Q & a with Ranjit Nayak
Ninth Edition - September 23, 2009 Promoting Inclusion in the Post-Conflict Balkans Public Disclosure Authorized n the former Yugoslavia, a series and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, of violent wars erupted during Montenegro, and Serbia, as well as Ithe 1990s. Ethnic conflicts and IFC representatives from Albania and economic disruptions prevailed as a Bosnia-Herzegovina. new map emerged in fits and starts— The group immediately decamped via ultimately yielding seven new states. bus for a unique field trip with some lo- Today, memories of conflict are still cal country office staff. First stop: meet- fresh. In a sub-region where the mere ings with various ethnic and religious presence of a cross or minaret was once communities around Kosovo, including a pretext for violence, it is hardly sur- the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians. prising that the Bank Group’s develop- In Fushe-Kosove, near Pristina in ment work is fraught with challenges. central Kosovo, Muhamet Arifi a Roma In the post-conflict Balkan states, from Balkan Sunflowers—an interna- Public Disclosure Authorized perhaps more than any place on tional NGO that promotes reconciliation Earth, the Bank Group’s effectiveness through volunteerism and community is inextricably linked to diversity and engagement—explained why these com- Father Sava Janjic met the Bank’s Chief inclusion. For that reason, Diversity munities face barriers to healthcare and Diversity Officer, Julie Oyegun, and Resident Chief Julie Oyegun recently convened education. A full 40 percent of the Roma Representatives from six Balkan countries. a group of Country Managers in Pris- community lack birth certificates, IDs, or tina, Kosovo, hosted by the Country any form of official documentation.
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