# Praxis Discussion Series

The Praxis Discussion Series was established by the World Bank office in Sydney, Australia in order to provide a forum to discuss ideas, approaches, initiatives and policy pertinent to international development. Launched in January 2009 in partnership with Australian public affairs television channel A-PAC, the series aims to stimulate debate and promote the exchange of ideas. A one-hour panel-style program, the show is recorded throughout the year at the World Bank office.
Each session features three specialists on a select topic relating to international development. To coincide with the World Bank's work in the Pacific region, a World Bank representative is usually a part of the panel, joined by two other guest speakers providing different perspectives on the issue at hand.
Recognising a gap in the development conversation, Praxis opened its doors to one and all, allowing the general public to sit alongside representatives from Australian government departments, civil society and non-government organisations, and the private sector, as well as various academics and students, in order to tackle development issues from a variety of perspectives. With the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals coming up in 2015, such discussions are becoming increasingly important. Interactivity is valued above all else, and every audience member has the opportunity to have their say and question the views of the panelists.
Discussions are also broadcast in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea, while the World Bank's YouTube channel provides content online. Further, the involvement of the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) has meant that audiences in Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea have been able to take part in discussions via video conference.

## Past Discussions

2014 :
| Topic | Date | Speakers |
| Women's Economic Empowerment | June | Amy Luinstra, Senior Gender Specialist, International Finance Corporation; Joanne Crawford, Research and Policy Adviser, International Women's Development Agency (IWDA) and; Amanda Donigi, Founder of Stella Magazine in Papua New Guinea. |
| Labour Mobility in the Pacific | May | Mai Malaulau, Labour Migration Specialist, World Bank; Luke Craven, University of Sydney and Ms. Kanasa, Ikale Contractors, an Australian employment company for the Australian Seasonal Worker Program. |
| Poverty and Hardship in the Pacific | March | Rex Horoi, Executive Director for the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International (FSPI); David Abbott, Economic Development Specialist; Truman Packard, Lead Economist, Human Development Sector, World Bank |
| Early Childhood Care and Education | January | Raelyn Lolohea 'Esau, Deputy Director, Ministry of Education and Training in Tonga; Dr Sally Brinkman, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research; Mary-Ruth Mendel, Co-founder and Chairman of the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation; Myrna Machuca-Sierra, Education Specialist, World Bank |
2013 :
| Topic | Date | Speakers |
| Extractive Industries | February | Michael Nest, Governance Specialist; Vivek Suri, World Bank; Colin Filer, Australian National University |
| Aid in a Changing World | March | Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank; Dr Jimmie Rodgers, Secretariat of the Pacific Community; Margaret Reid OAM |
| Climate Change | April | Rachel Kyte, World Bank; Kevin Hennessy, CSIRO; the Hon. Tessie Lambourne, Government of Kiribati |
| Communications and Technology for Development | Friday 14 June | Gerard McCarthy from TechChange; Sarah Logan, Australian National University; Michael Bergmann, AusAID. |
| Conflict and Transitions | Friday 5 July | Tarcisius Kabutaulaka, University of Hawai’i; Joseph Foukona, Australian National University; Rebecca Bryant, AusAID; Professor Anthony Zwi, University of NSW. |
| Maternal and Reproductive Health | Friday 9 August | Dr Samson Baba, Ministry of Health, Republic of South Sudan, The Hon Dr Meredith Burgmann, President of Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and Michele Rumsey, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Development, UTS. |
| Youth Employment | Friday 4 October | Stephen Close, World Bank, Richard Curtain, Public Policy Consultant, and Dr Jioji Ravulo, University of Western Sydney. |
| Inequality | Thursday 14 November | Lars Osberg, Dalhousie University, Canada; Michelle Rooney, ANU; Virginia Horscroft, World Bank; and Sameer Dossani, ActionAid. |
2012 :
| Topic | Date | Speakers |
| Aid Effectiveness | Thursday 4 April | Matt Morris, the Development Policy Centre at the Australian National University; Truman Packard, World Bank; Michael Carnahan, AusAID |
| Oceans and Fisheries | Friday 4 May | Michael Harte, World Wildlife Fund; Charles Feinstein, World Bank; Kate Barclay, University of Technology Sydney |
| Education in a Changing World | Monday 16 July | Yidan Wang, World Bank; Bernie Lovegrove, ASPBAE Australia; Jack Maebuta, Australian National University |
| Pacific Futures | Friday 10 August | Ralph Regenvanu, Member of Parliament in Vanuatu; Ferid Belhaj, World Bank; Rob Tranter, AusAID; Professor Biman Prasad, University of the South Pacific |
