The Society for International Development (SID) held its 2011 World Congress in Washington, D.C. The over 1,000 participants at the event, who represented governments, civil society, NGOs, and academia, focused their discussions on the establishment of South-South and triangular cooperation, designed to make developing countries self-sufficient and capable of withstanding economic crises like the ones currently gripping the United States and Europe. The highlight of the meeting came in the form of an informal conversation with World Bank President Robert Zoellick, who called for ownership of development among developing countries, and greater attention to the needs of the South from wealthy donor states.
While in the capital to cover the World Congress, South-South News visited the House of Representatives to speak with members on the ongoing debt debates in the United States, and that country’s commitment to global development initiatives. Congressmen Gregory Meeks and Eliot Engle, along with Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, share their thoughts on these topics and more.