Issuu

20 13

ANNUAL

REPORT

World Bank Family Network

ANNUAL REPORT July 2012 – June 2013

THE TEAM EDITOR

Amy Chamberlain

ASSISTANT EDITOR Christinne A. Secrest

LAYOUT PHOTO EDITING GRAPHIC DESIGN Gilda Dadush

COVER TEMPLATE Rebeca Jimenez

PRINTING

World Bank Group Printing & Graphics

TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor’s Note

President’s Report

President Operations’ Report

Organizational Operations

Core Functions and Programs

Arrivals & Welcoming

Communications 44 Career & Networking

Members Abroad

Special Events

Social & Cultural Activities

Family Issues and Advocacy

WBFN Outreach Programs

101

The Book Project

102

Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund

103

Around the Office

107

The Year in Numbers

110

Salute to Volunteers

113

EDITORâ€™S NOTE It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a year at WBFN goes by. We spend the summer in a certain sense of calm, easing ourselves into our new phase and welcoming our new leaders. September arrives with a bang, bringing with it feverish activity and eagerness. Before we know it, winter has arrived and the office offers a warm and welcoming refuge. We welcome in the New Year feeling refreshed and energetic, and look forward to a lively Spring. Our annual May events provide us with the chance to happily celebrate the yearâ€™s achievements and to round things up before many of us disperse for tranquil summer vacations. Yet even more amazing is just how much can be crammed into one short year! It seems like only yesterday that Hada and Sandipa took the reins, diving into their duties with an enthusiasm and energy that remained throughout the entire year. And thank good-

ness it did! If there is one thing to take away from this Annual Report, it is a notion of how much was achieved this year under Hada and Sandipa’s leadership. Hopefully, this report reflects the quantity, quality and diversity of the numerous activities, events, programs and groups that have thrived over the past year, as well as the WBFN members that have made them happen. From the consolidation of the Career & Volunteering Professional Groups to the rollout of WBFN’s entirely new look, WBFN volunteers have applied their unique and varied talents to designing and implementing highly successful programs that respond to our members’ needs and interests. The content of this report is dazzling proof of their skill and dedication. And this year, these volunteers have truly been given their own voice in reporting on their activities. The guiding idea behind this report was to provide activity leaders with a space to report in their own unique words and styles about their activities of the past year. The result is a wonderfully rich and diverse “mosaic” of accounts, which I hope you will enjoy reading. A particularly special privilege of writing the Editor’s Note is being allowed to thank just about everyone before everyone else does! So, first, thank you to Hada and Sandipa for such an enjoyable and productive year. Second, to Catherine, our WBFN Coordinator, for her endless support, guidance, humor and knowledge. Third, to Christinne and Mimi, our Program Assistants, for so subtly keeping the office running (which is not a small job!!) and for knowing all the little things that no one else knows. Last, but certainly not least, to our members and volunteers who keep WBFN and the office thriving year after year. See their collective achievements here!

Amy Chamberlain Editor

2 PRESIDENT’S REPORT IN THE BEGINNING Forty-one years on, the simple idea that started this organization, “Extending a helping hand to newcomers”, is still relevant. It is still the core business of WBFN, except that this “helping hand” now has many extensions in addition to the original “Welcoming” one. Some of these new extensions are: a Knowledge Exchange platform; new “Members Abroad” Local Chapters in Country Offices (CO); new Professional Groups within Career & Volunteering; a new Marketing and Branding strategy; a new Communication System with a revamped website and last but not least, a Volunteer Coordinator to keep track of and match volunteers with the needs of the organization. At the heart of all this are the volunteers and their boundless generosity and willingness to put in the hours and the work to make it happen. The bedrock of the organization also rests on the shoulders of the WBFN Coordinator, Catherine Mathieu, and her team: Christinne Secrest, Mimi Besha, Amy Chamberlain and

Golnaz Badkoubi. Without them the office will come to a standstill! WBFN owes them a deep debt of gratitude. A huge “Thank You” from all the volunteers and especially myself, Sandipa and the whole Executive Committee.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS WBFN’s major achievement throughout the years and its continuing strength, is to empower its members to recreate a life for themselves and their families wherever they go. It is also to inspire its members to think outside the box, adopting the attitude that “impossible” does not exist in the lexicon: with diligence and hard work, we can find a solution and we can keep improving on it.

FY13 With this in mind, WBFN forged on, this Fiscal Year 2013, our forty-first year (!), to renew itself and our relationships with our members here and abroad, as well as with Bank management and Bank units with whom we do business. With this as a goal, we welcomed the new incoming World Bank Group (WBG) President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, his spouse, Dr. Younsook Lim, and their two young children. We also welcomed Dr. Brian Davey, HSD Director, and Dr. Stuart Fisher, Senior Bank Psychologist, with whom the responsibility for the Domestic Abuse Prevention Program now rests. We also welcomed Mr. Sanjeev Sahgal, Director of Shared Services, under which the Global Staff Mobility unit is nested. We reached out to the Staff Association and collaborated on spreading each other’s messages to our respective members. The Bank Fund Staff Federal Credit Union supported us in all our major events, and we collaborated closely with the IMF and IDB Family Associations. Moreover, The Executive Committee (EC) and the Representative Council (RC) forged a closer bond during the Fall working meeting of the two groups. Finally, the office configuration was changed to open up the whole space and make it more welcoming, full of light and carve out specific areas for individual work, group meetings and member socializing. To do that, the central block of computers dividing our space was moved against the far wall. This opened up the space and filled it with light streaming from our large windows. It allowed us to create a comfortable seating area in the middle of our space and created a large, continuous reception area stretching from our front doors to the far wall of

the office, making it an ideal space for office receptions and “open house” events.

MEMBER SURVEYS An informal survey of the EC members, conducted in July 2012, revealed that the main concerns of the EC were: to redirect WBFN’s energies to advocate more on behalf of its members; to form a more inclusive culture for our own members at HQ; and to reach out more to our global Bank communities in the field. Another, more formal survey—this time of the wider WBFN membership—done in December 2012 indicated three similar areas of concern: communications, advocacy and our members abroad. The EC is grateful to all the members who answered our survey. The respondents are of 85 different nationalities. Almost one in five is male. Two-thirds are between the ages of 34 and 53 years. Two-thirds have been working with the WBG only seven years or less. Almost 80% have children aged 15 years and above, and less than one-third have children aged 5 years and below. Ninety-six percent have at least a Bachelor degree or higher; 68% have a Masters degree or higher. Fifty-six percent were employed full-time and 15% part-time, prior to joining the WBG. After joining the WBG, only 19% found full-time employment, 16% part-time, and 27% are looking for employment. A quarter of our respondents are now volunteering, compared to only 8% prior to joining the Bank. A third said their careers were positively affected by their relocation to join the Bank; a quarter said their careers were negatively affected; and 45% said their careers were affected both positively and negatively by their move!—negatively by losing their respective jobs and positively by discovering other facets of their talents and finding different opportunities they may not have envisioned had they not become unemployed.

Concerns identified Our survey results highlighted three main areas of concern for our members: 1) WBFN’s name recognition and communications, 2) advocacy, and 3) reaching out to members abroad. Many of our newer members as well as a large number of WBG staff, mistakenly believe we are a Bank Department or Unit. They then attribute the activities and events organized by WBFN volunteers to “some” Bank entity responsible for organizing such events. WBFN’s name and communications are not immediately recognizable as ours, nor are they distinc-

tive. Another large number of our newer members, not knowing the history of WBFN, do not realize WBFN’s advocacy role in securing the many privileges spouses and partners enjoy today. Finally, our outreach to our overseas members needed revamping and we needed to let our members know of our efforts.

Solutions Reached 1- Branding, Marketing, and Communication The most startling conclusion of our survey was, as Simo Malinen, 2013 EC member, put it: “WBFN does a good job, and members expect even more. Sometimes members don’t seem to know the difference between WBFN and Global Staff Mobility, and think we fail in an area which is outside our scope.” Similarly, at the Children’s Holiday Party (CHP), participants often think it is a “Bank Unit” that organizes the event. The same occurs at the Annual Picnic and most of our seminars: the kudos go to an unknown “Bank Unit” instead of the volunteers of WBFN! To remedy the situation, an ambitious program of marketing, branding and redesigning our communication system was undertaken. Underpinning the reasoning behind this overhaul is the fact that WBFN must have a distinct look and start communicating with our members in the same way they communicate with each other: i.e. via the web through our website, Facebook, LinkedIn, our new Knowledge Exchange Platform and Twitter (still in the works down the line). Under the leadership of Gilda Dadush, Florinda D’Eugenio, Sandipa Basnyat and Shalu Advani, a large number of volunteers worked tirelessly to unify our “look” and streamline our communications system. The results are: Logo—The new, colorful logo is a wonderful expression of WBFN’s diversity, unity and reach around the world, all encompassed in one small image. As Saimir Nasi, the logo creator, said: “The people were always there in it, we just let them out!” This is a symbol of how our members come together to support and empower each other at WBFN HQ, in field offices, and in the communities beyond through our outreach programs: the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund and the WBFN Book Project. Mosaic—A new Mosaic cover is now printed in full color. Thanks to Rebeca Jiménez, who has redesigned all our publications, we have a unified look that has a template and

% of WBFN members

Present location*

Employment before/after joining the WBG*

Employment status

*Source: WBFN Member Survey, December 2012

“THE WBFN COMMUNITY: LET

THE NUMBERS DO THE TALKING!”

% of WBFN members

Level of education*

% of WBFN members

Highest education completed

Time associated with the WBG*

Number of years

a manual for everything we print, so that those who see any of our printed material will immediately recognize that this is coming from us: WBFN! Banners—WBFN now has two new, large, colorful banners, also designed by Rebeca. One is to use exclusively at the New Staff Orientation, to give staff an idea of who we are, what we do, and most importantly, to make clear that they need to register their spouse/partner so we can contact them. The second banner is exclusively for WBFN events. It reminds members and staff alike of the mission and vision of WBFN and the side benefits of belonging to the organization.

Posters, Flyers, Calendar and all Printed Material—Rebeca and Gilda also designed and implemented a unified look for all of WBFN’s other printed material and prepared a template and a guideline manual for all future publications. The aim behind all this effort is to unify our look and drive the message that, anytime one sees this particular “look”, it IS a WBFN event and not an unknown “Bank Unit” organizing the activity!

WBFN Website, @-a-glance, and Mosaicplus—Gilda Dadush, Wilson Magaya, Amy Chamberlain, Louise Shimizu, Shalu Advani and many more from their team are upgrading our website to look great and be user friendly. They are migrating the same look and colors as in our overall branding materials. They have extended that same “look” to @-a-glance, WBFN’s mid-monthly e-newsletter and Mosaicplus, our monthly online publication. Amy and the team also updated and upgraded the content of the website, making it easier to navigate and more relevant.

Facebook—Facebook got a facelift! The new mandate is not only to use the WBFN “look” on our Facebook page, but also to stay relevant, post new material, follow WBFN events, and become interactive with our members here and in Country Offices. It is one way to engage and involve our members both at HQ and abroad. LinkedIn—WBFN has created a LinkedIn page and group to start engaging our members and to provide them with networking and job search opportunities. Our plan is twofold: 1) to link this venue, as well as Facebook (now) and Twitter (down the line), with the Bank’s own Facebook and Twitter accounts to open up greater possibilities for our members seeking networking and engagement opportunities with Bank staff, and 2) to engage WBFN alumni around the world to share/post job opportunities for our members.

Twitter—WBFN’s Twitter plan is on the drawing board and in need of a framework and a dedicated volunteer or group of volunteers to tweet on behalf of WBFN and its members. WBFN is seeking interested, knowledgeable members able to take on such a task.

Knowledge Exchange Platform—Although this idea was not an offshoot of the results of the WBFN Member Survey, it is a crucial part of WBFN’s new communications strategy. The idea for the Knowledge Exchange came from the Career & Volunteering (C&V) Social Media, Marketing and IT Professional Group led by Cecilia Neher, Simo Malinen, Alain Cornet, and their team. It became a reality thanks to the support of Bruce Summers and other Bank staff involved in the Collaboration-for-Development platform, and opened to WBFN members in April 2013. This is a web platform where members post their needs and services, ideas and suggestions, and interact with each other virtually from anywhere in the world. Its key benefit is that it allows our members to communicate and interact with this community regardless of physical boundaries.

2 - Advocacy From the results of our Member Survey, it is apparent that while many know what advocacy is, too few know what WBFN has done in this regard. They do not realize the effect that WBFN’s work in this area has had on WBG staff rules, Bank regulations and HR services for the families. The very existence of WBFN is due to the “advocacy efforts” of a small group of spouses on behalf of the new incoming families of staff at the WBG HQ in Washington, DC. In 1969, this group of spouses argued successfully in favor of forming an “autonomous organization, semi-independent from the administration of the Bank and run by volunteers”, to welcome and support the families of new staff. That was the beginning of WBFN, and the rest is history! Since then, WBFN has worked to give spouses and partners a voice with Bank management. Some of the early results, taken for granted now, were: getting spouses Bank ID badges and gaining access to WBG premises; getting the Bank to join the IMF to lobby the Department of State for work permits for spouses with G4 dependent visas; and signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the WBG and WBFN. WBFN also lobbied for a Spouse/Partner Orientation Program (SOP) similar to the Staff Orientation Program for new staff, but geared towards spouses and partners. This has now been in existence for almost 10 years. Moreover, WBFN pushed to have a spouse/partner career support program offered by HR, which now exists as the “Jump Start your Job Search” workshop series managed by

Global Staff Mobility. Furthermore, WBFN has fought to change Bank rules in many areas including: providing staff benefit information to spouses without needing the staff’s express permission; the Bank’s voluntary acceptance of court orders from courts with legal jurisdiction from around the world; garnishing wages for spousal and child support in cases of divorce and recognizing the rights of divorced retirees’ spouses to pension benefits. Most importantly, WBFN has successfully lobbied the Bank to deal with domestic abuse (DA) issues in the Bank’s community by developing an educational program; bringing on board a DA Prevention Coordinator; and hiring a specialized service, the HUB, to help and support victims and coach survivors. This year, Ms. Caroline Anstey, WB Managing Director and Champion of the DA Prevention Program, launched a DA Prevention mobile and web app, developed at the Bank’s first ever Hackathon for DA, held by the Latin America and Caribbean region and supported by Sean McGrath, Human Resources Vice President. At his suggestion and with the backing of Ms. Anstey, a mobile version of the web app has been “pushed” to every Bank-issued handheld device and is downloadable from the WBG DA website. Ms. Anstey launched the web app at WBFN’s Annual Dinner in May 2013. WBFN continues to work with the WBG on issues of importance to spouses, partners and families. This year, the WBFN leadership reignited its relationships with the WBG Senior Management. The WBFN Presidents instituted quarterly meetings with the HR Vice President and HR Shared Services Director, and met with the Bank’s Managing Director Caroline Anstey, IFC HR Director Eva Mennel-Hartung, Chief Legal Counselor David Rivero, Health Services Department Director Brian Davey, General Services Department Director T.V. Somanathan, and other key staff and units important to the wellbeing of WBG families. Moreover, as a result of our lobbying, President Kim was the keynote speaker at this year’s Annual Dinner and announced that his spouse, Dr. Younsook Lim, would be the WBFN’s Honorary President. She is warmly welcomed. Interestingly, quotes from the Member-wide Survey on the advocacy subject range from:

“I don’t think you advocate at all” or [WBFN does]“Nothing worthy of note.” .. to: “WBFN has been actively advocating for spouses particularly in divorce cases. They have been very successful in this area and efforts to advocate have resulted in Bank

policy changes in favor of spouses.”

