Jordan Times
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
First Public Information
Centre in Jordan launched
By Sheila M. Dabu
AMMAN — The first Public Information Centre (PIC)
in the Kingdom opened yesterday at the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) library,
providing the public with direct access to World Bank information.
Through the centre, the public will have access to information related to
development projects in more than 100 developing countries and the World Bank's
online resources; in short, access to “the world's largest research programme on
economic development”, according to the centre's brochure.
World Bank Public Information Associate Zeina Al Khalil told The Jordan Times
that the opening of the centre is important for the Kingdom, especially since
Internet access is not yet widespread in the region.
“Another advantage is that it also gives access to all online databases that the
World Bank has, as well as public development agencies, so that researchers,
children and anybody interested in this information can have access to a large
database... It's very important especially in our region where there's
difficulty in access to information and data,” she added.
Overall, there are 80 PICs and 60 satellite centres in 80 countries worldwide.
The project is a collaboration of the World Bank, the Ministry of Planning and
International Cooperation, and the GAM.
Access to the centre is free to the public.
“The World Bank is putting more emphasis on reaching out not just to governments
and officials in the countries we are working in, but also to civil societies,”
Christiaan Poortman, World Bank vice president of the Middle East and North
Africa region, said at the opening.
Poortman also acknowledged criticisms of the bank.
“The World Bank, as you may very well know, is frequently a very controversial
agency. We're seen as the bearers of goods and support, but we're also sometimes
being put in a corner of institutions that perhaps carry more power than it
should and perhaps sometimes even refused from asking or recommending
governments and agencies to take measures that are not always seen as being fair
or bringing the greatest advantage to the countries we're dealing with,”
Poortman said.
World Bank critics say it undermines the national sovereignty of recipient
countries and imposes corporate “neocolonial globalisation.”
According to Stephen Lewis, the UN secretary general's special envoy for
HIV/AIDS in Africa, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund's structural
adjustment policies have contributed to the spread of AIDS because of their
limits to health and education funding.
Others have criticised the bank for being under the political influence of
countries, especially the United States, by pushing for economic liberalisation
and guarantees for private international investment at the disadvantage of local
companies.
Poortman told The Jordan Times that the PIC would help to dispel some of the
myths about the bank.
“I think there are a lot of misconceptions about the World Bank. We are, after
all, a development agency, that's dedicated and devoted itself to fighting
poverty. For a lot of the work that we do, I think it is not fully appreciated
by the general public.”
“Three quarters of our funding goes to development projects, education, health
and basic infrastructure. But it's the other elements that usually tend to get
the attention, when we provide advice to government on macroeconomic policy.
Hopefully it will give the general public a more balanced view of the World
Bank,” he added.
Asked about the benefits of the project, Amman Deputy Mayor Abdel Rahim F.
Boucai told The Jordan Times that “it's a chance for people to have access
online. Students will have a chance to read and find out about the world.”
Boucai said he hopes for the establishment of another PIC in Amman.
In the Middle East, there are PICs in the West Bank, Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt,
Algeria, Tunisia, Yemen and plans for a centre in Iran.
“I hope that centres like this one contribute to pushing the country's
development agenda, make people aware about World Bank activities and let them
know how they can contribute to development,” Kahlil said.