Wake Up With WURD 3.18.21 - WURD On Business: The African Cultural Art Forum

Wake Up With WURD 3.18.21 – WURD On
Business: The African Cultural Art Forum

Khdir Abdul Raheem, his father Sharif, and uncle Rashie represent The African Cultural Art Forum.
ACAF is a for WURD Small Business and they join Wake Up With WURD to talk about the business
and all of the different products that they offer.

Drew Gardner is Assistant Vice President and Small Business Banker of Preferred and Small
Business Banking at Bank of America. Bank of America is sponsoring this segment.”

WURD Radio · Wake Up With WURD 3.18.21 – WURD On Business: The African Cultural Art Forum

The UK’s support to the African Development
Bank Group

The UK contributes around £181 million a year to the three organizations that make up the African
Development Bank Group, representing around 1.3% of the UK’s development budget.

A recent review by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) found that the institution’s
reach and deep expertise in Africa meant that contributing to the Bank could be a more effective
way for the UK to achieve development impact and economies of scale. But the review also
highlighted concerns about the UK government having ‘crossed a line’ by unilaterally imposing
performance measures on the Bank in 2017.

ICAI also expressed concern about the Bank’s critical lack of resources in key areas such as
environmental and social safeguards and highlighted the need for greater engagement with civil
society. The review also noted that the UK should do more to build the Bank’s capacity to manage
trust funds if it is going to continue to invest in them.

This event, co-hosted by ODI and ICAI, explores how the UK can strengthen its strategic
engagement with the Bank, how the UK can work with the Bank to ensure maximum impact and
value for money, and the role the Bank should play in the 2020s.

ODI live events · The UK’s support to the African Development Bank Group

How Asia can boost mask production and
reignite its SME growth engine through
trade

Small and medium-sized enterprises – SMEs – account for most businesses and employment in Asia
and the Pacific’s developing economies. Reigniting the region’s SME growth via trade will be key to
advancing inclusive economic recovery and resilience in the face of COVID-19 challenges.

In this podcast, Waseda University professor emeritus and ADBI visiting fellow, Shujiro Urata,
examines the importance of boosting SME trade for developing Asia and the Pacific at this juncture.
He describes opportunities and challenges to increasing SME engagement in cross-border
production and supply chains, also known as global supply chains, how SMEs could help to meet
demand for facial masks, and related policy keys moving forward.

The discussion draws upon his new book, Enhancing SME Participation in Global Value Chains:
Determinants, Challenges, and Policy Recommendations.

Asia’s Developing Future · How Asia can boost mask production and reignite its SME growth engine through trade

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Central Asia could be a model for advancing
SME trade and inclusive recovery

Like in other parts of Asia and the Pacific, small and medium-sized enterprises – SMEs – are the
engine of developing Central Asian economies. Igniting the sector’s trade growth potential will be
crucial to the region’s inclusive and sustainable COVID-19 recovery and development.

In this podcast, ADBI Vice Chair of Research, Peter Morgan, examines SME trade challenges in
Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation – CAREC – countries. He also describes the importance
of boosting the region’s SME participation in production and supply chains and measures for doing
so.

The discussion draws upon the new book, Leveraging SME Finance through Value Chains in CAREC
Landlocked Countries, which Morgan co-edited with Naoyuki Yoshino, Professor Emeritus at Keio
University and former Dean of ADBI.

Asia’s Developing Future · Central Asia could be a model for advancing SME trade and inclusive recovery

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MSME digitalization could be the ticket to a
speedy Asian recovery in 2021

Greater digitalization of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, or MSMEs, could be the ticket
to a speedy recovery of coronavirus shaken economies in Asia and the Pacific in 2021.

In this podcast, ADBI Dean and CEO, Tetsushi Sonobe, discusses the importance of digital
development for reviving growth among the region’s developing economies, related challenges and
signs of progress, and the road ahead.

He draws upon the findings of new ADBI survey research of MSMEs across Asia and the Pacific.

Asia’s Developing Future · MSME digitalization could be the ticket to a speedy Asian recovery in 2021

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The increasingly perilous act of balancing
Asia’s economies as digitalization accelerates

Macroeconomic management of the economy as digitalization accelerates during the COVID-19
crisis is a growing challenge for policy makers globally.

In this podcast, ADBI research fellow, John Beirne, discusses the increasing prominence of the
digital economy and digital finance and how continued digitalization will affect policies aimed at
managing Asia and the Pacific’s emerging market economies.

The discussion draws upon the new book, Macroeconomic Stabilization in the Digital Age, which
Beirne co-edited with David G. Fernandez of the Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics at
Singapore Management University.

The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development
Bank Institute (ADBI).

Asia’s Developing Future · The increasingly perilous act of balancing Asia’s economies as digitalization accelerates

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The G20’s think tank network is laying the
groundwork for evidence-based recovery
breakthroughs

The Think20, the think tank engagement group of the Group of 20, is hosted by Saudi Arabia in
2020. Under the T20, top experts have developed new evidence-based proposals to help G20 leaders
navigate COVID-19 challenges and advance sustainable and inclusive global recovery.

In this podcast, Asian Development Bank Institute Dean Tetsushi Sonobe discusses the policy
making environment amid the pandemic, the potential for breakthroughs, and T20 research to guide
policy innovation during Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency and beyond.

The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development
Bank Institute (ADBI).

Asia’s Developing Future · The G20’s think tank network is laying the groundwork for evidence-based recovery breakthroughs

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As pandemic bonds hit the market, what can
Asia do to ensure its green bond growth
potential?

As pandemic bonds hit the market, what can Asia do to ensure its green bond growth potential?

The green bond market in Asia and the Pacific has been shaken by the economic impacts of
COVID-19. Now competing with pandemic bonds, green bond issuance faces new challenges.

In this podcast, ADBI research fellow, Dina Azhgaliyeva, explains the rising importance of green
bonds for the region, the outlook for green bond issuance, and how policymakers can promote the
market’s post-pandemic growth.

The views in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development
Bank Institute (ADBI).

Asia’s Developing Future · As pandemic bonds hit the market, what can Asia do to ensure its green bond growth potential?

For more Interesting Contents and other Opportunities Visit and Follow/Like Us On
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