“Generally WBFN makes WBG management aware of concerns.” “Addresses essentials, e.g. provides crisis contact numbers and counseling help. Get

support for divorcee…. even make management make provision to help divorcing spouse… this liaison with WBG management is one of your most important functions. Thanks very much!!!” And best of all the advocacy quotes, are the following:

“Taking up individual concerns as family issues as soon as they come in, nothing can beat this.” “You support us to look for solutions for issues that we ask you.” “ I have not found another ‘spouse group’ or organization as dedicated and welcoming as WBFN. ” 3 - Members Abroad Nothing is more disconcerting to a family than disrupting their routine and uprooting themselves to relocate to another country. The WBG has been sending staff and their families overseas since the beginning. This year it has stepped up its decentralization program, referring to it as the “Global Footprint” of the Bank in its fight to “eliminate world poverty and boost shared prosperity.” WBFN has always been keenly aware of the “added on” hardships suffered by spouses, partners and children when they are posted overseas after having been uprooted once before to join the Bank. Since the beginning, WBFN has strived to help in this area. In 1985, the first WBFN Overseas Briefing Book was prepared and a team formed to brief outgoing families and debrief incoming ones. The main objective in supporting our members abroad is to minimize the heartaches families experience due to relocations exemplified by the following quote from our survey: “Alert spouses to the realities of their relocation before they go … persuade the Bank that the success of an overseas posting rests with a happy spouse and children.”

Today, WBFN has overseas members that organize, with the support of our office at HQ, to form welcoming communities and/or local WBFN chapters in Country Offices. Currently, WBFN is proud to be in contact with at least one person who is ready to welcome, inform and assist incoming WBG families in over 40 countries. The goal is to reach 80 representatives in 80 Country Offices within the next fiscal year! WBFN is working very closely with the Bank and the IFC Mobility Teams to keep abreast of all our members’ locations and their contact information, and to be able to assist them in forming WBFN chapters to welcome and support incoming and outgoing families as WBFN HQ has been in Washington, DC doing over the years.

CONCLUSION I would like to quote three more responses from the Member Survey we conducted this year. They describe what WBFN means to and does for its members:

“WBFN creates a platform for new people to get to know others in similar situations and encourage them to participate and use their inherent skill levels for the betterment of WB families.” “I think it is amazing how much is offered through the WBFN.” “The activities I have had the opportunity to attend were well crafted for an expatriate and specially for those who feel they are alone, there is so much help and people willing to offer their support. It is a great way to help the transition to a new culture. Thank you.” Deep gratitude and many thanks are due to each and every one who has participated in any way, shape or form to make all these programs and activities happen and to make this year a very successful one indeed!!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Personally, I would like to thank Sandipa and the EC as a whole and as individuals for their solidarity, cooperation and most of all for their dedication and commitment to WBFN’s

mission and vision. I greatly appreciate the enormous amount of work EC members and RC team leaders have put into making this year a great success and a wonderful experience for me personally and for all those who joined WBFN’s programs and activities. Without your generosity and dedication WBFN would not be the wonderful organization it is. Thank you! Most of all, I would like to thank each and every volunteer who has pitched in with all WBFN events. You came forward to spend many hours planning, organizing, decorating and running the events; then staying afterward to dismantle, pack, store and put some order in the premises before leaving. A huge “THANK YOU” to each and every one who helped. Last but not least, both Sandipa and I would like to express our deep appreciation to Sean McGrath for his welcoming “open door” policy toward WBFN and his willingness to listen to and discuss our concerns candidly. We are also grateful for his stated recognition of all the work WBFN undertakes on behalf of the families and his willingness to support WBFN’s new initiatives whenever resources are available. Thank You Sean! As Chairperson of the Spouse Issues Committee (SPIC), I would like to express my deep gratitude to Fons Marcelis who took on the responsibilities of the Bank’s DA Prevention Program and managed it for years alongside the many duties of his own regular position. Special thanks to Fons are also in order for his generosity in providing the resources for much needed administrative support to the program and discreetly providing help for victims. He championed the program when no one else would “touch it with a 10-foot pole”. Thank you Fons! Many thanks and much gratitude go to Ms. Caroline Anstey, WB Managing Director, who championed the DA program and made it clear that such behavior is unacceptable in the WBG community. I am especially grateful to Ms. Anstey for making a special effort, despite her travel plans, to launch the DA app at the WBFN Annual Dinner. We wish Ms. Anstey continued success in her future endeavors. Her candor and courage will be greatly missed.

Hada Zaidan President, June 2013

3 PRESIDENT OPERATIONSâ€™ REPORT In FY13, the first goal was to understand and enhance the team dynamics of the WBFN volunteers. WBFN runs on the spirit of volunteerism, so in order to understand its internal customersâ€™ needs, the enhancement of operational excellence was the key objective of the year. The following steps were taken to ensure operational excellence

NEW LEADERSHIP MODEL This year WBFN piloted the change in the leadership model of having two Presidents. This change had its challenges but it worked well from the beginning, as the Presidents were clear

about the vision of WBFN and the roles each had to undertake. There were lots of overlaps of responsibilities so both the Presidents worked together by respecting each other’s differences and complemented each other in their shortfalls. So the key for this model to succeed is the flexibility and adaptability of the Presidents to work with each other. Due to this understanding and cooperation between the Presidents this year, the WBFN team was able to perform its level best.

BRAINSTORMING WITH THE EC The Presidents started the first Executive Committee meeting by initiating a brainstorming session on the mission of WBFN and how each member of the EC perceives the importance of its role. After a long discussion all of the EC members came to the conclusion that, as of today, even with the changing demographics of its members, WBFN’s three pillars are still the same, to Welcome, Educate and Advocate. All agreed to strengthen and serve our internal customers by focusing on these three pillars throughout the year. Every program and activity was planned or revised, taking into consideration these three pillars of WBFN.

REALIGNMENT OF EC ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES The Presidents realigned the roles and responsibilities of the EC to establish better communication and close working relationships with the Representative Council (RC). We empowered the EC in decision making and coordinating activities with the different team leads. The realigned organizational structure assigned each EC member with the responsibility to lead their specific events and programs and also the role of liaising with specific sub-teams of WBFN to enhance communication and serve our members better. This greater accountability of EC members did help in WBFN’s information flow and operational excellence.

TEAM DYNAMICS Another main objective of the year for the Presidents and the EC was to work as a team to drive the results they envisioned. So to understand and enhance team dynamics, a performance management expert, Ms. Pernille Borregaard Sorensen from the Central Bank of Denmark, who was on a development assignment at the World Bank, was invited to hold a

session with WBFNâ€™s EC and RC. As a certified Enneagram personality test coach, Pernille conducted an Enneagram workshop for the EC and RC. The Enneagram is a personality test theory and a tool for personal as well as team development. The purpose of this workshop at WBFN was to offer the volunteers insights into their own personality types and to learn about the other team membersâ€™ types. The EC and RC members took the personality tests. The results contributed to a greater team work and cooperation between the volunteers and across WBFN, and to fulfilling one of the team dynamics objectives. It was very helpful for the volunteers throughout the year to understand their counterparts and to gel as a team.

CREATION OF VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR ROLE WBFN is a unique organization run by volunteers for volunteers. The recruitment and retention of volunteers has been a challenge over the years due to the lack of a centralized point of coordination. Also over the years, WBFN services have expanded and the changing demographics of the spouses and partners have made volunteering a better option for spouses and partners seeking a career transition. So, in order to manage the supply and demand of volunteers there was a need for a sustainable and reliable structure within the operation of WBFN. The concept of creating a Volunteer Coordinator role was therefore initiated with the aim of having a person who could focus on planning and implementing a smooth process for matching vacancies at WBFN with the interests and skills of the existing volunteer pool and those of the influx of new, potentially interested members. The Volunteer Coordinator is part of the Welcoming Team, and she began by reaching out to volunteers who had expressed an interest in volunteering by matching them with the present needs of the various WBFN teams. The Welcoming Team designed the necessary tools, such as a new volunteer intake form, a volunteer orientation program, a new internal communication structure with different team leads to facilitate the process, and a vast database of volunteers, listing their skills and interests. Thank you to Florinda, our Welcoming Chair, and Catherine Mathieu, our WBFN Coordinator, who put tremendous effort into conceptualizing and operationalizing the role. Thanks also go to Elena, Amber, and Helle for creating the job description for the role. A big thank you goes to Jane Sui, who is our first Volunteer Coordinator. Jane took the reins of the position and made the operation seamless.

BUSINESS INCUBATOR This year, the Business Incubator group was thought up by Baptiste Tripard and Isabelle Moullier to serve the growing entrepreneurial community at WBFN and to give members the experience of learning through mutual support. WBFN-BI is a group of spouses and partners of the WBG, IMF and IDB who, together with the help of WBFN, hope to organize a space and technical support to help burgeoning entrepreneurs in the WBFN community envision, plan, and launch their respective businesses. The main objectives of this group will be to foster the creation and development of start-up businesses by WBG/IMF/IDB spouses and partners and also to educate participants about the process of new business development in order to improve their potential for future entrepreneurial success.

REVISION OF SPOUSE/PARTNER ORIENTATION This year WBFN evaluated the current Spouse/Partner Orientation Program (SOP) to ensure that the program was fulfilling the purpose of informing and educating spouses/partners as the WBFN member demographics continue to evolve. Ten years after its inception, the SOP was in dire need of evaluation, and these efforts revamped the program with relevant and up-to-date information. WBFN’s Welcoming Team invited all of the 10 SOP presenters from different WBG units—the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Staff Benefits, US Visa Program/Driver’s License, Global Staff Mobility, Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union, Family Issues & COPE, Domestic Abuse Prevention Program, Corporate Security, Orientation Team, Office of Ethics and Business Conduct, and the Health Services Department—to have one-on-one meetings with the Welcoming Team to ensure that the information provided by the individual units is relevant to spouse and partner needs. WBFN also called attention to a few issues that required immediate action on the part of the respective units: 1 Quality of speakers Given that most of the SOP attendees are non-native English speak-

ers, WBFN requested that the respective units send presenters who are able to understand the diversity of the attendees and provide information with clarity.

2 Agenda After evaluating the changing needs of the new spouse/partner demographics,

WBFN also suggested that the Bank units customize the program agenda and their presentations to the needs of the spouses/partners.

3 Standard Operating Procedure for SOP event. WBFN worked closely with the WBG

Orientation Team to develop a Standard Operating Procedure for the SOP in order to maintain the consistency of the program throughout the year.

We want to thank the above-mentioned units for their receptiveness and flexibility in modifying their presentations as per WBFNâ€™s request. We also want to thank the WBG Orientation Team headed by Alejandro Yepes, Ghislaine Baghdadi, Irma Firbida, and Nathalie Bakoariniaina for their support, as well as Lara Koroye from IFC for coordinating these events for WBFN five times a year.

CREATION OF STANDARD OPERATING MANUAL This year, to ensure the consistency of its programs, WBFN initiated the process of creating a Standard Operating Manual (SOM) for its annual and repeating programs and activities. This will also provide new, incoming members and volunteers with the guidelines and necessary information to plan any activity with confidence. This SOM will also be an important tool in maintaining the organizationâ€™s institutional memory, as it will provide new volunteers with insights about WBFN programs and activities, without the need to reinvent the wheel. None of this would have been possible without the army of WBFN volunteers or the support and patience of WBFN staff Catherine, Amy, Goly, Christinne and Mimi. Thank you.

Sandipa Thapa Basnyat President Operations, June 2013

Brainstorming

Presenting the new wbfn design line

Business Incubator

New Spouse/Partner Orientation

Welcoming New Members

ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONS

Strategizing, planning, collaboratingâ€Ś

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The WBFN Executive Committee (EC) is the elected governing body of the organization. It is made up of the President, President Operations, Secretary, and Nominating Chair, who are the officers of WBFN, and not fewer than five nor more than eight additional members. The officers are elected to serve different term lengths as prescribed by the WBFN Bylaws. The members serve terms of three years, renewable once. The EC meets at least once a month and may convene more often depending on the workload and the discretion of the Presidents. Its main function is to set the strategic agenda of the organization and guide it to serve the needs of the members. Each EC member has specific duties and responsibilities, including liaising with and supporting all the team leaders responsible for the many monthly programs and activities that WBFN organizes regularly. In addition, depending on the strategic agenda of the year, members may be tasked with additional work and responsibilities according to their particular talents and passions. WBFN’s expertise is family support in all its facets: from welcoming newcomers, providing a “buddy system” and socializing opportunities, to offering educational programs and advocacy systems to empower our members. It is the function of the EC to detect changes in the Bank community’s demographics and needs, and formulate programs to respond to these needs. The strategic agenda of this fiscal year (FY13) has been one of renewal and rejuvenation and is discussed in the Presidents’ reports.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE This year, the Nominating Committee (NC) members were El Batoule Alaoui (Chair), Philippe Futa, and Giselle Youmbi. The NC worked on a review of its guidelines, and on the identification and selection of candidates to fill vacant positions on the EC for this fiscal year, as well as the preparation of the FY14 slate of candidates.

NC GUIDELINES The activities of the NC are governed by its guidelines. In order to bring these guidelines into accordance with the WBFN Bylaws that were revised last year, the draft of the NC guidelines was reviewed, amended, and approved. In their new format, the guidelines are more concise. In terms of their content, they conform more closely to the new leadership model outlined last year. Some of the changes in the guidelines relate to the way candidates are presented to the EC. The NC no longer pre-selects the slate of candidates to be presented to the EC for approval. In the new version of the guidelines, which have been approved by the EC, the NC presents a wider selection of potential candidates to the EC, who then select from among these candidates to make up the slate to be presented to the WBFN membership for approval.

