The eight richest men on the planet own as much wealth as the poorest half of the world. Oxfam’s groundbreaking inequality research has been cited by world leaders, from Xi Jinping and Barack Obama to Christine Lagarde. But while many acknowledge the crisis, there is much less consensus on how to respond. In a conversation with the audience, Winnie Byanyima, head of the worldwide development organization Oxfam International, will challenge the conventional wisdom surrounding inequality and the global economy. Ms. Byanyima will also share a new and innovative framework, the Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index, intended to help guide national economic policies towards tackling inequality head on.
Following an introduction by Mr. Furusawa, Winnie Byanyima of Oxfam gave a presentation on how to challenge the conventional wisdom surrounding inequality and the global economy. She highlighted Oxfam’s innovative framework, the Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRI), which is a new global ranking of countries based on what they are doing to tackle the gap between the rich and poor.
Moderator: Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News
Panelists:
Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Deputy Managing Director, IMF
Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International
Key Points:
Quotes:
“Eight men, not even one woman, now own as much wealth as 3.6 billion people, the bottom half of humanity,” Winnie Byanyima
“We now have levels of wealth never seen in human history, yet 1 in 9 people goes to bed hungry every night,” Winnie Byanyima
“We can keep doing analysis and have meetings on inequality, or we can choose to do something about it,” Winnie Byanyima
“The Fund’s research work on inequality is being integrated with our operations, especially through our technical assistance and training,” Mitsuhiro Furusawa
“The Fund’s relationship with Oxfam has been fruitful as we have developed policies and perspectives on the issue of inequality,” Mitsuhiro Furusawa
Rajini Vaidyanathan
North American Correspondent
BBC News
Rajini Vaidyanathan is an award-winning reporter and anchor for BBC News, based in Washington DC. She covers North America and the wider region.She recently returned from Mexico where she reported on the aftermath of the country's earthquake. She also covered the 2016 election from the primaries through to the campaign, anchoring coverage of a presidential debate, reporting live fromrallies, and talking to voters in more than 20 states. She's also reported on a range of other issues including race relations from Ferguson and Baltimore, and gun violence from Charleston and Las Vegas. She has reported from all over the world, and has been posted in India and Westminster, where she interviewed Prime Ministers and senior politicians.
Mitsuhiro Furusawa
Deputy Managing Director
IMF
Mitsuhiro Furusawa assumed office as Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund on March 2, 2015. He joined the IMF after a distinguished career in the Japanese government, including several senior positions in the Ministry of Finance in recent years. Immediately before coming to the Fund, he served as Special Advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance. Among his recent ministry postings, Mr. Furusawa served as Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs (2013–2014), Director-General of the Financial Bureau (2012–2013), and Senior Deputy Director-General of the International Bureau (2009–2010). His overseas postings for the Japanese government have included IMF Executive Director (2010–2012), Minister (Finance) at the Embassy of Japan in the United States (2007–2009), and Counselor (Finance) at the Embassy of Japan in France (1997–1999). A 1979 graduate of the University of Tokyo with an LL.B. degree, Mr. Furusawa also graduated in 1983 from the École Nationale d’Administration in Paris.
Winnie Byanyima
Executive Director
Oxfam International
Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director at Oxfam International, is a world-renowned women’s rights leader and a global authority on economic inequality.
Winnie continues to support social justice movements around the world, and has spearheaded Oxfam’s global research and advocacy on economic inequality and gender inequality. She has acted as Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum, participated in the IMF Fiscal Forum and served on the United Nations (UN) High-Level Panels on Access to Medicines and on Women’s Economic Empowerment. She is also a global ambassador for the Open Government Partnership and was recently appointed to serve on ILO’S Global Commission
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