World Bank "Arab Voices" conference and the Expat expert dilemma ** UPDATED

UPDATE: The World Bank's media office responds. Article has been edited accordingly.


I like the World Bank, really. It's a mammoth of an institution - especially the headquarters - but has many brilliant minds on its payroll who do solid policy and academic research.

But things like that piss me off. I got an email about this conference next week - the email seemingly had more information than the website, including the participants, so I'm pasting a segment:

Arab Voices and Views

Conference on the Opportunities and Challenges in the New Era

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2011 - Unprecedented change is taking place in the Middle East and North Africa. The World Bank is convening Arab experts, social media representatives, activists, and academics on Monday March 21 to dialogue on what this change means for the region. World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick will be making opening remarks at the conference.

This group of fresh voices and thought leaders will discuss Middle East and North Africa developments from the point of view of participation, accountability and transparency and consider what these changes and opportunities might hold for positive transformation.

(...)

When: Monday March 21, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm (Registration begins at 8:30 am)

Where: World Bank Headquarters: Preston Auditorium, 1818 H Street, NW, Washington DC, 20433

Virtual venue is available on www.worldbank.org (English, Arabic)

Who: World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick will be opening the conference.

Among the participants are:

Mona Eltahawy (award-winning columnist, an international public speaker on Arab/Muslim issues)

Nasser Saidi (Chief Economist at the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority and Executive Director of the Hawkamah-Institute for Corporate Governance)

Riz Khan (host of interview shows on Al Jazeera English)

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From the above, this is what I read: "We're having a conference where we discuss the "unprecedented change is taking place in the Middle East and North Africa" but we're relying on people who watched said change on television from the US and from Dubai. We can't fucking be bothered to get people who witnessed, lived the revolutions in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen."

Some - not all - of the speakers are excellent people. But they, still, were not part of these revolution. They've observed them from afar.


UPDATE/EDITS -------------------------


Mr. Hafed Al-Ghwell from the World Bank responds to this post (see in the post Comments) and tells us that the following people are also invited. Which is excellent, but the main criticism holds: none but one were there. For instance:

Mona El Tahawy: Journalist. Based in NYC.
Samer Shehata: Georgetown Uni. Based in DC.
May El Dabbagh: Dubai School of Government. Based in Dubai.
Moncef Cheikhrouhou: HEC. Based in Paris.
Hisham Melhem: Al-Arabiya DC office. Based in DC.
Ehaad Abdou: Brookings Institute. Based in DC.

The saving grace is Jackie Kameel, from Nahdet El Mahrousa. Based in Cairo.


Now several of those people I have met and have great respect for. And most are doing a great job at what they do.

In light of the added information it seems the problem isn't only the World Bank's. I'm sure they feel they've selected a great panel - and they did, but not for the topic at hand..

But seemingly, nearly all 'Arabs' on their Rolodex are expatriates.

Off the top of my head I can think of a dozen wonderful speakers based in Tunis, Cairo, Manama. Who would be, not only by their steadfast presence and participation to the revolutionary convulsions of their nations, but also by their professional expertise and knowledge, a hundred time more relevant than many of their panelists.

Is being an expatriate a sign of quality? Do Arab writers and experts need to be in London, DC, Dubai in order for their expertise to be recognized?