We are the Civil Society

Today marked my official final day at the meetings as part of the Global Voices Program. I have been running off around 6 hours of sleep per night this week, but my enthusiasm and desire to learn has only grown. A quick overview on how the meetings all work: with an estimated 20,000 participants over the course of the week, the meetings bring together the big wigs such as finance ministers, central bankers and IMF/World Bank leaders, who would engage in innumerable meetings with each other. However there also thousands of representatives from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), from NGOs and charities to think tanks, who attend the meetings to push their own agendas through forums, building networks and lobbying. Global Voices, the organisation who has coordinated this Australian youth delegation, comes under the Civil Society category.

The landmark event for this week was the launch of the World Bank’s Human Capital Index, which measures how well governments equip their people to achieve their full potential. Education and healthcare are the key concerns here. Singapore topped the rankings, and we came in at 7^th place. Many of the events and forums have naturally been centred upon the importance of investing in people, particularly children.

This morning, I attended a CSO forum with Save the Children Indonesia and village heads from more remote areas in East Java, such as Bangun. The discussion was centred around ensuring better futures for the children of Indonesia. Youth ambassador Putri Gayatri (18 years old!) spoke on anti-child marriage, and the perils of pregnancy at a young age. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many girls as young as 15 years old, and the importance of sexual education, still seen as taboo, was emphasised. Erna Warata runs her village’s committee for children, and her energy and motherly qualities shone through. She warned against the dangers of scolding and exposing children to violence, something she has been pushing within her own community. For me, a standout one-liner came from Putri when she declared “children develop the nation, not the household”, referring to the importance of connecting children with education and building an environment in which they can grow and prosper.

I asked a question to the panel about what Save the Children Indonesia is doing to support children with disabilities in remote communities. The answer I received was disappointing. I was told there is an ongoing program in West Java, but the response seemed tokenistic, as if a box was just being ticked. After the forum, I was approached by Fred Smith, Head of Policy at Sightsavers who campaign for disability-inclusive development. He handed over his business card, as is the standard procedure here, and said it was the first time this week that he had heard somebody ask a question about disabilities. This reflects the broader concern that many of the civil society organisations here are lone voices, fighting to be heard in a sea of causes and agendas. Of course, they all face the collective problem of having their voices heard by those at the very top, and it was disappointing to hear that many World Bank and IMF representatives were invited to these Civil Society Forums but did not attend. However, this does not discount the crucial role the civil society plays in affecting change. Managing Director of the IMF, Chirstine Lagarde reaffirmed her commitment to ensure CSOs’ voices are heard at the annual and spring meetings, and we mustn’t forget that so many of these CSOs are doing incredible things and changing the world at a grassroots level.

While this is supposed to be the final day of the program, there are still events on tomorrow, so rather than indulging in the tourist delights of Seminyak, surrounded by a hoard of holidaying Australians, I will be returning to the meetings to learn about China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the role disruptive education can play in education, and will endeavour to get a photo with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who will be at the meetings!