Nominating Committee: Choosing the Right Leadership

FILLING VACANT NC & EC POSITIONS The purpose of the NC is to propose eligible candidates for any vacancy on the EC or NC for consideration by the EC. This year, the NC identified, screened, and selected candidates for vacancies on the EC and the NC as they came up during the year. During the months of November and December 2012, the NC identified and selected candidates for two positions on the EC and one position on the NC. The NC also selected and presented candidates for the vacant positions on the EC and NC for the next fiscal year (FY14).

REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

Recognizing our Volunteers The WBFN Representative Council (RC), first formed in 1986, is made up of all the volunteer team leaders of the various programs and activities offered by WBFN. The RC members are either the originators of the particular program or activity they lead, or are selected by the group members to lead that group. They communicate with the EC through the EC member to whom they are accountable.

It is the EC member’s responsibility to contact them as soon as the new EC is installed and the members are assigned their duties. The RC team leader is responsible for providing their EC counterpart with a monthly report detailing their activity for that period. The responsible EC member then transmits this report to the whole EC. Also, each RC member is expected to submit an annual report by the end of May to be published in the WBFN Annual Report for that year. The RC meets with the EC twice yearly. The fall meeting is a work-related meeting; often it includes training of some sort, such as leadership training or learning different communication skills. It is also an opportunity to get to know the EC members as well as the specific member to whom they are accountable. This year’s fall meeting was a training session: an “Enneagram Workshop” conducted by a performance management expert, Ms. Pernille Borregaard Sorensen from the Central Bank of Denmark. The purpose of this workshop was twofold: to offer the volunteers an insight into their own personality types and to show how the different types relate to each other. The spring meeting is a time for celebration: it is the opportunity for the EC to thank the RC members for all their hard work throughout the year. This year, WBFN thanked both RC and EC members with a lunch cruise on the Potomac.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING On May 9, 2013, over 43 WBFN members and supporters came together to attend WBFN’s Annual Membership Meeting. Each year, the Annual Membership Meeting serves as a forum to inform members of the scope of the work that WBFN does during the course of the fiscal year, discuss plans for the organization’s future, and vote on the proposed slate for the incoming Executive and Nominating Committees (EC and NC). WBFN’s Presidents Hada Zaidan and Sandipa Thapa Basnyat began the morning’s events by welcoming everyone in attendance and sharing some of the highlights of the EC’s activities during FY 2013. For example, the EC realigned its roles and responsibilities in order to establish stronger relationships and communication with projects and programs. Additionally, a volunteer coordinator position was created to connect members’ interests and experience with existing opportunities to volunteer at WBFN. WBFN also conducted a member survey to evaluate existing programs and identify gaps in services. The survey was then used to shape both WBFN’s Strategic Agenda and the ensuing Operational Development Plan which was submitted to Sean McGrath, Vice President

of Human Resources. The major focus of the Strategic Agenda this year was on three areas: Members Abroad and better communications with all our members, Spouse/Partner Career Support, and Domestic Abuse (see the individual reports below). The Presidents’ big announcement of the morning was that Dr. Younsook Lim, spouse of World Bank Group President Jim Kim, had agreed to be WBFN’s Honorary President, and that President Kim would be the keynote speaker at WBFN’s Annual Dinner. Following the Presidents’ comments, several new initiatives were presented to the members. The first was WBFN’s new logo as presented by the Branding and Marketing Committee and adopted by the EC as well as a new unified look for all of WBFN’s communications, conventional and virtual: Mosaic, Mosaicplus, the banners, the website, Facebook page and all our printed matter. Another endeavor discussed was the Knowledge Exchange Platform, which virtually recreates WBFN’s community. The final new project that was presented was the Business Incubator, which will support WBFN members in their endeavors to start their own businesses. In addition to learning about WBFN’s new projects, attendees heard about the scope of WBFN’s ongoing work on existing programs, such as Members Abroad, the Teen Summer Program, C&V, Men @ WBFN, and English classes. The meeting concluded with the unanimous approval of the proposed slate of candidates for the incoming EC and NC. WBFN’s new leadership will consist of El Batoule Alaoui as WBFN President and Shalu Advani as WBFN President Operations.

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN In December 2012 WBFN surveyed its members worldwide. The results indicated that WBFN members are most interested in and/or concerned about: 1 The need for more support and services for families at Country Offices—Members Abroad 2 The need for enhanced spouse/partner career support at the Bank 3 Advocacy on domestic abuse issues at HQ and Country Offices—DA Prevention 4 The need for branding and better communication with our members—(discussed in Presi-

dent’s Report)

These results guided the development of a Strategic Agenda for WBFN for FY13: the resulting “business plan” entitled the Operational Development Plan (ODP). The ODP team worked diligently for months gathering data, doing intensive research and brainstorming in order to approach HR, outlining the needs identified and the additional resources required. The ODP was presented to the HR Vice President, Mr. Sean McGrath, for review and negotiation in May 2013, and mentioned to WBG President Kim at the WBFN Annual Dinner. The document contained the following proposals relating to four key issues that WBFN wants to approach in the coming year.

1. MEMBERS ABROAD & COMMUNICATION

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KENYA

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As the Bank is expanding its global footprint at an accelerated rate, the number of WBFN members located overseas is also growing at a significant rate, from 13% six years ago to 33% in FY13. According to relocation industry research, 62% of failed assignments are due to the spouse/family’s inability to adjust to their new environment. Thus supporting families on extended assignments has become an important “business imperative” for the Bank, whereas, for WBFN, it had always been an area of endeavor for many years, and continues to be, hence the concerted effort to increase resources and support to the Members Abroad Team. However, supporting volunteers and members in Country Offices and at HQ and maintaining regular contact and interactive communication, requires dedicated focus and time. WBFN therefore has requested funding for a consultant to manage and maintain effective communications with members abroad through a number of social media accounts, as well as to provide members at Country Offices with informational resources and guidance prepared by WBFN HQ to assist in the establishment of local WBFN chapters.

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2. WBGâ€™S SPOUSE/PARTNER CAREER SUPPORT The changing demographics and dynamics of the Bank have led to the creation of more shortterm and globally mobile positions, resulting in greater career upheaval for trailing spouses and partners. According to our member survey, prior to relocation with the Bank, 56% of respondents were in full-time employment, but only 19% found employment once relocated, and 27% are still looking for a job. Over the years, Global Staff Mobility (HRSGM) has provided basic but valuable career support to incoming spouses/partners in DC. Lately, these services have been reduced to a minimum. WBFN has augmented the HRSGM services by providing a community in which spouses and partners can find volunteer work experiences at WBFN and networking opportunities through its more recent Career & Volunteering Program. Based on the above, WBFN has proposed that the WBG support this effort in the following ways: Increase the frequency of HRSGM career-related workshops.

Develop online and CD-ROM-based career training for members at Country Offices.

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Employ at least one full-time career specialist.

Promote the development of a recruitment culture in which hiring managers view WBG spouses and partners as valuable resources when seeking candidates for WBG consultancies.

3. WBG’S DOMESTIC ABUSE PREVENTION While the Bank’s efforts to combat domestic abuse (DA) are generating results, in recent years, more couples have been seeking support from the HUB service, and in particular, more men have been requesting help. Also, in recent years, more female staff as opposed to spouses/ partners have been seeking support from the DA Prevention Coordinator and HUB services. All this coincides with the Bank’s increased hiring and relocating of female staff. This creates changes in family dynamics that can negatively impact the whole family and especially children. WBFN is researching this situation in conjunction with COPE, Inc. and the HUB and is looking into ways to provide needed help and support for the whole family.

Our newly renovated office space is already too small!

WBFN therefore proposed the following interventions to strengthen the Bankâ€™s response to the problem of DA, while continuing to play an important supportive role: An increased budget to create a full-time position for the DA Prevention Coordinator and allow for the hiring of administrative staff. [As of the printing date of this report, the Coordinatorâ€™s position has become a staff position!]

Mandatory training for managers, Human Resources Officers (HROs), Respectful Workplace Advisors, Country Office medical staff, and Health Services Department (HSD) clinical staff to increase awareness of DA issues and sensitivity towards victims.

An increase in resources for the COPE/HUB program to better service the Bank community.

Program an update of the WBG DA report (last researched and published in 2001) to research and remedy certain institutional policy inequities.

A specialized coaching program to engage male spouses and partners.

4. WBFN’S PHYSICAL OFFICE SPACE The WBG provides WBFN with a small office suite. Given the expansion of the MMMF— also housed in the WBFN suite—into another region, the sharing of one office by the WBFN President and President Operations, the need for a private space for SPI Committee matters, and the ever-increasing numbers of active volunteers and groups, WBFN’s small space allocation is becoming increasingly problematic. WBFN proposed that by incorporating two more small offices into the suite—those located directly outside the current doors—volunteers and staff alike will be better able to conduct their activities. The WBFN Presidents will have a follow up meeting with the HR Vice President and the Director of HR at IFC to further discuss and negotiate the ODP. The ODP would not have been possible without the vision of the Presidents, extensive research by Wenna Price, thorough analysis by Catherine Mathieu, efforts by Johannes Tonn and Amy Chamberlain’s time and efforts to compile and edit the data. Thank you ODP team for being able to put the concerns of WBFN members into action plans and to submit the proposal on time. We are hopeful that we will get good news soon.

CORE FUNCTIONS AND PROGRAMS

We welcome; we support; we inform…

ARRIVALS & WELCOMING

Welcoming Coffee a Wealth of Information

WELCOMING NEWCOMERS Every year, many families from around the world arrive in the DC Metro area as part of the WBG hiring process. WBFN is committed to reaching spouses/partners and their families to welcome them and introduce them to their new environment. There are many ways to do so. This year, 373 new DC-based members from 90 different countries registered with WBFN. Twenty-eight percent of these registered as a result of contact made at the New Staff Orienta-

tion. Every two weeks, WBFN volunteers give a brief introduction to new WBG staff at the Orientation and explain WBFN’s role and how we can help with the challenging process of relocation, and encourage staff to register their spouses/partners with us. Another 30% of this year’s new members registered via the WBFN website, and the remaining 42% registered through other methods such as walk-in, fax, and email. In the early days of WBFN, members were all women. This has changed a lot over the years. In FY13, 65% were female and 35% were male. Particularly interesting was August 2012, when 50% of newly registered members were male. Another challenge implicit to welcoming newcomers is language: 17% of FY13’s newcomers do not speak English. Part of WBFN’s role is to connect these people with other members who speak their language. As usual, every new member with a valid email address received an email with the password for the WBFN website and a Welcoming Kit—a document with information about health care, housing, child care, obtaining a driver’s license, education, etc.

WELCOMING EVENTS Welcoming Coffee and Information Session Offered every month is the Welcoming Coffee, a key step and first pillar for newcomers. During these informal gatherings, WBFN volunteers share useful information about relocating to the DC Metro area. Speakers from WBFN, Global Staff Mobility and the Family Consultation Service offer brief introductions and answer questions relating to newcomers’ needs. Above and beyond providing useful information, these sessions offer a good opportunity to meet new people and share experiences with other new members in similar situations, while also getting to know the WBFN office. Seventy-four new members attended Welcoming Coffees in FY13.

Spouse/Partner Orientation Program The Spouse/Partner Orientation Program (SOP) is a one-day orientation program held five times a year. It is considered the second pillar of the Welcoming efforts.

During this program, WBFN, the WB and the IFC present to the participants, introducing the history and work culture of the WBG. The SOP also gives an overview of the benefits for G4 staff and families from the perspective of the spouse/partner, including US visa issues, driverâ€™s licenses, work permits, US taxes, health services and insurance, wills, and retirement benefits. Staff members from Global Staff Mobility, Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union, and the WBG Ethics Department also give an introduction to their services. A total of 76 newcomers attended the SOP program in FY13.

Surviving Culture Shock This program is the third pillar of Welcoming. It was developed and is led by professional facilitators in order to discuss the challenges of relocation and their psychological effects. Twenty-five newcomers attended during FY13.

Get-Togethers Held every month at the home of one of our members, this is an informal and social gathering providing the opportunity to meet other WBFN members, new and â€œoldâ€?. More than 95 newcomers and established members enjoyed Get-Togethers this year.

CALL CENTER The Welcoming Call Center is a critical service for newcomers during the early days after their arrival. Volunteers make phone calls to newcomers to offer them a warm welcome, invite them to join WBFN, and especially to listen to their needs and help them. This is one of the first points of contact where we let newcomers know that they are not alone and that the difficulties of the relocation process will pass sooner or later. This is not a simple task. Volunteers work arduously, sending emails and often making several phone calls in order to reach each new member. During FY13, 41% of newcomers were contacted during the first three months after their arrival. An important role of the Call Center is to break frontiers and barriers by calling new members and speaking their own native language if desired or necessary. Some languages spoken

with newcomers this year were English, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Portuguese.

BUDDY SYSTEM Sometimes, newcomers are looking for something more specific or familiar. We can assign a buddy if she/he wants to communicate in their own language, wants to contact someone from their own country or someone who lives in the same area, wants some advice, or all of the above. In FY13, 6 newcomers requested a buddy.

MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM In FY13, the Welcoming Team began using the WBFN Membership Management System (MMS) to develop Welcoming indicators in key areas. The idea is to help improve productivity, set targets, identify areas for improvement and formulate strategies to achieve WBFN Welcoming objectives. The use of the MMS will be developed in four phases. In the first phase, in order to better understand the Welcoming processes we need measurements: we are designing workflows to identify environments, resources, key steps, and clients for each of the Welcoming activities. So far, workflows have been prepared for Welcoming Coffees, the Call Center, the Buddy System, and Get-Togethers. In the second phase, once the workflows have been checked, the next challenge will be to identify the measurement objectives. This will also help us redesign processes in order to optimize resources and improve performance. The third phase relates to data collection and storage. This phase will provide a good opportunity to explore different types of measurements, depending on our specific needs. The fourth phase will involve producing reports on the measurements and analyzing the data collected in order to improve how certain WBFN areas work. For example, the Call Center is currently serving as the pilot activity being measured using the MMS, and it has been valuable to measure indicators that help us make important decisions about how we can be more productive and efficient in the way we call and welcome newcomers in the DC Metro area.

VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT PROGRAM This year, the Welcoming Team worked to improve the way volunteers are recruited and engaged at WBFN. The aim of the pilot Volunteer Placement Program was to make the recruiting process more efficient and professional. To begin with, a Volunteer Coordinator, Jane Sui, was recruited to overhaul the whole volunteer recruitment, registration and job assignment process under the leadership and guidance of Karen Manzanilla, the Welcoming Chair. A new registration form was created, which made it simpler for new volunteers to indicate their skills, experience, and preferences, while also making WBFN’s volunteering needs clearer. This form allows the Volunteer Coordinator to match volunteers to tasks and WBFN needs that fit the volunteers’ abilities more accurately across the various areas of WBFN. In addition, under this pilot program, potential volunteers are encouraged to attend an orientation session so they can meet team leaders and assess where they might best be placed. These sessions also aim to establish the mutual commitment necessary between WBFN and the volunteer, ensuring that volunteers understand the career benefits of volunteering as well as the importance of their collaboration in continuing WBFN’s activities. The Welcoming Team also aims to provide training sessions (for example, on how to use the Membership Management System) to ensure that new volunteers can integrate into existing teams easily. Between March and April 2013, 72 new volunteers registered, trained and integrated where needed. Potential volunteers continue to arrive at WBFN all the time.

COMMUNICATIONS MARKETING/BRANDING WBFN has always been aware of the importance of utilizing a communication strategy that not only effectively serves the needs of its member community, but that also instantly resonates with WBFN members and WBG staff members alike. Given the volunteer nature of our organization, it has often been a challenge to maintain consistency in our communications: with new volunteers come new ideas, new styles, and new concepts. While this diver-

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Logo, Posters, Flyers, Banners, Mosaic, Epublications, —WBFN has a new look

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Games, crafts, face painting, magic…and more! Saturday, December 7, 2013; 2:00pm to 4:30pm

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Understand your WBG benefits, rights and privileges Discover the work of the WBG and join the community of WBG spouses and partners

Choose a date…

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September 19, 2013 November 21, 2013 January 30, 2014 March 27, 2014 May 22, 2014 Time 9:30am - 3:00pm

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sity and fluidity is what keeps our organization dynamic and relevant, WBFN recognizes the importance of establishing a consistent and recognizable “brand” or visual identity for itself and all of its communication materials. Therefore, the strategy this year has been to create a framework under which volunteer writers and designers can still express themselves in unique ways while maintaining the “brand” and essence of WBFN in the message. As such, it was a huge undertaking that frequently faced obstacles such as limited volunteer time and keeping up with technological developments, not to mention the perceived conflict inherent in associating volunteer work with the concept of “branding” and its concomitant corporate connotations. But with WBFN’s Presidents, Hada Zaidan and Sandipa Basnyat fully behind the project, together with the energy of some newly arrived WBFN volunteers, the vision slowly started to become reality. At the beginning of FY13, an inspiring team of professional, enthusiastic and talented WBFN volunteers, guided by Gilda Dadush, came together as the Marketing and Branding Team and began the long process of identifying needs, possibilities and limitations. Consisting of experts in marketing analysis, content management, graphic design, media creation/ post-production, social media, and content writing/editing, the multinational team covered all the bases of a marketing/branding strategy. The starting point? A new logo for WBFN. The organization aimed for a new image that would visualize the key concepts behind WBFN in a contemporary, dynamic way. Volunteer Saimir Nasi expertly designed the resulting logo. It ingeniously captures the global, diverse, and welcoming nature of WBFN and our links with the WBG. Once endorsed by the EC, the logo inspired the creation of design templates for all of WBFN’s printed, electronic and online materials, together with detailed guidelines for its use, developed by volunteer Rebeca Jiménez. For example, WBFN event posters are now designed based on a basic template that includes a standard footer and guidelines for fonts, colors, etc. The monthly e-newsletter, @-aglance, has a completely new and exciting look, including new colors and new icons. Mosaic features the new logo proudly on its cover page, together with a photograph or picture in full color every month—a first for Mosaic! Of course, the foundation of WBFN’s communications, the website, will also exhibit this “new look”. Although still in progress, an extraordinary amount of work went into the website this year, with content being revamped and design templates for each page being pored over meticulously. Members will be able to see the fruits of this labor in FY14. Finally, all of WBFN’s more ad hoc communications, such as PowerPoint presentation slides, official letters, and brochures have all been rebranded and are already in circulation.

The beauty of these templates and guidelines is that they leave room for individual creativity while maintaining WBFN’s new look. Equally important, with these templates, the workload of both volunteers and office staff is significantly eased. Reinventing the wheel has given way to adapting it! After months of serious volunteer dedication, countless meetings, unimaginable hours of work (often in the evenings, early mornings and at weekends, fitted in around full-time jobs), WBFN began rolling out its new look in April 2013, officially launched it at the May 9th Annual Membership Meeting, and again celebrated it at the Annual Dinner, May 15th.

MOSAIC WBFN sends out a monthly newsletter, Mosaic, to over 5,000 members. Mosaic contains a mix of useful information and entertaining articles. Through Mosaic, readers are made aware of WBFN activities and readers from WBFN chapters the world over share their experiences and stories. Ten issues of Mosaic are published every year between September and June. In late 2012, Amy Chamberlain stepped down as Editor and Deepika Davidar took on the role. As always, Mosaic continues to benefit from a dedicated team of volunteer writers based in WBFN chapters all over the world who constantly send in exciting story ideas. Mosaic covers this year have been vibrant, full-color works of art created by professional artists and designers who willingly volunteer their time and talent for WBFN. And as always, our office staff has been the backbone of Mosaic. This year, the Mosaic Team decided to revive the Mosaic Writing Competition and the November issue announced the opening of the 2012 competition, “In Your Words”. The Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union sponsored the prizes (amazon.com gift cards) in four age categories and the results were announced in the March 2013 issue. As more groups formed under the WBFN umbrella this year, Mosaic continued to be the platform by which groups become popularized. Reader-relevant columns such as the Financial Corner were introduced and well received. Going forward, Mosaic will continue to innovate and respond to members to ensure a magazine that engages every reader.

KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE Project begins In the Spring of 2012 a group of WBFN members from the Social Media Professional Group of the Career & Volunteering Program came up with the idea that it would be useful to create an online place where WBFN members could safely come to communicate and share experiences and advice. That is, where they could exchange knowledge. After a series of presentations and discussions with the WBFN Coordinator and Executive Committee, Alain Cornet, Cecilia Neher, Simo Malinen and Pedro Saa set to work and developed the idea. When they started looking for suitable technological platforms to host this community, they discovered that the Bank was testing pilot communities in their knowledge-sharing platform Collaboration 4 Development. This platform was to be a backbone of the multiple groups that the World Bank wanted to create in order to bring together experts from within and outside the Bank to tackle the most important global issues. After some more meetings and discussions, this time with the Bank team in charge of this platform, it was agreed that the “WBFN Knowledge Exchange” would be one of the pilot projects on Collaboration 4 Development. Over the next several months the Knowledge Exchange (KE) project group worked on setting up and testing the platform. By the beginning of 2013, the KE was up and running, counting 30 members. It was ready for a second phase—roll out within WBFN and signing up new members in order to build up critical mass. As the famous rule states, the value of the network is directly proportional to the square of the number of the members in the network.

Project develops In February 2013, Sergey Karpenko joined the project group, and together with Cecilia Neher, drafted the outline for the second phase of the KE project and discussed it with WBFN Coordinator Catherine Mathieu. It quickly became clear that in order to bring the KE to the next level, the project group needed more human resources. The call for volunteers was launched and, surely enough, WBFN members eagerly responded. In just a couple of weeks, the group had 10 members. Cecilia Neher, Alies van Geldermalsen and Lysette Cohen formed the Marketing Team; Alma Heroabadi and Dhara Balwa formed the Technical Sup-

port Team; and Mariana Balgurevich, Jeff Ray, Brian Ochieng, Albertina Meana and Javier Bilon formed the Operational Team. The Marketing Team prepared a strategy for the project and focused on advertising and marketing the KE project inside WBFN. The Technical Support Team provided technical support to the group and focused on making the experience of the users with the system as flawless as possible. The Operational Team focused on signing up new users to the platform and facilitating its use. As a result of this coordinated effort, by the end of the end of summer, the number of users on the platform grew threefold and is currently approaching 100.

What the project is today KE is an online place for worldwide members of WBFN to communicate, exchange information, find support, develop projects and get involved in WBFN activities. In the KE, members can: Find resources and information within and about WBFN;

Form new WBFN groups or join existing WBFN groups;

Get or share help on a specific topic;

Network within the WBFN groupâ€”locally and across regions;

See what people at WBFN are talking about;

Find something of interest and get involved.

And this is exactly what we see happening on the KE: WBFN members communicating, sharing experiences, helping and getting involved with each other and with WBFN. This

becomes a true online community of people who share similar experiences and are able and willing to help each other.

The future of the KE Looking into a crystal ball, we expect the online community to grow throughout the next few years. There are over 5,000 members in WBFN, which makes a compelling picture for the growth potential of the KE. We can expect to see the dynamics of the community changing with each new member joining in. The number of projects started by WBFN members, as well as helpful member interactions, is set to increase greatly. This also brings challenges to the group managing the project: new dimensions and new dynamics call for new approaches in managing and supporting the project. At the same time, these challenges mean new opportunities for WBFN members. While all team members are volunteers, the work being done and the experience people are gaining by managing the project are at the frontline of the fields of social media, knowledge management and online community management in the corporate world and adds valuable experience and references when job seeking.

SOCIAL MEDIA During FY13, the WBFN Presidents and many volunteers were very keen to see WBFN become active on social media, and quickly. A small team of volunteers came together, supported by the WBFN office staff, and the planning stages of a social media strategy began

LinkedIn Presently, a closed, WBFN members-only LinkedIn group has been created and is being piloted. The group, called â€œCareer Support and Networkingâ€?, allows its members to post, access and share job postings, useful job search resources, volunteer opportunities, and to network among themselves. The group currently has only a few members and is exploring different methods of posting job descriptions. This pilot phase will allow the team to determine how much time and

resources will be required to sustain the group. The aim is that the group will expand very quickly and become a truly valuable resource for members looking to develop their skills and careers. At the time of writing, the possibility of establishing a WBFN “corporate page” is also being explored.

Facebook In addition, the social media team has been looking to revamp and revitalize WBFN’s longneglected Facebook page. To begin with, WBFN’s new logo and look were transferred to the page, making it instantly recognizable as part of the new look and branding strategy. The team has been discussing what type of content will be posted, whether a members-only group should be created in place of a page, and how the platform will be managed. A set of guidelines is slated to be finalized in early FY14.

Future Plans Finally, the social media team is currently planning to distribute a social media survey to all WBFN members to assess which platforms members are using, where they would like to see WBFN active, and what types of content they are interested in. The survey will be sent in early FY14 and its results will form the basis of WBFN’s social media strategy.

CAREER & NETWORKING CAREER & VOLUNTEERING PROGRAM WBFN’s Career & Volunteering Program (C&V) supports spouses and partners in finding volunteer and career-related opportunities in Washington, DC. C&V helps members transition into their new environment by concentrating on the nexus between careers and volunteering opportunities. Since its founding in January 2012, the program has evolved based on active volunteers’ interests and professions. The Professional Groups in particular have been very innova-

tive and have taken on many capacity-building projects. The Communications and Social Media Professional Group launched the Knowledge Exchange, an online platform that allows all WBFN members to connect digitally to share advice, local tips, and opportunities to collaborate. The Environmental Professional Group led local environmental cleanup activities, while the Healthcare Professional Group developed comprehensive presentations on certification processes in the US. The International Development Professional Group hosted fantastic Thematic Sessions, and last but not least, the Business, Banking and Finance Group continued developing valuable relationships with nonprofits and other organizations in their sector. C&V continued to offer its flagship support activities, including: C&V Orientations, which introduce participants to the cultural significance of volunteering in the US, and explore volunteering opportunities related to participantsâ€™ interests and careers.

Thematic Sessions, which provide an opportunity for participants to engage with presenters and each other to improve their understanding of the workforce and their profession in the US.

Bringing like-minded professionals together

Professional Groups, which allow members to build a lasting network with other members from similar industries. Participants support each other through the job seeking and career development process, by sharing experiences and suggesting relevant resources and opportunities. Groups also take on capacity-building projects that support C&V and other WBFN programs.

C&V Google Group, which provides the opportunity for participants to digitally share career-related information and resources, like job or volunteering offers, networking events, and interesting articles.

Throughout FY13, C&V achieved: 250 members on the C&V Participant List;

10 nonprofit and cultural organizations engaged, including HandsOn Greater DC Cares, InsideNGO, Bankers without Borders, and American Red Cross;

1 Career Networking Event and Happy Hour hosted in collaboration with the IMF and IDB family associations;

6 C&V Orientations, which engaged both new members and long-term inactive members;

15 Thematic Sessions discussing career issues like WBG employment contracts, job seeker strategies, social media, and career management;

5 Professional Groups established by members (Business, Banking & Finance; Communications & Social Media; Environmental; Healthcare; and International Development).

All of this was made possible by a team of dedicated volunteers who gave over 1500 hours of their time!

C&V PROFESSIONAL GROUPS The International Development Professional Group The main goals of the International Development Professional Group (IDG) are to get to know and support one another and exchange experiences. Group members share information

on upcoming events, job websites, job opportunities, and training in a friendly environment with the aim of landing a position. In February 2013, the IDG led a C&V Thematic Session entitled “Finding Your Ideal Work”. Participants enjoyed the lively meeting and were eager to use their learning to help them land their dream job in the current tight employment market. The IDG also organized bimonthly meetings inside and outside WBFN to gather information relevant to its members’ job searches. A platform has been developed to provide members with information about DC-based organizations operating in the international development industry. This year, some IDG members found jobs while others found volunteer opportunities that matched their interests.

The Business, Banking & Finance Professional Group The Business, Banking & Finance Professional Group (BB&F) group was created with the aim of helping members find volunteer and/or job opportunities. However, this year, the main objective changed to helping members find business opportunities. The group meets weekly and membership has grown from seven to over 30 participants. Several members joined an online Diploma course in IT Entrepreneurship offered by Stanford University. A consulting firm has been established and two main business ideas are in the planning stages. The group continues to get involved with the business community and other organizations by participating in events and seminars. The group is very pleased to report that many of the members have found jobs while others are planning to start their own businesses.

