SPOTL IGHT
The workshop delegates
Development Cooperation. Another important consideration that many participants pointed out: Even patient investors, who are prepared to take a long-term view, eventually expect to see a return. Development agencies ignore calls for economic viability at their own peril. Participants enjoyed expanding networks, discussing new solutions and sketching new initiatives. Martin Nesirky, Director of the UN Information Service in Vienna, put it poetically in his presentation: “I will take you on a helicopter flight.” And like any good ride the workshop offered a multitude of new perspectives. The (symbolic) prize for the participant with the longest journey went to Senior Communications Specialist Andrew Achimu who travelled to Vienna from the Asian Development
Bank’s Headquarters in Manila. He was followed by Martin Karich, Director Corporate Communications at IDB Invest in Washington, whereas Gunter Schall from the Austrian Development Agency arguably had the shortest journey, travelling just down the proverbial street from his organization’s offices. Other institutions present at the workshop included the African Development Bank, the Council of Europe Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, Germany’s KfW Development Bank, the Saudi Fund for Development, and the World Bank as well as its private sector arm, IFC. OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa encouraged the communicators to keep up their efforts: “When you are doing good, you also want others to know about it.”
53
Powered by FlippingBook