South Korea

China

Philippines

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New members

March 2015

Mohini Malhotra

Kathy Roffe

Montserrat B. Malixi

John Rojo

Maria Elena Martin

Sibiri Sawadogo

Canada

Finn Schleimann

Denmark

Yolanda T Matibag

Philippines

Stephen Mink

Sharon D. Spriggs

Princess Moore-Lewis

Liba Stengerouski-Feldblyum

Matthew Morrison

Constantinos Stephanou

Gracie M. Ochieng

Teresita Sulit

James Parks

Nguyen Le Thuy

Ann E. Pasco

Juan Giovani Travez

Eduardo A. Perez

Velayutham Vijayaverl

Deena Philage

Athene Vila-Boteler

Brenda Hymore Pilgrim

Elfreda Vincent

Henry S. Pilgrim

Linda Walker-Adigwe

Jumana Poonawala

Milton N. Wanyama

Robert V. Pulley

Canan Yazgan

Bikki Randhawa

Wanda F. York

Omporn Regel Manzoor ur-Rehman

Thailand

Debrework Zewdie

Switzerland

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Volume 3, Issue 23

March 2015

1818 Society Responsibility Matrix Director’s and Officer’s 2014-2015 Name and E-mail

Directors

Aloysius Ordu, [email protected] Adrienne Nassau, [email protected]

Honorary Member, By-Law Revision

Christine Wallich, [email protected]

Thematic Groups; Country Office Retirees.

Damian von Stauffenberg, [email protected]

IFC Matters

Eugene McCarthy, [email protected]

Country/Linguistic Chapters, Electoral Reform

Fernando Montes-Negret, [email protected]

Pension Benefits and Administration,

Ines Garcia, [email protected]

Credit Union matters, Retirement and Active Life Style Chapter, Health and Insurance

J Shivakumar, [email protected]

Chairman and President, Retirement Seminars , 1818 Country Representatives; WBCCF matters

Junhui Wu, [email protected]

Learning: WBI and WB Global Practices and Universities

Lesley Shneier, [email protected]

Electronic Knowledge Platforms; Managing 1818 Linked-In ; Collaboration with other Retiree Organizations

Nadereh Chamlou, [email protected]

Pension Finance ,1818 Representative on PBAC

Patricia Neill, [email protected]

Retiree STC issues, Helping Hands program, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Group,1818 Linked In Insurance issues

Evangeline Javier, [email protected]

Vice President: Insurance

Kenneth Lay, [email protected]

Vice President, Pensions

Tom Blinkhorn, [email protected]

Vice President: Networking

Sverrir Sigurdsson, [email protected]

Adrienne C. Guerrero, [email protected]

Secretary, 1818 Performance Monitoring, 1818 Code of Conduct Treasurer; Membership and Revenue mobilization; WBFN cooperation, Assistant Treasurer; Electronic Banking

Jeffrey Katz, [email protected]

1818 Representative on Pension Finance committee

Javed Hamid, [email protected]

PFC Alternate Representative,

Anis Dani, [email protected]

Leader, 1818 Knowledge Management team

Chuck Ziegler, [email protected]

Adviser; Publishing; 1818 Bulletin, Convener Annual Meeting Adviser; Tax and Pension: Tax, Estate Planning and Immigration Seminars, PBAC Alternate Representative, Linked-In Pension issues. Adviser; Member Remembrances

Pauline Ramprasad, [email protected]

Officers

Responsibility Knowledge and Social Networking : Increasing electronic connectivity among members;

Deane Jordan, [email protected] Frona Hall, [email protected] Hugh Henry-May, [email protected] Zafar Ahmed, [email protected]

Adviser; Legal Adviser; Speakers Bureau, Access to Bank information resources, Mentoring Programs

SPECIAL HISTORICAL SUPPLEMENT Women in Development and the World Bank Group

The World Bank Group Archives takes a look at the World Bank Group’s early initiatives relating to women in development, a topic that became increasingly important for the Bank in the mid-1970s.

