Jeffrey Sachs Must Be the Next President of the World Bank
It is essential that Dr. Jeffrey Sachs be nominated as the next president of the World Bank. Epitomizing the virtue, “To whom much is granted, much is required,” his is a vision which shall reduce the most dire poverty that plagues the developing world, build a more sustainable future, and realize the core mission of the World Bank.
Professor Sachs is a world-renowned development economist, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals. The solutions Sachs has fought for, written about, and worked towards demand a bully pulpit loud enough, and an organization influential enough, to lead the abundant change necessary. The World Bank presidency holds such vantage and Sachs is ideally fit to lead that charge.
The following are 5 reasons to support Sach’s nomination to the World Bank presidency.
He has driven solutions to Poverty Reduction: Professor Sachs founded the Millennium Villages Project which works to eliminate poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by community-led development in health, education, infrastructure, and business creation. Over 400,000 people are dedicated to its mission now and the Earth Institute details rigorously the parameters which govern its operation to determine best-practices and measure results. He knows how to build change, one village at a time.
He promotes economic development: In his 2001 World Health Organization report entitled, Macroeconomics and Health: Investing in Health for Economic Development, where he examined the state of world poverty, Sachs articulated his belief that beyond the imperative humanitarian obligation of alleviating poverty was the importance of the residual economic benefits. He showed that with an annual investment of $66 billion, 8 million lives could be saved, precipitating $360 billion/year in economic benefits. His economic expertise coupled with his idealism will pay tremendous dividends.
His in-country experience is vast: Sachs has visited 125 countries. He’s delved into problem-solving to combat health disparities, expand technologies and basic services to rural villages, increase crop yields, find solutions to climate change realities, and build infrastructure. His efforts helped create the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which is performing extraordinary work bringing antiretroviral treatments to AIDS patients, TB shots to the infected, and insecticide-treated nets to protect families from malaria. He’s been on the ground for nearly 30 years building solutions.
He’s beholden neither to Wall Street nor the government: All previous World Bank presidents have been plucked from the confines of government posts or from the financial institutions of Wall Street. Never has a practitioner with his talents and expertise been granted the opportunity to lead the Bank. A Wall Street figure will not maintain the Millennium Development Goals as a top priority. This alone is a driving reason for President Barack Obama to nominate Sachs. He’ll serve as an impartial head of the World Bank, beholden only to those who do not have a voice, yet so richly deserve one.
His singular vision and optimism: Possessing a dynamic vitality, Sachs is intent on action. Satisfaction will only come to him when his mission is complete. Torrid is the pace he keeps in devoting his life to what he calls the “powerful truth,” that no one on this planet has to die from poverty. He’s written best-selling books outlining solutions to poverty alleviation, penned myriad Op-ed’s and articles, met with presidents and legislators, lobbied corporate moguls, and orated across the globe promoting his ideas. A robust campaign to save lives will thrive with him at the helm of the World Bank.
Join me in supporting Sachs for the presidency of the World Bank. Go to this link to sign a petition asking Obama to nominate Sachs.
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