The Healthcare Professional Group The Healthcare Professional Group (HPG) was created in 2012 and currently has 34 members. This year, the group led Thematic Sessions on: United States Medical Licensing Examination and Non-clinical Career Options for Foreign Medical Doctors in the US; Discovering One’s Calling in Life; Health Conferences and the Importance of Networking. In addition, the group conducted biweekly meetings to discuss career-related questions and created a list of local health-related organizations that offer volunteer positions. Some members have found jobs, obtained volunteer positions, or have enrolled in a health-related Master’s program. The

Meet, Mingle, Make Contacts group will continue to seek opportunities to apply membersâ€™ knowledge and experience to improve healthcare services in the DC metro area.

The Communications & Social Media Professional Group The WBFN Knowledge Exchange (KE), an online community for WBFN members, is the biggest project of the Communicatons & Social Media Professional Group. A team manages the three different areas of the project: Operations, Marketing, and Technical. There are seven to ten people working on the project at any given moment. The group usually meets on Tuesdays at the WBFN office to review the status of the project and coordinate activities for the upcoming week. Since January 2013, the group has redesigned the look of the KE main

page, prepared video tutorials for new members, developed a promotional leaflet, and given multiple presentations of the KE project to new members of WBFN. The KE is well on its way to reaching its target of 500 members by the end of the year.

The Environmental Professional Group The Environmental Professional Group (EPG) was created in August 2012 by WBFN members with varied backgrounds—engineers, agronomists, lawyers, economists, and so on— but one common interest: the environment. The aim is to support members by providing opportunities to enhance their professional network, broaden their industry knowledge, share experiences, and volunteer to assist with local environmental activities. The main activities of the group this year included: participation in a river clean up with local NGO, Anacostia Watershed Society; leading Thematic Sessions on renewable energy sources and environmental bills in the USA; a guided tour of the IFC-LEED Platinum certified “green” building; and writing articles for Mosaic. The group meets every week. The EPG originally had 12 members and all of them found jobs. In May 2013 a new group was formed, consisting of 10 members who are working on developing a new program for the next fiscal year. The main areas of interest include geothermal pumps, malaria vaccine, organic foods, water usage, and the application of solar panels.

HAPPY HOUR & CAREER NETWORKING EVENT As part of the annual career and networking events hosted in turn by the family associations of the WBG, IDB and IMF, WBFN hosted its Happy Hour event at the World Bank C Building on March the 7th from 6 to 9pm. The event was held in the cafeteria area and two adjoining rooms, which provided enough space to showcase the event program while leaving room for mingling and interaction between guests. This year’s event was centred around the C&V Professional Groups, which are part of the WBFN C&V program that supports its members in their professional pursuits in Washington, DC. Given that this year’s event program was focused on the opportunity for guests to network, it was decided not to have a guest speaker or any long speeches. The Happy Hour was opened by the coordinator of the event, Haylee Smith, and WBFN’s President Operations, Sandipa Basnyat. Johannes Tonn, founding member of C&V, followed by

Resource-sharing at the Networking Happy Hour

introducing the Professional Groups and the leaders of each group, who then gave a brief outline of the area of expertise covered by their respective groups. Each Professional Group had a booth where they provided information about their activities, introduced invited professional guests to members and engaged new members who wished to join. The event was hosted in an informal setting to enable members and professionals to mingle, sharing drinks and snacks while networking and swapping business cards and contact details. Members had opportunities to explore job possibilities in various work sectors with other members and invited guests, enabling them to make connections in their specific profession and across professions. Approximately 180 guests attendedâ€”a very good turnoutâ€”and the event received positive feedback. WBFN members felt it was a great opportunity to meet other spouses/partners and professionals in their field and to share experiences. Volunteers from all three family associations helped on the evening with setup and welcoming. A special thank you goes to Haylee Smith, Cecilia Neher and Silvia Kirova of the organizing committee who worked tirelessly to make the evening a success. Special thanks also go to WBFN Coordinator Catherine Ma-

thieu and Program Assistants Christinne and Mimi for their continued support and valuable contributions that make events like this a success.

BUSINESS INCUBATOR The WBFN Business Incubator (BI) is a group of WBFN members who, together and with the help of the WBFN Office, plan to organize a space and technical support to help burgeoning entrepreneurs in our community envision, plan, and launch their respective businesses. An Operational Team of WBFN members with international experience working for large corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, business incubation projects, mentoring programs, and start-up businesses will run the BI. The objectives of the BI are to: Create an entrepreneurial community to give members the experience of learning through mutual support;

Foster the creation and development of start-up businesses (the â€œprojectsâ€?) by WBG/ IMF/IDB spouses and domestic partners;

Educate participants about the process of new business development in order to improve their potential for future entrepreneurial success;

Assist in developing new projects through a package of services;

Improve the performance of membersâ€™ new businesses.

To fulfill these objectives, the BI hopes to offer a space conducive to creative thinking and productive work, equipped with computers, an Internet connection, and access to databases. The BI also aims to develop a list of willing volunteer technical experts for the entrepreneurs to network with. In addition, the BI hopes to assemble a rostrum of savvy volunteer businessmen to mentor the participating entrepreneurs in the program, guiding them in their financial and strategic planning. Finally, the BI aims to provide participants with guidance and local intelligence on where to find relevant advice for their specific needs. In order to gain access to the services of the BI, entrepreneurs will have to complete an application form detailing their business project, which will be assessed against a number of selection criteria by a Selection Committee. Alternatively, entrepreneurs will be able to apply

to join an existing, approved project. The BI is still in its early stages of development and it is hoped that FY14 will see the program evolve and grow to involve more and more entrepreneurs from our community.

MEMBERS ABROAD The primary objective of the Members Abroad (MA) Team is to provide support to WBFN members and their families living and working outside of the US. This support consists of connecting the new arrivals with a veteran WBFN member residing in that country to help in the transition process by creating a welcoming environment, answering questions and providing relevant information about the new location. This is done in several ways. Firstly, the Team, with guidance from Catherine Mathieu, has updated and finalized the training manual and protocol for WBFN members with leadership qualities, to become WBFN â€œChampionsâ€? in that community. Secondly, the Team recruits responsible and dependable WBFN members residing in diverse Country Offices (CO) to become Champions. Thirdly, the Team sets the guidelines for dealing with WBFN HQ, CO personnel and the incoming new family. Fourthly, if the conditions are right, the MA Team helps the Champion to set up a WBFN community in that CO, which we call WBFN Local Chapter. Finally, the MA Team keeps in constant contact with our members abroad and engages them in a virtual community via the different forms of social media WBFN has developed lately. As indicated by the results of the Membership Survey conducted earlier in the year, our members are keen to see some of the services offered at HQ extended to COs around the world. A large percentage of members are relocating to field offices, often with very limited prior knowledge of their destination cities. Under such conditions, knowing at least one person in the prospective destination can make a huge difference. Keeping this in mind, the MA

Reaching Locations Near and Far

Team has strived to build WBFN communities wherever possible. As a direct result of this outreach, WBFN is now present in more than 40 countries via Champions, either as WBFN connectors or a WBFN Local Chapter.

WBFN LOCAL CHAPTERS WBFN Local Chapters can be defined as communities made up of WBG spouses and partners located at Country Offices. These communities decide to come under the umbrella of WBFN whereby they receive direct support from the MA Team at Headquarters. The WBFN HQ Team in DC is constantly developing new material to support the chapters, like handbooks, manuals, guidelines, etc. The chapters are allowed to use the WBFN logo and name in their communications. They are also provided with an institutional @wbfn.org email address. They are introduced to the on-the-ground mobility staff and have direct contact with them on a regular basis. They can emulate the programs offered in DC, like the newcomers’ Call Center, Buddy System, book clubs, local community outreach, etc., and develop their own depending on the interests of the members. The inventory of activities organized by those groups is amazing! The MA Team at WBFN HQ stays in direct contact with them and strives to keep them informed of incoming families and other relevant information. WBFN Kenya, launched April 2012, is the largest WBFN chapter overseas, and a very good example of how useful – and successful – WBFN Local Chapters are. The team leaders this year are Anne Laadegard and Karen Douw. There are over 60 members belonging to this chapter, including both local and international hires. Presently four spouses/partners form the organizational team while six other very active members play a big role in the Book Club and the Community Project. As mentioned above, many other WBFN Local Chapters are constituted or under construction, and the example of WBFN Kenya has inspired many synergies.

WBFN CHAMPIONS Knowledgeable and active WBFN members who indicate to the MA Team at HQ their interest in welcoming newcomers to field office locations, WBFN Champions are appointed as WBFN Connectors at their CO. Their contact information is kept on hand and an e-introduction is made when any member posted on an extended assignment desires to be put in

touch with a member(s) in that location. The HQ Team keeps in contact with them through electronic communications and the Connectors give candid advice to WBFN members about relocation issues and tips about their city/country. The difference between a Connector and a Local Chapter is in the number of members involved. The Connector is a sole member, while the Local Chapter is a community. At the time of writing, the MA Team at WBFN HQ has identified the following countries in which newcomers can be assured to enlist help from a WBFN Champion, and is constantly “recruiting” others: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Colombia, Hong Kong, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Turkey (Istanbul and Ankara), Timor-Leste, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

PRODUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH STAKEHOLDERS During the year, the MA Team at WBFN HQ has taken part in various discussions with the top management from the IBRD HR and IFC HR. The Operational Development Plan developed this year by WBFN has a strong emphasis on the development of our network of Champions, whether Connectors or Local Chapters. A special focus is given to the implementation of “good practices” for Local Chapters in their relationship with WBFN HQ, as well as with management and relocation staff in field offices. The Team also held videoconferences with spouses in Ghana, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia. The Local Chapters have been working with the WBFN Marketing Team on the production of their own flyers, brochures, and other advertising material in order to better inform the staff and families of their work.

MEMBERS ABROAD ONLINE The MA Team is also working on increasing and improving its presence on the WBFN website in order to increase its outreach. As WBFN completes the revamping of its website, Local Chapters look forward to having their own pages on the new site where they can create and manage their own blogs, forums, and event calendars.

LEARNING @ WBFN INFORMATION SEMINARS As spouses/partners adjust to new lives in the United States, understanding the laws, rules and regulations that have a direct impact on them and their families is an important element of a satisfactory relocation. To this end, WBFN programs a series of seminars covering many of these subjects. We encourage our members to attend these informational sessions in order to stay knowledgeable and up-to-date on the ever-changing landscape of US laws. During the year 2012-13, WBFN arranged a total of six seminars. The topics covered were: Work Authorization in the US for G4 dependent visa holders;

Visas and permanent residency options for G4 spouses, partners and dependents (two seminars);

ESL students @ WBFN

Income Tax Filing;

Estate Planning;

Pensions. Most seminars were well attended by WBFN members and WBG staff, especially the second G4 visa seminar, with over 70 attendees. The Income Tax and Estate Planning seminars were also particularly popular, with over 60 attendees each. WBFNâ€™s longtime friend and member Monika Sergo has worked diligently to make sure that the speakers at these events are well informed and aware of issues faced by WBG families, in particular with relevance to G4 visa holders. Attention is paid to the evaluation forms submitted at the end of each session in order to hear membersâ€™ feedback. This feedback is taken into consideration in the decision and planning process for the upcoming seminars so that a range of topics and speakers is covered. It is our goal to publish in the fall, at the beginning of the season, a complete list of the seminars so that members can plan to attend as many as possible. The seminar dates and brief

explanations of the subjects are provided in Mosaic, in order for members to make informed decisions on attending the events.

LANGUAGE CLASSES English Classes Imagine yourself as a family member of a newly hired WBG or IMF staff member, arriving in Washington DC for perhaps your first time, giving up your previous career, close family ties, friends and colleagues, and familiar life, and THEN imagine yourself struggling with a new language, new accents, finding a new home in a new place, and new customs. Perhaps there are young children, tweens, or teens who also are dealing with such challenges in your family who need your help. Perhaps you have left an aging parent or parents far away at home who need to adjust to your absence and immediate care. This combination of experiences could be daunting even for the heartiest world traveler. Then imagine you read about an English program at WBFN, which brings together people in very similar situations who want to improve not only their English but also their knowledge of local customs, ways of doing business, procedures, history and political science. You jump at the chance to go to the World Bank and see for yourself the many opportunities at WBFN English Classes to make friends and interact with such interesting people from all over the globe. You come in for the placement interviews with not one but three teachers, find your class assignment, and nervously begin the first day of class, trying to remember the irregular past tenses of verbs you last studied years ago. As the students begin to speak, you realize you can relax and be comfortable with your level of English, as there is instant understanding that you are quite intelligent (even if you forget to use the correct past participle in English!) The three teachers, Sarah Brau, Carmela Cosans, and Anu Mishra, draw on all their teaching and life experiences to create the best environment for adult international learners: respect, tolerance, and encouragement. They choose textbooks for the three levels of learners and begin an intensive semester of nine class hours per week for 20 weeks. You learn much about the other students and their ideas on world affairs; you compare experiences settling in; you share coping tips; you laugh at your mistakes and help others enjoy the richness of their triumphs and setbacks; you commiserate on health, career, and family

hurdles; and you gain the confidence needed to thrive in this new setting. Many of you continue the courses a second semester and some even come to assume volunteer positions and leadership positions within WBFN, owing in part to your familiarity with the organization and its opportunities through its classes. You learn how to dream and to wish in English; to speak up for yourself in an interview; to comment knowledgeably on news topics of the day to neighbors in English, even to blog home explaining life for you in Washington. You work on your “elevator speech”, defining your achievements and career goals in the time it takes for a short elevator ride with some VIP. After the course is over, you create Facebook pages, organize meetings and social occasions, baby showers, job seeking networks, and many other opportunities to stay in touch with your classmates, even if you return home or go on assignment to another country. Most of all, you show your spouse and children you do not give up easily, you know how to do homework, to navigate comfortably the World Bank (and its cafeteria) and join classmates for lunch after class; to organize recognition events for classmates, to get a driver’s license, work authorization and possibly a job, and that you have the aptitude and fortitude to improve your and their lives while at the Bank by drawing on your intellect, interests, and inspirations.

