From June 8 to 12, we will be hosting four distinguished guests from South and Southeast Asia in Berlin: Vidya Dinker (Growthwatch), Hasan Mehedi (CLEAN), Pius Ginting (AEER), and S.P. Udayakumar (Green Tamilnadu). Together, we will meet with policymakers and engage in dialogue with political foundations, think tanks, and allies. The focus will be on the energy transition and on public banks such as the World Bank, ADB, and AIIB. A true energy transition requires the right policies and financial support. Development banks can play a decisive role here—for better or for worse.
Our guests will discuss the energy crisis triggered by the war in Iran, as well as their strategies and campaigns for a fossil-free future. They are long-standing partners of urgewald. For those interested, we are offering two public events: a panel discussion and, in cooperation with the taz, a film screening followed by a discussion.
Film: “Bhola IPP: People and Ecology in Peril” (Director: Gayetree Arun), 15 mins
This new short documentary from Bangladesh levels serious allegations against the AIIB and the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
Using the example of the Bhola gas-fired power plant in Bangladesh, it shows how the two multinational banks—in which Germany is a major shareholder—have raised far-reaching concerns regarding environmental pollution, displacement of the population, and threats to biodiversity. The film, produced by CLEAN in Bangladesh, calls for urgent oversight, stricter controls, and a shift toward sustainable energy solutions that protect communities rather than endangering them.
Introduction:
Nora Sausmikat, Senior Campaigner for Multilateral Financial Institutions, China, and the AIIB; AIIB expert, urgewald
Panel discussion with:
Hasan Mehedi, Executive Director of the Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN), Dhaka, Bangladesh
Vidya Dinker, President of the Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), New Delhi, Executive Director of Growthwatch, Mangalore, and member of the Regional Infrastructure Monitoring Alliance (RIMA)
Dustin Schäfer, expert on multilateral financial institutions and accountability mechanisms, Urgewald
Moderator:
Sven Hansen is Asia editor at taz and curator of Han Sen’s Asiatalk
In collaboration with the taz and Han Sen’s Asiatalk
Language: English
Further information and registration: https://taz.de/taz-Talk-and-Film/!vn6179182/
