Africa: Good-Enough Racial Equality at World Bank

20 December 2012
analysis

The effort to abolish racial discrimination within the World Bank largely depends on the whims of its president and his perception of what is good enough for blacks. Adrienne Smith argues that after more than three decades of pledges and reaffirmed promises to end discrimination the Bank's reforms have failed

Good governance anchored in accountability and transparency is widely accepted as a prime factor for economic development and the rule of law. There is also a watered-down version of good governance that some say is more suitable for relatively less developed regions such as Africa. It is called "good enough governance" that was proposed by a Harvard professor in 2002. Long before "good enough governance" was proposed, the World Bank has been using the concept with respect to its racial equality policy.

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