Business English During the 2012-2013 course year, the WBFN calendar included three Business English offerings: “Communicating in Business”, “Presenting in English”, and “Cross Cultural Negotiations”. The first two courses involved 24 hours of classroom time each, with classes being held twice a week for eight weeks. The third consisted of 18 classroom hours, with students meeting twice a week for six weeks. “Communicating in Business” is an overview of the full range of spoken business communication skills, including cultural differences, use of the telephone, as well as overviews of meeting, presentation, and negotiating skills. There were 13 students in this class. The second course offered was “Presenting in English”. Enrollment was nine students. In this course, we offer more in-depth knowledge and skills needed to make business presentations. Skills developed include the use of audiovisuals, audience management, and the appropriate use of voice to emphasize points of importance and to learn the rhythm of English. All class members make a presentation at each meeting and there are group presentations toward the end of the course. Very popular with students is the time spent on practicing the Elevator

Speech, a vital skill in developing contacts and visibility in the business community. The third course offered was “Cross-Cultural Negotiations”. There were seven enrollees. This course reviews the essentials of negotiations. In the remaining sessions, the class engages in simulated business negotiations. Emphasis is on debating skills, teamwork, and understanding the other team’s positions. Both the instructor and the students spend a minimum of 1-2 hours on preparation outside the class in order to maximize the utility of class time for all concerned. Methods used in all three courses include case studies, group and individual presentations and peer critique, as well as the more traditional methods associated with language learning, such as grammar and usage exercises and pronunciation. Although there was a structured content outline for each course, an interactive approach to learning directed the sessions towards the learners’ needs and drew on their professional and life experiences. Thus, although these were primarily language courses, participants developed and applied business skills, including problem solving, teamwork, and business relationship building. These skills are easily transferable and vital to individual success in a US business setting. Feedback from participants has been very positive and it is anticipated that Business English courses will be offered again in the 2013-2014 year.

Intermediate French Catherine Gouarne continued opening her home and offering intermediate French classes every week throughout FY13. Throughout the year approximately 15 WBFN members attended the classes including three new people. Catherine gave an average of three and a half hours of her time per week. The group is so much more than a French language class. The students and Catherine are close friends and new students are warmly welcomed into the circle. The students and teacher get together for many other social activities. This is the 24th year Catherine has offered the course, and she is still passionate about the students she engages and the community it creates!

Advanced Spanish Conversation The Advanced Spanish Conversation group is over 20 years old and usually numbers anywhere between five and 14 members. While some of the members are native speakers, the majority speaks Spanish as a second language at varying levels. The group meets every Friday from 11am to 1pm to read short stories by well-known Spanish-speaking writers and numerous articles from newspapers and magazines in order to learn and maintain Spanish conversation skills. After the meeting, the host provides a lunch. The group organizes an annual Christmas party and a picnic to which spouses and partners are invited, as well as occasionally visiting theaters, museums, and concerts.

FINANCIAL LITERACY Financial Literacy Classes WBFNâ€™s Financial Literacy courses introduce participants to the financial world and equip them to make informed financial decisions about spending, saving and investing. This knowledge empowers families and is essential learning for every family regardless of nationality or age.

One in-person sewminar, “Money Matters” and two online courses, “Budgeting: Developing a Financial Road Map” and “Savings and Investments” form the core courses of this program. Two additional seminars, “Getting on with Money” and “Time Management” supplement these core courses. All face-to-face seminars are Washington-based, but WBFN welcomes participants from around the world who happen to be visiting the Washington area from a Country Office at the time. The online courses are open to all WBFN members outside of the US in addition to those based in DC. In February 2013, two in-person seminars were offered: “Money Matters” and “Getting on with Money”. “Money Matters” introduces participants to the financial vocabulary and concepts needed to understand and use the benefits offered through the WBG and to explain the importance of pension plans. Twelve WBFN members took part in the seminar. “Getting on with Money” provides participants with essential tools to help them keep on track with their financial goals, and eight WBFN members attended. In March-April 2013, the online “Budgeting” course was offered, and 10 participants registered. This course teaches participants about efficient record keeping, creating a budget, tracking expenses, and getting or staying out of debt. The benefits from these courses are many, some of them unexpected. Participants report enhanced interest in finance in general and this manifests in some joining groups learning about stock markets and investing in a personal portfolio. They report better communication in the home with their spouse or partner and they report increased savings and lowered tension about money matters in general. In addition, the online courses bring people from various global regions into contact through the financial chat rooms facilitated on the e-platform. New to the Financial Literacy program this year was the beginning of a series of money management articles published monthly in Mosaic. From tips on how to get one’s financial and administrative papers in order, to saving for those dream purchases, these articles have introduced Mosaic readers to some of the highlights of the Financial Literacy courses. The articles will continue to run during FY14.

Wandering Winners Investment Club Studying, working, profiting together! Another great year! The WWIC was founded in June 2001 under the auspices of the WBFN by members of the first graduating class of Cary Clark’s Financial Literacy Course. We are grateful for WBFN’s continuing support.

2012–2013 was a year of transitions for the WWIC. Brinda Dayal-Prakash served as WWIC President (February–July). When her family relocated to Hong Kong, Karen Cannon as the WWIC President Elect then became the WWIC President (August–November), and when Karen’s family returned to Australia, former WWIC President Mari Parker stepped in to fill the position (Dec–Feb). The WWIC is grateful to each of these members for their leadership and service this year.

The “Wandering Winners” As of January 2013 the WWIC had 18 members, one-third of whom were new to the Club this year. We enthusiastically welcomed our six new members who hailed from the Netherlands, Barbados, Venezuela, Denmark, Australia, and Wales/Nigeria. The Club had two distant members, Skyping in from Bangladesh and Hong Kong. A highlight of the Club’s monthly official meetings was Brinda’s “Market Watch” report. Her informative and detailed PowerPoint presentations kept us aware of market behavior, as well as the EU crisis and subsequent economic problems from around the world that would affect our portfolio. She also kept us updated on the Facebook IPO.

WWIC’s Investment Decisions Members actively managed the WWIC Portfolio using Scottrade as our broker. This year the members collectively voted to purchase shares in 10 companies: ABV, SAM, SBUX, PNRA, BWLD, TCBI, BNS, IBN, DDD, VFC. And we voted to sell shares in 10 previously held companies. The WWIC portfolio contains 20 stocks. Each member is responsible for monitoring at least one of these stocks. The role of the WWIC Treasurer remains critical to the success of our Investment Club. Patricia Caicedo generously continued to maintain our WWIC brokerage account and credit union account, to prepare our US federal taxes, and to help us better understand key investment concepts.

Portfolio Management A major focus this year involved an overall portfolio review and rebalancing exercise. Karen Cannon led this intense effort, which involved working on small, mid and large cap recommendations, deciding on the percentages of these caps in our portfolio, and understanding the rebalancing formulas. Members also energetically discussed and approved placing Floor Limits on our stocks, as a means to protect our portfolio should the market suddenly head severely down. Prices for these “sell stop orders” are to be revised as needed.

2012-2013 Speakers Ozgur Karaosmanoglu and Aydin Tuncer of Raymond James discussed a 2013 Equity Market Outlook and presented a Review of the WWIC Portfolio. Edward Crawford and James Roumell from Roumell Asset Management also spoke. As “Opportunistic Capital Allocators” they seek “securities with highly specific risk/reward” characteristics rather than market exposure.

“To keep the Club running smoothly it is crucial to learn and work together as a team—

each member being informed, co-operative, participating and humbly sharing our strengths and wisdom. Let us strengthen each other and grow together.” Vanita Vengopal, Feb 2012

MANY THANKS TO THE WWIC CLUB OFFICERS PRESIDENT

Brinda Dayal-Prakash Karen Cannon Mari Parker

VICE PRESIDENT

Karen Cannon

SECRETARY

Lois Khairallah

TREASURER

PARLIAMENTARIAN

Sally Mcartney

ASSISTANT PARLIAMENTARIAN

Sonja Kuhn

ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Vanita Vengopal

ARCHIVIST

Mari Parker

Patricia Caicedo

SPECIAL EVENTS

Opportunities to gather, share, learn and expressâ€Ś

CHILDREN’S HOLIDAY PARTY WBFN’s annual Children’s Holiday Party (CHP) is an event all the volunteers and WBG families look forward to, as it is one of the biggest events of the year in terms of the number of people attending. This year, 786 WBG family members attended and 70+ volunteers made it a HUGE success. To make the event exciting and successful the WBFN volunteers started planning quite early, almost 12 weeks in advance. We had a first meeting during which we decided the theme would be “Candyland”, as all of us were excited to fulfill our fantasy for candies, which none of us grew out of! Sandipa Thapa Basnyat took the lead and we formed sub-committees to distribute the workflow among the interested volunteers as per their interests and skills. Ruby Shamayleh headed the games committee for the third year in a row and we were glad to have her take that lead because she always comes up with innovative ideas and children can never get enough of the games she plans! Marta Zonta put her name forward to lead the decoration team and started sketching the floor plan. Florinda D’Eugenio was full of energy as always, even being seven months pregnant, and took the lead to design the tickets and flyers. She gave her superb ideas to all the sub-committees, as she led the CHP team last year and knew every detail. Fiona Oliphant graciously decided to lead the food team and Johannes Tonn sportily agreed to be our Santa. Mishi Mirza, Amy Chamberlain, and Gilda Dadush put in a tremendous effort to make the flyers, posters, and program look fantastic and made changes as requested by us up until the umpteenth time. Catherine Mathieu, Mimi Besha, and Christinne Secrest made sure the workflow was smooth and took the endless calls of people registering, volunteers asking for assistance all the time, and managed the communication between the CHP team and Bank staff seamlessly. (A BIG THANK YOU). The “Candyland” theme got all our creative juices flowing. The WBFN office started looking festive from October onwards, with volunteers preparing to paint the three-foot candy house and candy canes, sewing gingerbread men, and “baking” artificial cupcakes out of cotton balls rolled in real cupcake baking sheets! The spirit of the festive season was in full swing and the WBFN office became so lively! One day before the event, all the volunteers worked until 9pm in the dim light of the Main Complex Atrium and made sure every detail was taken care of. On the day, we were all ready to welcome the WBG families as an army of volunteers took charge of their respective stations, from registration to food layout. Children started rushing in, excited as they saw

our decorations—especially the big candy house! Our tall Santa made his appearance with jingling music and the crowds cheered; parents waited in line to click a picture of their little ones with Santa. The next big attraction for the children was the magician, who hypnotized the children and adults with his magic skills. WBFN wanted to make it a day full of fun for WBG children, but also a day of giving. WBFN presented a check of the proceeds to the Children’s Law Center and encouraged each family to donate a gift to the Toys for Tots campaign. It was a full day of joie de vivre and was a successful event for WBFN volunteers! None of this would have been possible without our WBFN volunteers, who deserve a salute for their spirit of volunteerism. A big “thank you” to Ruby, Gilda, Mishi, Florinda, Marta, Meg, Winda, Diane, Hada, Aditi, Khorsed, Clarisse, Johannes, Rosa, Giovanni, Rumbi, Fiona, and Noah, as well as Cat, Mimi, Christinne, and Amy. Also to many more who volunteered during the event!

ANNUAL PICNIC After a long winter we all look forward to the spring and at WBFN we started planning early for our Annual Picnic, held April 20, 2013 at Bretton Woods Recreation Center. A multitude of WBFN volunteers gathered together to make it memorable and a bit different from previous years by choosing the theme “Cartoon Mania”. Sandipa took the lead of the picnic team this year. We planned the workflow and created sub-teams. Jane Sui led the registration team and worked on assigning volunteers for the registration table and for handling the raffle and prizes. The marketing and branding team, consisting of Gilda, Rebeca, Shalu, Florinda, and Amy, designed the picnic flyers and posters with our new WBFN logo and format. Rumbi and Goly took charge of the decoration team and started planning and designing the floor plan. Sergey and Shaheen were busy planning outdoor games for five different age groups. Anu, Rosa, Hada, and El Batoule managed the food tables and Giselle Happi took the inventory of items purchased plus what was taken from the office. So the team was fully prepared to handle the 300+ guests that registered for the event. Thank you all! It was a sunny spring day and families started arriving with dishes they had prepared to share with others. Our registration team hustled and bustled to manage the huge flow of guests and our food team made sure that the food items brought were correctly labeled and displayed at the right table. The decoration team made the place look like the Cartoon Net-

A Celebration of Our Year at the Annual Dinner work and many children and even adults dressed as their favorite cartoon character. The games started soon and it was a pleasure to see toddlers lined up to play and win with the parents running around, while the older kids were busy playing soccer and striking goals! Children were excited when the raffle was announced and some who had dressed for the event received a surprise gift for being the â€œbest dressedâ€?. Pizzas were served at the end of the day for the children who were busy playing and forgot to eat. They were well appreciated by the kids and gobbled down quickly. The food buffet consisting of hundreds of varieties of different cuisines was irresistible even to a disciplined dieter! People enjoyed the variety of dishes, good weather, and a day well spent with the family. A total of 256 people attended! Our special thanks go to Catherine for everything she did to make the picnic a HUGE success, to Mimi and Christinne for handling the registration, to Amy and Goly for volunteering on the day, and to Saimir for taking excellent pictures! Hats off to all the volunteers! Thank you!

ANNUAL DINNER WBFN’s 2013 Annual Dinner took place on Tuesday, May 14. The MC East Dining Room provided an intimate and welcoming venue for WBFN members, staff, Bank partners, and supporters to come together to celebrate a wonderfully successful and productive year. Special guests included World Bank Group President, Dr. Jim Kim; World Bank Managing Director, Caroline Anstey (via video); World Bank Human Resources Vice President, Sean McGrath; Vice President of the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, Hasan Tuluy; Health Services Department Director, Dr. Brian Davey; and World Bank Senior Psychologist, Dr. Stuart Fisher. The evening kicked off with a warm welcome from WBFN President Hada Zaidan, who introduced a video address from Caroline Anstey. As the Bank’s champion of domestic abuse prevention, Caroline talked about the importance of scaling up our efforts to combat domestic abuse in order to make the Bank a “domestic abuse-free zone”. Ms. Anstey acknowledged the crucial role played by WBFN in the earliest stages of domestic abuse prevention at the Bank, and praised WBFN’s continued support and dedication to this cause. Ms. Anstey went on to officially launch a domestic abuse prevention mobile and web app that will improve access to support for victims. Sincere thanks must go to Hasan Tuluy and Sean McGrath for their support, which was crucial in getting the app designed, developed, and disseminated. Thanks and congratulations also go to Maria Gonzalez de Asis for coming up with the unique idea of creating this app. Sincere thanks are also due to Ms. Anstey’s staff for making the recording and availability of the video a reality under very difficult circumstances and time constraints. Guests were then honored to welcome WBG President, Dr. Jim Kim, to the podium. Dr. Kim began by highlighting the importance of family. As a husband and father of two young children, Dr. Kim recognizes the work of WBFN as crucial to the happiness and productivity of staff. WBFN was particularly pleased as Dr. Kim confirmed that his wife, Dr. Younsook Lim, had accepted the role of Honorary President of WBFN. During his presentation, the WBG President spoke about the value of the supportive network and group of friends that WBFN generates, in addition to the services and information provided. Dr. Kim acknowledged WBFN’s groundbreaking work in establishing WBFN Local Chapters at Country Offices, in advocating for domestic abuse prevention at the Bank, and in providing career support to Bank spouses and partners. Dr. Kim concluded by thanking the WBFN Presidents, staff, and volunteers, and by meeting the MMMF grant recipients for 2013.

