“Transition: 15 Years of Building the Future” - Nana Janashia (JS Fellow 2006) speaks at the 15th Anniversary Conference of the EBRD
A John Smith Fellow from Georgia, Nana Janashia, joined an impressive panel of speakers at the 15th Anniversary Conference of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development at its London headquarters on the 28th November. The Conference was organized by the Bank along with Chatham House to celebrate the EBRD’s role during the past 15 years in encouraging the transition from planned to market economies. The conference brought together a wide range of experts from Europe, the CIS, and Central and Eastern Europe to discuss progress made over those 15 years, and consider the social, economic and political factors that are still driving transition in the region.
Nana Janashia speaking at the EBRD Anniversary Conference
Photo courtesy of the EBRD
The conference was chaired by EBRD President Jean Lemierre, and included contributions from two members of the Trust’s Advisory Board, Lord Skidelsky and Dr. Alena Ledeneva. Lord Skidelsky spoke of the considerable progress made towards transition in the CIS, but also highlighted some of the areas where transition has not reached. Dr. Alena Ledeneva addressed the issue of corruption – how and why it continues and how it might begin to decline in importance in future.
Trust advisers Lord Skidelsky and Dr. Alena Ledeneva speaking at the conference
Photos courtesy of the EBRD
The conference included a presentation by Alan Rousso, Political Counsellor at the EBRD, of initial findings of the EBRD’s extensive household survey on the impact of 15 years of transition on people in the CIS and Central and Eastern Europe. The survey contains some evidence of unmet aspirations, particularly among older residents. But it also demonstrates hope for the future – with more young people feeling that life was better than before, and many in their parents’ generation expressing hope for their children’s futures.
Ukrainian novelist Andrei Kurkov (left) and EBRD President Jean Lemierre
Photo courtesy of the EBRD
Nana Janashia spoke in the afternoon session on “Building the Future” – How young people in the transition countries are working to build their societies and contributing to a different future for their countries. As Executive Director of the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN) in Georgia, Nana is particularly well placed to speak about the challenges of global warming and sustainable development, and ways of finding solutions to the specific problems faced by people in her region.
Further information about the EBRD and the 15th Anniversary Conference can be obtained from www.ebrd.com and at the following links:
EBRD 15th Anniversary
www.ebrd.com/new/calendar/15years/index.htm
www.ebrd.com/new/calendar/15years/rousso.pdf