Coinciding with the United Nations’ “Decade for Women” (1976-1985), the Bank began to investigate how women in developing countries fared in sectors such as education, water, maternal health, food production, and agriculture. Issues related to women’s legal rights and recognition were also explored. Research was increasingly geared towards the topic, and conferences and workshops were organized and attended. Project evaluations also began to include a focus on the effect individual projects had on women. A key development within the Bank was the creation of the Bank’s Adviser on Women in Development in 1977. The position, first held by Gloria Scott, “focused attention on the subject [of women in development], [and] promoted an understanding of the key issues and ways to address them in the Bank’s operational work and in countries which the Bank assists” (The Bank’s World, Volume 4: Number 9, September 1985, page 11). One important result of this attention, and Scott’s work in particular, was the 1979 publication Recognizing the ‘Invisible’ Woman in Development: The World Bank’s Experience”. While an increasing amount of information was being generated with regard to the plight and potential of women in developing countries, the incorporation of women’s issues into the design of Bank projects was tentative throughout the 1980s. The subject continued to grow in importance, however, and in the spring of 1987 a Women in Development Division (PHRWD) was created in the Bank’s Population and Human Resources Department. The Division’s primary function was to support the inclusion of women in development in project development, implementation, and evaluation. Division Chief Barbara Herz said at the time: “We want to get beyond studies and training. We want to show what can actually be done to include women in development programs and how that contributes to economic performance, easing of poverty, and other development activities.” But by 1989, World Bank President Barber Conable was still not satisfied with the Bank’s commitment to women in developing countries. In a letter to then Senior Vice President, Operations, Moeen Qureshi, Conable requested a more systematic and operational approach to the issue. In the letter, he tasks individual Country Departments with the preparation of an assessment of women’s role in development and an action program which should be put in place. Conable’s letter to Qureshi, along with an attached “Proposed Bank Approach and Plan of Action” template and a forwarding letter from Qureshi to Bank Regional Vice Presidents, can be read here: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTARCHIVES/Resources/Haugcorrespondence0001.pdf Interestingly, these records are attachments to a piece of correspondence from Marianne Haug, Executive Assistant to the President, to Mr. Conable’s wife, Mrs. Charlotte Conable who had a special interest in women in development. Haug's correspondence is found in the Subject Files series of the Records of Executive Assistant to the President, Marianne Haug (WB IBRD/IDA EXC-11-03-5445S). Along with other Bank reports and memoranda related to the topic of women in development, the series contains the results of

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Conable’s request in the form of twenty-one summaries of the Country Departments’ Women in Development Country Assessments. Records related to women in development and gender issues can be found in a variety of fonds in the World Bank Group Archives. If you are interested in this topic or others related to the World Bank Group’s history, visit the Archives web site, which is accessible from The 1818 Society's webpage under "Related Links." You are invited to view an exhibit sponsored by the World Bank Group Archives entitled “Women, Gender and Development in the World Bank Group.” It is located on the C-3 level of the Main Complex, outside of the Archives facility. Use the bank of elevators near the Preston Auditorium. An Open Letter to Colleagues and Friends By Guy de Lusignan In February, a dear friend and active member of The 1818 Society, Guy de Lusignan, passed away. His "open letter" to the World Bank's staff on his retirement, published in the September 1990 issue of The Bank's World, gives a good deal of historical insight into an earlier era of World Bank history, as well as insight to the man himself. My dear Colleagues and Friends, On September 1, 1990, I retired from the World Bank. Because my departure from Washington immediately after Labor Day coincided with the end of the summer holidays, I was very sorry I missed many of you. I am therefore grateful to The Bank's World for publishing this open letter which will be my way of saying "au revoir" to all those whom I know, have known, worked with or for, in any capacity and circumstances, over these so varied, active, challenging, enriching, and stimulating 22 years. First, I wish to add to "my Bank years" those at the FAO-IBRD Cooperative Program from 1964 to 1968. These years helped me so much in knowing the Bank's areas, departments and divisions, and in getting involved with this superb group of professionals which formed the division responsible for ALL the Bank operations in agriculture! Interestingly enough, three members of this group are currently Bank vice presidents. Second, let me say that in the late '60s and the first two years of the '70s, the Bank was smaller and quite a different place. A few weeks ago when I saw the corner of 18th and H destroyed, wrecked, this was quite a shock for me. It was in this building that in 1969 I had my first decent window office and, in 1971, my first Division Chiefs comer office. Well, only those of my age group will understand what the destruction of our old buildings really means. They saw the foundations of the Bank's reputation and fame with respect to its professionalism, its intellectual integrity, its effectiveness. The peak, the landmark of the history of the Bank are no doubt, for me, those years of transition and change, the George Woods/Robert McNamara years which laid down the structures and policies of today's World Bank Group. Let us hope that in the new and renovated buildings, some "spirit" of the past and the historical memory of the Bank will survive.