As delicious food was served, the presentations continued. Guests heard touching, thoughtprovoking, and humorous remarks from both WBFN Presidents, Hada Zaidan and Sandipa Thapa Basnyat, who celebrated their fruitful year working together and paid tribute to WBFN volunteers and staff for the organization’s numerous significant achievements over the past 41 years. Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund (MMMF) President Andree Wynkoop overviewed the success of the non-profit’s grant program and introduced the nine grant recipients that were present at the dinner. Volunteer Rheetuparna Pal Mahajan, representing the WBFN Book Project (BP), told guests about the value of the BP’s work even today, and demonstrated the dedication of WBFN volunteers by agreeing to present at the Annual Dinner, despite having volunteered at the BP for a mere few months! The evening wrapped up on a high note with a superb performance by playwright, actress, and teaching artist Leila Buck. Leila’s performance, entitled “The Tragi-Comic Moments of an Expat’s Life”, in which she masterfully mimicked the many diverse accents and attitudes that have marked her international upbringing, resonated with so many in the room. All those present were united through a common understanding of diversity and community— concepts that underpin the work of WBFN every day.

TEEN SUMMER PROGRAM The Teen Summer Program (TSP) is an annual educational program for 16 to 18 year-old children of WBG, IMF and IDB staff, organized by the family associations of the three organizations. Around 32 teens spend three weeks visiting the WBG, IMF and IDB to watch presentations, listen to lectures, participate in workshops, volunteer, and most importantly, learn about the cultures of the international organizations in which their parents work. The WBFN TSP organizing committee was formed around mid-March 2012. Maki Yanagimoto, Dafina Kelmendi, Tope Olanrewaju, Shaziah Majid, Florence Kando Fraval and many other volunteers began devoting many hours discussing the key messages that they wanted to deliver to the teen participants and how to do so. This year, the main theme of the WBFN segment of the program was, “Fighting Poverty.” The program contents were designed along this theme, and the volunteers worked hard to organize the presentations, speeches and workshops, coordinating with WBG experts in the different fields. During the first week, the participating teens played a brainstorming game to get them

Teen Summer rogramâ€”mind and body

thinking about poverty worldwide. Following this, they took part in a presentation exercise to help them learn the facts about poverty around the world. The teens were divided into groups and assigned a project to present a real world example of a non-profit oriented project that fights poverty. The teams made their presentations on the last day and everyone voted to name the best three projects. The winning three projects received donations, paid for by half of the TSP participation fees. By adding an element of competition, the teens were highly motivated to deliver better outcomes, and as a result this assignment was well rated by the teens when answering the evaluation survey after the program. During their time at the IMF, the teens had the chance to meet the president of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, which was one of the most memorable moments for many of them. They also participated in a mock IMF mission to experience the dynamics of negotiation with host governments. Of their activities at the IDB, the teens particularly enjoyed participating in an interview with specialists from various fields of interest. The teens met the staff and asked them questions and on the last day they presented what they learned from their interviews. The final day of the TSP was very fulfilling yet an emotional moment for the teens, as they had spent three full weeks with peers from various backgrounds, learning new ideas and insights from prominent experts that not just anyone gets to meet. Feedback from the teens showed that the TSP is a highly appreciated program that allowed them to deepen their understanding of the three multilateral institutions. Some of the teens said their participation in the program influenced what they want to study in collegeâ€”a great success!

WBFN GALLERY All WBFN members, immediate relations, spouses/partners, and parents of long-term consultants are welcome to display their creations in the WBFN Conference Room. We enjoy a large variety of work, including fine arts, jewelry, photography, ceramics, drawings, cloth and textiles. Exhibits hang/display for one month or more. The artists can promote or sell artwork during special events like receptions. The artist is asked to donate 15% of any sales from the Exhibit to the MMMF. The artists are allowed and encouraged to have an opening reception at the WBFN Conference Room, while the exhibit is on, and to inform the Bank’s staff of the event by posting flyers.

APRIL–MAY 2012 Pritthijit (Raja) Kundu, an architect by profession, explored the moods and emotions of women thorough visual concepts. His exhibit was named “She And Herself ”.

NOVEMBER 2012–MID-JANUARY 2013 The theme of Clare Scrimgeour’s exhibit was a reflection on the anxiety about increased extreme weather conditions worldwide. She uses an array of mixed media—acrylic, oil, and spray paints as well as inks and metal leaf, all in an unusual technique.

Sharing Inspiration at the WBFN Gallery

WBFN OFFICE GATHERINGS Three Office Gatherings, or “Open Houses”, were organized at the WBFN office this year. Two of them were informal after-hours gatherings for spouses/partners and WBG staff. WBG families mingled and chatted with staff from HR and the Domestic Abuse Prevention Task Force as well as representatives from the WBG Staff Association and Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union, WBFN EC members, and several WBFN, Book Project and MMMF volunteers. One of the guests said: “Everyone was super nice and friendly. I felt as if I had known everyone for a long time! It was a lovely night”. The third gathering was exclusively dedicated to WBFN parents and their children. Parents enjoyed the warm welcome and interesting discussions with other parents with similar interests, while the children played and enjoyed the snacks on offer.

FIGT CONFERENCE Families in Global Transition (FIGT) is a nonprofit educational organization whose vision is “To lead the worldwide community to empower families and those who serve them in global transition.” They are committed to informing, educating, and supporting internationally relocating families and the organizations supporting them. Over the past 15 years they have become a global leader in that field, and many experts and researchers use them as a platform for their research. FIGT’s 15th Annual International Conference took place in March 2013 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Relocation providers, corporate HR, coaches, family associations, students, researchers, and individuals from around the US and the world attended the three-day conference to learn and exchange experiences. WBFN participated both as observers and presenters. Meg Walker, WBFN EC member and Careers Chair, presented the concept of career support at WBFN as embodied by its Career and Volunteering Program (C&V) and the Teen Summer Program (TSP). C&V is based on the concept that in the US, volunteering is an integral part of work experience and is a legitimate entry on one’s resume. Volunteering also offers an entry point into an organization and a way to get to know the players in that industry, as well as providing a perfect venue to network within that company. The TSP is a three-week summer program for teenagers whose parents work at the WBG,

IMF and the IDB. It is organized and administered by the three family organizations of these institutions. The program consists of exposing the participants to the different aspects of projects, governance, and financial issues at these institutions, and ends with the students choosing an NGO or project worthy of receiving a donation of the funds generated by the program’s fees. The keynote speaker at the FIGT conference, world traveler and writer Pico Iyer, set the tone and goal of the conference. He talked about “how we can make the most of the exciting new possibilities—create better lives, families and communities—without underestimating the distances that don’t go away and sometimes even seem to increase.” Globalization has made the simplest question—“where do you come from?”—very complex. In the past, “home” was assigned to us at birth; later it became where we “chose” to be; now we carry it within us! Iyer said: “Our children define themselves by where they’re going, not where they come from.” The advantage being, as the Dalai Lama said, “When we leave ‘home’ we can do things that we couldn’t have ever done at ‘home’.” As Donald Ritchie put it, “… (he) traded in a sense of belonging for a sense of freedom.” Third Culture Kids (TCKs), defined as “a person who has spent a significant amount of his or her developmental years outside of the parents’ culture”, have a range of skills acquired through the “adversity” of constant change. The conference covered how TCKs grow up to be highly independent adults, comfortable with the unknown and able to tackle significant challenges. They know how to say “goodbye” effectively and achieve closure in relationships. Usually, they are multilingual, comfortable in almost any culture. They have proven to be the best CEOs of multinational corporations. The conference also tackled a variety of situations and problems faced by families with vulnerable individuals unable to handle change. Available school programs, counseling venues, and other support options were presented and discussed with specialized providers, educators and counselors. Lighter moments occurred through the exchange of experiences in funny situations at the onset of contact with a foreign culture. Differences in dress code, mode of communication, or hospitality norms have all had their funny moments and created cherished memories. The conference closed with a special farewell performance by Leila Buck, Arab-American playwright, actress and an adult TCK herself! Through her storytelling, humor, and interactive dialogue, she explored questions of transitions, loss, and intercultural living.

Annual Dinnerâ€”a time for celebration

WBFN @ FIGT

Family time at the Picnic A magical Holiday Party! After hours at the WBFN office

By members, with members, for membersâ€Ś

SOCIAL & CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

PARENTS AND TOTS DC PARENTS & TOTS (DOWNTOWN BABIES) Established over three years ago, the Downtown Babies group (DC) provides a social network for new and established DC mothers and fathers and their kids, who range from just a few weeks old to preschool age. The group meets every Wednesday morning in a member’s home or a child-friendly location around DC, depending on the age of the kids joining the get-togethers. The parents discuss child-related (and other) issues, ask questions, and the kids play. It is a great opportunity for a lot of parents, as they come to DC with their kids and don’t know anybody at the beginning. They get in contact with others that are in the same situation as they are, and friendships are built. The Downtown Babies group continued to meet weekly during FY13, and is proud to have its first father in the group. Every week between 3 and 10 parents attend. The group has an email list serve with around 40 members. In FY13 the group went to the zoo, playgrounds, and met at the homes of group members. Given that the group now includes a lot of very young kids (the youngest is just 5 weeks), it is much more convenient for the parents to meet at a member’s home. As there are a lot of new members, the group is thinking about a forum or guide, where the questions that every newcomer has can be answered and discussed.

MD PARENTS & TOTS MD Parents & Tots is a group of parents (mainly moms) whose spouses work at the WBG or the IMF and who have infants/toddlers/preschoolers. Most of the members live in Maryland, mainly in Montgomery County. The group meets for a playgroup one morning a week, on Tuesdays from 10am to 12 noon, usually at someone’s home. Occasionally, outings to a park, a children’s show, etc. are organized, mainly during the summer holidays. “Moms’ night out” happens every two months and twice a year a family picnic takes place. The group’s main yearly activities have not changed since last year (previous reports can be found on the BankFundKids webpage (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BankFundKids/).

This webpage is the main means of communication of the group. All members have access, and the webpage functions to post play dates, comments to the group, post pictures of events, add places of interest to the group, or share information on recommended physicians. It has been a strong year regarding membership, attendance, and within-group support:

The group has 28 adult members attending with their children (about 2/3 on a regular basis);

Each or every other month we have explored a new restaurant in the evening;

A member and dear friend Aisha Pinga passed away after a fight against cancer, and the whole group was very supportive, providing meals to her family;

The group has established a “meal train”, a way to voluntarily support mums with meals who need help during difficult times e.g. after giving birth;

The group has organized baby showers and farewells for members;

Each child’s birthday has been added to the calendar to remind the group to send a wish for their special day;

Some members joined the WBFN Parents and Tots meeting at the World Bank;

One picnic has been organized;

Summer activities included meeting at parks like Cabin John, a water park, and Strathmore summer concerts;

Information on physicians, dentists, and baby sitters was shared within the group.

VA PARENTS & TOTS The Virginia Parents and Tots playgroup is a social group for spouses of WBG employees and their young children. The group is exclusively female, although hopefully in the future that will change. The playgroup meets once a week on a Thursday morning from 10am until 12 noon. The playgroup has no set address and gatherings occur in the members’ homes or a park/playground. From September on, the group will meet on a Wednesday morning. The playgroup provides an opportunity for parents, especially those who are new to the area, to connect with each other and to help and support one another when the need arises.

The playgroup is multicultural and this provides an excellent opportunity for parents and children to learn about other cultures and respect differences. Helpful advice is given and parenting tips are exchanged. Very often it is just beneficial to be around fellow parents who have a sympathetic ear, and to know that one is not alone. The playgroup also provides the young children an opportunity to play with other children their own age. First friendships often develop at playgroups. This past year the playgroup organized a trip to Wolftrap Theatre-in-the-Woods in July. The playgroup continued to meet throughout August and September 2012. A picnic was held in a park in Vienna in September, which welcomed back a few old members. Some members attended a childrenâ€™s holiday concert in December 2012 performed at a high school in Vienna. In December one of our members lost her mother, and some members attended the memorial tea. In January 2013 the group was saddened to hear of the passing of a member of the Maryland group, and sent a group condolence card to the family. On a happier note, members continue to celebrate birthdays together. In March 2013, some attended a WBFN Parents and Tots Gathering at the WBFN office and were happy to meet several new members of the Maryland group. On this occasion, several dads also visited the office. Interested parents have contacted the coordinator, sometimes through word of mouth but mostly through the information in Mosaic. Email is the predominant method of communication. In June 2013, two members joined the existing group. There are typically 10 members on the email list, who are contacted each week. Of the 10, generally five members attend playgroup regularly, on a weekly basis. In April, Louise Touber stepped down as coordinator of the playgroup. Alison McIntire graciously accepted the responsibility of coordinating the group. Louise Touber would like to continue to organize some events. There seems to be a need for a continuation playgroup, beyond 4 or 5 years oldâ€”possibly a school-age playgroup which meets during school vacations and also occasionally on a weekend.

BOOK GROUPS AFRICAN BOOK GROUP The African Book Group meets on the third Monday of the month, September to May. Meetings move to the fourth Monday in months that have holidays falling on the third Monday. In recent times we have joined the English Book Group in June for a special program followed by a delicious potluck lunch in the lovely garden of Vim Maguire. In December, in place of the regular book discussion, we joined with our spouses for our annual potluck holiday dinner. We have been doing this for many years now and the spouses (the Bank staff) have gotten to know each other. It is always a delightful evening. We meet at 10:00am in the homes of our members, and spend the first 30 minutes socializing and enjoying the delicious fare prepared by the host. Thank you Ineka de Haan, Vim Maguire, Melitta Carter, Ileana de Geyndt, Binny Saker, Elna van Greuning, Alison Ordu and Debra Byam for welcoming the group to their homes. The two coordinators of the group, Alison and Debra, share the administrative duties. Debra usually researches the author and keeps track of attendance and books read. Alison is the liaison between the group and the WBFN office and Mosaic, communicating about meetings and other special occasions. We choose authors from as many different African countries as possible. The countries are listed in parentheses below. Our choices this year were: September: A School for My Village, by Twesigye Jackson Kuguri (Uganda)

October: King Peggy, by Peggielene Bartels & Eleanor Herman (Ghana)

November: Twenty Chickens for a Saddle, by Robin Scott (Botswana/New Zealand)

January: My First Coup dâ€™Etat, by John Dramani Mahama (Ghana)

February: The Queen of Katwe, by Tim Crothers (Uganda)

March: One is Enough, by Flora Nwapa (Nigeria)

April: Oil on Water, by Helon Habila (Nigeria)

May: Three Strong Women, by Marie Ndiaye (Senegal/France)

Summer reading is Americanah, by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

AMERICAN BOOK GROUP The aim of the American Book Group is to bring together WBFN members who are interested in reading and discussing literary works by American authors. During FY13, the American Book Group met every third Tuesday of the month during the semester of WBFN English classes. When classes are not in session, the Book Group does not meet. The group meets at La Madeleine, located in Bethesda.