| Urbanisation | Friday 12 October | Max Kep, Papua New Guinea's Office of Urbanisation; Professor John Connell University of Sydney; Truman Packard, World Bank; Simon Cramp, AusAID |
| Violence against Women | Wednesday 24 October | Libby Lloyd AM; Merilyn Tahi, Vanuatu Women's Centre; Zoë Mander-Jones, AusAID; Carol Angir, Action Aid Australia |
| Non-Communicable Diseases | Monday 17 December | Dr Jimmie Rodgers, Secretariat of the Pacific Community; Ian Anderson, Ian Anderson Economics; Dr Temo Waqanivalu, World Health Organization |
2011 :
| Topic | Date | Speakers |
| Development in the Pacific | Thursday 24 March | Rob Jauncey, World Bank; Caleb Jarvis, Pacific Trade & Invest; Daniel Rowland, University of Sydney Law School |
| Maternal and Child Health | Friday 6 May | Dr. Nicole Wong Doo, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital; Mahboba Rawi OAM, Mahboba's Promise; Dr. Nesrin Varol, University of Sydney |
| Food and Agriculture | Wednesday 8 June | 'Alopi Latukefu, AusAID; Jon Edwards, Action Aid Australia; Bill Pritchard, University of Sydney |
| Development and the Private Sector | Friday 8 July | David Shearer, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research; Eugenue Zhukov, Asian Development Bank; Gavin Murray, International Finance Corporation |
| Law and Justice | Thursday 1 September | Ferid Belhaj, World Bank; Veronica L. Taylor, Australian National University; Ali Tuhanuku, Consultant with Solomon Islands' Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs |
| Gender Equality and Development | Thursday 6 October | Gillian Brown, AusAID; Lulu Mitshabu, Caritas Australia and Julie McKay, UN Women Australia |
| Poverty and Livelihoods | Thursday 10 November | Michal Rutkowski, World Bank; Patrick Vakaoti, Australian National University; Bharath Mohan, Care Australia; Virginia Horscroft, World Bank |
2010 :
| Topic | Date | Speakers |
| Natural Disasters | Tuesday 27 April | Chris Bennett, World Bank; Jon Burrough, AusAID; Amalia Fawcett, Plan International Australia |
| Microfinance | Thursday 27 May | Guy Winship, World Education Australia; Terry Reid, Asian Development Bank; John Conroy, Foundation for Development Cooperation |
| Women and Development | Thursday 17 June | Elizabeth Reid, development consultant; Gillian Brown, AusAID; Andrew Rowell, CARE Australia; and Robert Dunn, Opportunity International Australia |
| Food Security | Thursday 22 July | Archie Law, ActionAid Australia; Nick Austin, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research; Denis Blight, Crawford Fund |
| HIV and AIDS | Tuesday 24 August | Rouena Getigan, ChildFund Australia; Bruce Parnell, Burnet Institute; Bill Bowtell, Lowy Institute |
| Climate Change | Wednesday 22 September | Norman Gillespie, UNICEF Australia; Emilia (Milina) Battaglini, World Bank; Martijn Wilder, Baker & McKenzie |
| Poverty and the Global Financial Crisis | Wednesday 20 October | James Cox, World Vision Australia; Ross Buckley, University of NSW; Mark Thirlwell, Lowy Institute |
| Intervening in Conflict Settings | Thursday 9 December | Terence Wesley-Smith and Tarcisius Kabutaulaka, University of Hawaii; Anne Brown, University of Queensland |
2009 :
| Topic | Date | Speakers |
| Migration and Remittances | Wednesday 21 January | Manjula Luthria, World Bank; Nic Maclellan, Freelance journalist and researcher; Edward (Ted) Wolfers, University of Wollongong; Mark Getchell, International Organization for Migration |
| Global Financial Crisis | Friday 20 February | Vikram Nehru, World Bank; Mark Thirlwell, Lowy Institute; Tim Harcourt, Austrade |
| Climate Change | Monday 23 March | Wanita Limpus, Kiribati Australia Association; Paul Gilding, Independent writer and advisor; Marianne Grosclaude, World Bank |
| Energy | Tuesday 28 April | Dr. Mark Diesendorf, University of NSW; Jack Whelan, Foundation for Development Cooperation; Tendai Gregan, World Bank |
| Education | Monday 25 May | Archie Law, ActionAid Australia; Felicity Mitchell, teacher and former Australian Youth Ambassador; Barbra Daufanamae, student from Solomon Islands; Stephen Close, World Bank. |
| Technology | Monday 29 June | Margaret Duckett, Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia and the Pacific; Jonathan Greenacre, Clayton Utz and Step Safe; Greg Tucker, Payment Services Ltd. and Money Mover Systems. |
| Gender | Monday 20 July | The Hon. Duncan Kerr, Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs; Sarah Marland, Amnesty International; Sonali Bishop, International Finance Corporation (IFC). |
| Health | Tuesday 25 August | The Hon. Bob McMullan, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance; Tim Costello, World Vision Australia; Stephen Close, World Bank. |
| Development in Post-Conflict States | Monday 21 September | Kanthan Shankar, World Bank; Mark McGillivray, AusAID; and Michael Smith, Asia Pacific Civil-Military Centre of Excellence. |
| Climate Change 2 | Monday 26 October | Robert Hill, Australian Carbon Trust and University of Sydney; Brian Dawson, AusAID; and Charles Feinstein, World Bank. |
| Youth | Monday 16 November | Carolyn Hardy, UNICEF Australia; Joel Kalpram, ni-Vanuatu student; Fabia Shah, AusAID. |