World Bank Boss Down Under- Advertorial

The President of the World Bank, James Wolfensohn, will return to his country of birth to discuss ‘Globalisation and the Poverty Challenge’ at a special fundraising event Down Under in August, organised by Opportunity International Australia.

Wolfensohn is credited with leading the World Bank towards the reduction of global poverty through some comprehensive and effective reform programs combining his expertise in international investment banking with a personal commitment to the cause.

Born in Australia, Wolfensohn holds B.A and L.L.B degrees from the University of Sydney and an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business. He’s been World Bank President since 1995 and was unanimously re-appointed in 1999.

Opportunity International is a world pioneer and leading provider of micro-enterprise development (MED) services. These services attack the root cause of poverty by providing small loans (typically $50 – $500) to the poorest of the world’s poor to enable them to start micro businesses and create permanent jobs.

These ‘micro-entrepreneurs’ receive business training and mentoring, but pay back the loans with interest, after which they may qualify for further expansion loans.

Since inception, the repayment rates of principal and interest have been 95-98 per cent. Last year, Opportunity created over a quarter of a million jobs, breaking the poverty cycle for more than one million people.

The work of Opportunity Australia is close to the heart of James Wolfensohn.

He says that in the next 25 years there will be two billion more people coming onto the planet, but virtually all of that two billion will be in developing countries. The gathering horde of poor people is not a phenomenon that can be neatly contained by geographical boundaries.

He adds it is no longer someone else’s problem in a far-flung place. We should all be deeply troubled by it.

James Wolfensohn will speak at a special seminar and dinner event at the ANA Hotel in Sydney on Wednesday August 1st.

The evening will begin with pre-dinner drinks at 6.30pm. The total cost of the evening is $250 per person with $100 of that total being a tax-deductible donation to the work of Opportunity International.

Corporate tables of 12 are available for $3000; $1200 of which is a tax-deductible donation.

For an official registration form please e-mail us here at Pro Bono Australia at probono@probonoaustralia.com.auor you can contact Opportunity International on (02) 8259 0433.