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Third, I wish to especially recall all of you who worked with me at all levels on Bank operations in Algeria, Tunisia, Portugal, Iran, the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, as well as those with whom I have been associated in New York, and, for the last seven years, in EDI. We all shared successes and failures; excitement, motivation, a sense of accomplishment, joys and irritation, frustrations, impatience, anger, pressure, sadness. At the end of the day, despite the bureaucracy and the paperwork, despite the rumor mill and the many fine tuning/reorganization exercises, I can say that I was very happy to have been working with all of you. In the years to come, not only do I intend to do consulting, research and teaching but I want to remain involved in directly handling what I know best, that is development aid. And this is what I am at first going to do. The experience acquired in the Bank is unique. We are all convinced of that. Why not build on what we have learned and make it available to others? This will allow me to remain active and in touch with many of you. With my very best wishes and warmest regards, Guy de Lusignan

IN MEMORIAM We regret to inform you of the following deaths based on information provided by the Pension Administration Division. We extend our sincere sympathy to the families. If you would like to post information about a friend’s memorial service or family contacts, you can use the link http://1818members.wordpress.com/in-memoriam/ or go to The Society’s website and click on the flower, on the upper right hand side. Look for In Memoriam, scroll all the way down, and post the message in the comment section which will appear. Your information will appear as the first item on the page.

Elizabeth L. Anton, 90, of Ontario, Canada, on December 24, 2014. Ms. Anton retired from the Bank Group in 1987. Robert Ayres, 73, of Bethesda, Maryland, on December 22, 2014. Mr. Ayres retired from the Bank Group in 2001. Jose Baigorria Pera, 77, of Brasilia, Brazil, on February 22, 2015. Mr. Baigorria retired from the Bank Group in 2000. Edmund Stevenson Baillie, 89, of Ollon, Switzerland, on October 29, 2014. Mr. Baillie retired from the Bank Group in 1987. George B. Baldwin, 94, of Hanover, New Hampshire, on December 3, 2014. Mr. Baldwin retired from the Bank Group in 1985. Ajit Kumar Banerjee, 83, of Kolkatta, India, on November 29, 2014. Mr. Banerjee retired from the Bank Group in 1994. Jean Bataillard, 84, of Switzerland, on November 15, 2014. Mr. Bataillard retired from the Bank Group in 1966. Vinayak V. Bhatt, 88, of Bethesda, Maryland, on November 26, 2014. Mr. Bhatt retired from the Bank Group in 1989. Wilfred Biswas, 74, of Forestville, Maryland, on December 3, 2014. Mr. Biswas retired from the Bank Group in 2001.

Mildred R. Briggs, 90, of Mount Vernon, New York, on December 17, 2014. Ms. Briggs retired from the Bank Group in 1983. Mr. Glenn C Burdett, 92, of Edgewater, Florida, on August 11, 2014. He was the spouse of retiree Mrs. Dolores A. Burdett Bermen T. Chang, 88, of Kensington, Maryland, on August 5, 2013. She was the spouse of retiree Mr. Victor C. Chang. Khanum Cheryan, 92, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, on November 29, 2014. Ms. Cheryan was the spouse of Mr. Poothicote O. Cheryan. Faiz Ahmed Chowdhury, 69, of Falls Church, Virginia, on December 9, 2014. He was the spouse of retiree Ms. Sadia Chowdhury. Guy A. De Lusignan, 85, of Washington DC, on February 20, 2015. Mr. De Lusignan retired from the Bank Group in 1990. Giovanni Luppi, 81, of Cannes, France, on April 4, 2014. Mr. Luppi retired from the Bank Group in 1987. Hubert L. Dean, 81, of Lorton, Virginia, on January 4, 2015. Mr. Dean retired from the Bank Group in 1994. Hamdy M. Eisa, 76, of Vienna, Virginia, on January 23, 2015. Mr. Eisa retired from the Bank Group in 2000. Abdel El-Mekkawy, 88, of New York, NY, on January 22, 2015. Mr. El-Mekkawy retired from the Bank Group in 1988. Hassan Fazel, 68, of Glen Allen, Virginia, on December 3, 2014. Mr. Hassan retired from the Bank Group in 2000. Mohit Ganguli, 90, of Bethesda, Maryland, on February 17, 2015. Mr. Ganguli retired from the Bank Group in 1986. Jane Nevin Guinness, 85, of Blue Hill, Maine, on December 11, 2014. Ms. Guinness was the surviving spouse of Mr. Kenelm Lee Guinness. Greville R. Gunson, 86, of Nairobi, Kenya, on January 8, 2015. Mr. Gunson retired from the Bank Group in 1992.

