APPLETON, WIS. — Drawing upon his extensive experience in regional development throughout the world, a World Bank director examines the agency’s role in reducing poverty in the world’s poorest countries in the final installment of Lawrence University’s Povolny International Studies Lecture Series “Africa Today: Problems and Solutions.”
John Roome, operations director in the South Asia region of the World Bank, presents “The World Bank’s Role in Development” Monday, May 14 at 7 p.m. in Lawrence’s Wriston Art Center auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
Roome’s address will focus on the strategies the World Bank has employed in tackling poverty, its achievements and the organization’s future role in an environment of changing patterns of aid and financing. He also will discuss the growing role of China in Africa and the emergence of private funding sources such as the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which was created in January, 2002 by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation jump started the Global Fund with an initial $100 million donation and a pledge of an additional $500 million last year.
Since joining the World Bank in 1989, Roome has worked extensively in Africa, focusing on infrastructure issues, including leading the Bank’s support for large roads programs in Tanzania and post-war Mozambique, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, restructuring of the Southern African airline industry and reforming South Africa’s water pricing and allocation policies.
A native of South Africa, Roome earned a bachelor’s degree in statistics/actuarial science from the University of Cape Town and holds master’s degrees in econometrics and management studies from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
The “Africa Today: Problems and Solutions” lecture series is sponsored by the Mojmir Povolny Lectureship in International Studies. Named in honor of long-time Lawrence government professor Mojmir Povolny, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on issues of moral significance and ethical dimensions.