Nell-Jane Haase, 86, of Fairfax, Virginia, on February 18, 2015. Ms. Hasse was the surviving spouse of Mr. Gerold Haase. Elsie Hall, 90, of Dunedin, Florida, on November 14, 2014. Ms. Hall retired from the Bank Group in 1989. Austin C. T. Hu, 66, of Mega City/Moma, China, on February 16, 2015. Mr. Hu retired from the Bank Group in 2005. David Knox, 89, of East Hagbourne, UK, on November 29, 2014. Mr. Knox retired from the Bank Group in 1988. Sermin Fatma Konuk, 85, of Daire, Turkey, on August 2, 2014. Ms. Konuk retired from the Bank Group in 1984. Remigio Leal, 76, of Haymarket, Virginia, on January 31, 2015. He was the spouse of retiree Mrs. Martha Leal. Helen J. Lewin, 77, of Herts, United Kingdom, on November 26, 2014. Ms. Lewin retired from the Bank Group in 1994. Tirtha Maharjan, 62, of Kathmandu, Nepal, on December 14, 2014. Mr. Maharjan retired from the Bank Group in 2014. Mohammed B. A. Malik, 89, of Lahore, Pakistan, on January 28, 2015. Mr. Malik retired from the Bank Group in 1983. Alberto Musalem, 74, of Bethesda, Maryland on January 5, 2015. Mr. Musalem retired from the Bank Group in 2004. Edmond Andre Pagacz, 91, of Maussane les Alpilles, France, on July 30, 2014. Mr. Pagacz retired from the Bank Group in 1985. Mary Veronica Pilz, 90, of East Sussex, England, on January 3, 2015. Ms. Pilz was the surviving spouse of Mr. Anton Pilz. V. N. Rajagopalan, 79, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, on January 4, 2015. Mr. Rajagopalan retired from the Bank Group in 1997.

Vincent Riley, 86, of Alexandria, Virginia, on January 21, 2015. Mr. Riley retired from the Bank Group in 1991. Willem Eric Roell, 87, of Frascati, Italy, on December 22, 2014. Mr. Roell retired from the Bank Group in 1989. Chonlada Sae-Hau, 60, of Derwood, Maryland, on December 8, 2014. Ms. Sae-Hau retired from the Bank Group in 2009. Hanna M. Schaad, 87, of Switzerland, on January 28, 2015. She was the spouse of retiree Mr. Ernst F. Schaad. Maureen Semmens, 84, of "Stockton-on-Tees, UK, on November 30, 2014. Ms. Semmens retired from the Bank Group in 1975. Joseph Michael Shanahan, 71, of Washington DC, on November 22, 2014. Mr. Shanahan was the spouse of Ms. Victoria M. Elliott. Edith Steinberg, 94, of Toronto, Canada, on January 3, 2015. Ms. Steinberg was the surviving spouse of Mr. Leonard Steinberg. Yun-An Tang, 90, of Leesburg, Virginia, on February 7, 2015. Mr. Tang retired from the Bank Group in 1986. Nancy Jean Thriscutt, 83, of West Sussex, England, on December 7, 2014. Ms. Thriscutt was the surviving spouse of Mr. Sydney H. Thriscutt. Joan M. Uhrig, 85, of Alexandria, Virginia, on February 9, 2015. Ms. Uhrig was the surviving spouse of Mr. Joseph P. Uhrig. Yoshiko Urakawa, 70, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, on November 15, 2014. Ms. Urakawa retired from the Bank Group in 2004. Audrey Worthington, 94, of Rockville, Maryland, on January 25, 2015. She was the spouse of retiree Mr. Raymond Worthington. Ioan I. Zamfir, 84, of Bucharest, Romania, on November 12, 2014. Mr. Zamfir retired from the Bank Group in 1979.