ENGLISH BOOK GROUP The English Book Group has over 20 members that meet monthly to socialize and discuss a book the members have read for the occasion. Books are mainly fiction, range from classics through recent publications, and are chosen by consensus from member suggestions. The main criteria are literary merit, and the potential for a stimulating exchange of views on topics such as love, war, art, religion, and politics. Members take turns to host meetings. Through our regular shared brunches, followed by no-holds-barred book discussions, strong friendships have arisen. In addition to the eight monthly book discussion meetings, we hold a Holiday Potluck (to which significant others are invited), and a Summer Potluck, signaling the July-August hiatus. The Summer Potluck is a joint event with the African Literature Group, and typically has a theme and/or invited speaker. Membership is stable. Attendance at meetings this past year varied from 13 to a high of 40 (at a Potluck); a typical monthly turnout is around 18 members. Our book selections this past year were of exceptional quality, and are shown below (with hostâ€™s name in parentheses): September: Birdsong, by Sebastian Faulkes (Margaret Lane)

October: Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole (Monika Schott)

November: The Gift of Rain, by Tan Twan Eng (Barbara Cackler)

January: The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey (Nancy LeBaron)

February: A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, by Marina Lewycka (Sigrid Blobel)

March: Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes (Sabine Tourreilles)

April: In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Martina Luzuriaga)

May: In the Shadow of the Banyan, by Vaddey Ratner (Nandini Lal)

The Potluck events are always highlights of the calendar, and we are fortunate to have members who allow us to invade their homes in large numbers for these festivities year after year. Dianela Ratha hosted the Holiday Potluck in December. Vim Maguire hosted the June Potluck, with a Southeast Asian theme. Vim prepared a memorable Laksa entrée for the big crowd. We were honored to have a very special guest, Vaddey Ratner. Ms Ratner graciously talked about her inspiration, her life as a writer, and her acclaimed memoir (our May reading) describing her family’s experience in Cambodia before and under the Khmer Rouge regime. Members attended other events as a group. These included restaurant meals, wine tastings, recitals (in particular, solo and “Double C” duo performances by pianist Barbara Cackler), plays involving members (especially the British Players’ productions), and exhibitions. Notable exhibitions we saw include the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s exhibition of The Civil War & American Art, where member and docent Nancy LeBaron was our expert guide, and the curator-led tour of the Cyrus Cylinder exhibition at the Sackler, arranged by the indefatigable Vim Maguire.

FRENCH BOOK GROUP The French Book Group has been running for over 21 years and approximately 10 members form the core group. Due to frequent travels and personal commitments, 6–8 participants usually attend the monthly meetings. Members take turns to host the two-hour meetings at their homes. The French Book Group read the following books between September 2012 and June 2013: La double vie d’Anna Song, by Minh Tran Huy

Seule Venise, by Claudie Gallay

Les nouvelles orientales, by Marguerite Yourcenar

Villa Amalea, by Pascal Quignard

Tu as changé ma vie, by Abdel Sellou

L’equation africaine, by Yasmina Khadra

Le dit de Tian-Yi, by François Cheng

Le coeur regulier, by Olivier Adams

Une femme honorable, by François Giroud

MEN @ WBFN & BEER CLUB Since December 2010, WBFN members—men, women, husbands, wives, friends, colleagues, and even those from outside the Bank…—have been getting together once a week to enjoy a cold mid-week beer (or other refreshing beverage!), to network among each other, and to learn about what is going on in DC. The Beer Club members meet every Wednesday, usually at James Hoban’s on Dupont Circle from 6:30pm onwards. The Club’s philosophy continues to be that anyone is welcome anytime with no obligations and no need to RSVP. New members can sign up using the bclub@wbfn.org email address.

BRIDGE DUPLICATE BRIDGE (FRIDAY, ADVANCED GROUP) The Advanced Bridge Club continued to meet every Friday morning during FY13. The group meets at different players’ homes. Group members are both World Bank and non-Bank players, and all are advanced in their level of bridge playing.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE (WEDNESDAY) The Wednesday Duplicate Bridge Group continues to meet on the third Wednesday of every month. The group meets at 10:00am at the home of a player and breaks for a light lunch.

Most of the players have no affiliation with the World Bank. People interested in joining can contact Kathryn O’Brien on 301-983-4636.

INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL GROUP The International Cultural Group meets whenever an educational or culturally interesting place, activity or event is identified in the greater DC area. There are no fixed dates for meetings and the number of events per year is also flexible. In April 2013, the group organizers joined Calie Rerodo in organizing a lunch at Calie’s home, featuring foods from Madagascar and the islands of the Indian Ocean.

MAH-JONG CLUB The Mah-jong Club of 4-8 ladies meets once a week on a Tuesday morning from 10:00am until noon. The venue varies from week to week depending on which member volunteers to host. We follow the western game and use the book The Mah Jong Player’s Companion, by Patricia A. Thompson and Betty Maloney. Several members have their own set of Mah-jong tiles and anyone is welcome to visit and observe before committing to joining on a regular basis. We are not too competitive and welcome newcomers to learn and play this game, which keeps the memory stimulated by remembering a variety of games together with good judgment in selecting a game plan that will afford the best chance of success.

Personal support for those in needâ€Ś

FAMILY ISSUES AND ADVOCACY

ADVOCACY INITIATIVES The advocacy initiatives of WBFN grew from the needs of spouses who sought the safety of the WBFN office to unburden themselves and seek help and advice. Once the major, pressing issues of welcoming and providing general support for families were acknowledged and services established by the WBG, WBFN leaders concentrated all their efforts on getting spouses and domestic partners (DPs) professional help in dealing with the stress of transitions, relationships, parenting, personal issues, and domestic abuse.

FAMILY CONSULTATION SERVICE Following heavy lobbying by WBFN leaders, the WBG hired a behavioral health and wellness company, COPE Incorporated, working in the DC Metropolitan area, to help WBG families. COPE has collaborated with WBFN over the past 25 years to create special programs and services designed to meet the unique needs of international families at the WBG. The Family Consultation Service (FCS) is the first of two specialized programs developed out of this collaboration with WBFN. FCS aims to help WBG spouses/partners and their families seeking guidance, consultation, coaching and/or counseling in the areas of personal development, life transitions, relationship concerns, health issues, and mental health. COPE/FCS staff and clinicians are advanced degree, multilingual, and culturally competent professionals. They provide free and confidential crisis support services to WBG spouses/ partners and their families dealing with a variety of stresses and issues that may arise through a process of transition. Their goal is to focus on oneâ€™s strengths and help with practical, shortterm problem solving and solutions. Over the years, significant changes in the type and length of Bank staff contracts have resulted in a demographic shift in the membership of WBFN. The FY13 WBFN Membership Survey indicates that 57% of the respondents have been with the Bank five years or less, and of the new spouses/DPs welcomed by WBFN this past year, 36% are male. The increase in male spouses/DPs is a dramatic change from previous years as more female professional staff are employed at the WBG. Although these shifts in hiring policies have brought about great progress for women globally and professionally, there may be potential for higher levels of stress in the families as traditional gender roles change within the family structure. Another aspect is that more professional spouses/DPs are transitioning with the WBG staff

and potentially leaving behind their careers. Again, the FY13 WBFN Membership Survey shows that almost all of the respondents possess at least a college degree and 68% of them have a Masterâ€™s degree or higher, suggesting that professional and personal development opportunities are becoming more pertinent and sought out within the membership. This shift highlights new opportunities to address the changing needs of the membership. Most recently, WBFN and COPE have identified the need to engage male and female spouses/DPs with professional and career interests by assessing their needs. WBFN and COPE hope to address this in a 2013 pilot initiative to identify needs and utilize salient points of intervention for personal growth and development of participants. The resulting Personal Growth Forum Pilot hopes to determine which interventions help spouses/DPs reach their personal goals, reduce the stress of transition, and promote healthy relationships within WBFN and the WBG. The collaborative partnership between the WBFN and COPE allows for this initiative to be WBFN-driven and will consist of volunteers and specialists working together to create and design a program that is meaningful and relevant given the varying changes and needs of spouses/DPs. COPE/FCS is a free and confidential service provided 24/7 by the WBG for spouses, DPs, and families. The COPE office is located offsite to ensure privacy. Staff are available to answer your questions and schedule an appointment for you to talk with a specialist who will assist you in meeting your goals or address any concerns that you may have. Family Consultation Service Confidential Contact: +1 202-628-5104. For calls from Country Offices, please see the HUB section below for the international toll free number.

THE HUB The HUB Domestic Abuse Prevention Program (HUB) was established by COPE for the WBG due to the advocacy efforts of WBFN. Domestic abuse is a sensitive topic but the WBG recognizes that this does exist regardless of economic status, career, education, or country of origin. Domestic abuse is not just limited to physical abuse but may also include financial, verbal, or even psychological abuse, and this is where the HUB may be helpful. If you are dealing with any of these issues or concerns and if you should ever need assistance to deal with this very difficult topic, there is help available to you. Services include 24/7 crisis intervention, confidential consultation, coaching and counseling, referral services, and emergency support to staff and spouses/DPs who may be located at WBG Headquarters in DC, as well as those located in Country Offices throughout the world.

HUB CONFIDENTIAL CONTACT +1 202-628-2288 HOW TO FIND THE INTERNATIONAL TOLL-FREE NUMBER YOU NEED 1. Go to: www.business.att.com/bt/access.jsp 2. Use the chart to find your specific 800 number and access code 2.1 If using a landline, use the access code for the country you are in 2.2 If using a cell phone, use the access code of the country where you have your phone contract 3. After receiving a second dial tone, enter the Family Consultation Service International number: 855-855-FCSI (855-855-3274)

SPOUSE ISSUES COMMITTEE WBFN was conceived from the very beginning to deal with issues whose very existence was considered outside of the WBG’s business in spite of the fact that they directly and adversely impacted the family, thus indirectly impacting the staff’s productivity. Originally, individual spouses took it upon themselves to help and counsel those who found themselves in difficult situations of abandonment, loss of support, face to face with divorce, or domestic abuse with the consequent loss of visa and the right to stay in the US with their children. The first group, formed in 1993 to work on spousal inequities upon divorce especially after retirement, was called Pension Rights on Divorce (PROD). From this humble beginning, the WBFN advocacy work never stopped expanding: in 1995 the committee was renamed Spouse Rights on Divorce (SROD) and in 1996 the group expanded beyond divorce issues to deal with all matters of concern to spouses and was aptly renamed Spouses Issues Committee (SPIC). The committee was expanded this year to include Hada Zaidan, WBFN President and committee Chair; El Batoule Alaoui, EC member; Diana Mayer, WBFN member, as well as Fiona Oliphant, EC Secretary, and Hilary Welch—continuing members from last year. Elizabeth Legrain, the Bank’s Domestic Abuse Prevention Coordinator also joined the com-

mittee. The advantage of having the committee chaired by the President of WBFN is that it gives SPIC a more prominent voice with Bank management. FY13 was a year of change in the Domestic Abuse (DA) Program at the Bank. The program and the DA Prevention Task Force (DAPTF) were moved to the Health Services Department (HSD) under the leadership of Dr. Brian Davey, Director of HSD, and Dr. Stuart Fisher, Program Manager of the DA Prevention Program. SPIC members met with and welcomed Drs. Davey and Fisher early in the year and formed an excellent working relationship with them. We look forward to many years of fruitful collaboration. Fortunately, Mr. Fons Marcelis, Lead Human Resources Specialist at HRSCO, who had managed the DA Prevention Program for many years, is still invested in it and promised to remain involved. We greatly appreciate his continued interest and commitment and heartily thank him for it. WBFN owes Fons a deep debt of gratitude for all the time, effort and advocacy he did on behalf of our members and the program. In November, at the dedication of the Main Complex Atrium in Mr. Wolfensohn’s name, Fons thanked both Mr. and Mrs. Wolfensohn for instituting the DA Program at the WBG, and they in turn, acknowledged and thanked him for his contributions. Major efforts of advocacy with Bank management and close collaboration with the DAPTF and COPE Inc. took place this year. Thanks are due Elizabeth Legrain, the DA Prevention Program Coordinator, Diana Mayer, a SPIC member, and Gisele Youmbi, a WBFN member, who all participated in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Region’s DA Hackathon. This was the first event of its kind at the Bank where young hackers worked over the weekend to develop an HUB app readily downloadable on Bank mobile devices. It aims to facilitate victims’ contact with HUB counselors from anywhere in the world. This work won second price at the Hackathon, and the Hackathon won a VPU Team Award 2013! Thank you all for the good work! We are grateful to Sean McGrath, HRS VP, for his support in the fight against DA in the Bank community, for participating in the LAC Region’s DA Hackathon, and for supporting the app being pushed to all Bank-issued mobile devices. He also sent a statement against DA made by Ms. Caroline Anstey, WB Managing Director, to all HR core staff. Importantly, he has advocated for increased support for the DA Program. Hence, WBFN included DA prevention in its Operational Development Plan (ODP), submitted to Mr. McGrath in midMay 2013. Ms. Caroline Anstey graciously accepted the DAPTF’s invitation to be the WBG’s Champion against DA and opened October’s month-long DA program of events with a strong statement against DA in the Bank community, which is now considered “Bank policy”. She

followed her statement with a blog post on the Bank’s intranet, which Sean McGrath and Hasan Tuluy, LAC VP, forwarded to their respective staffs. WBFN’s President commented on the blog, noting the origins of the program and the extent of its development through the past decade. Ms. Anstey also launched the HUB web and mobile app, developed at the LAC DA Hackathon, at WBFN’s Annual Dinner in May. Last but not least, Hada Zaidan, the SPIC Chair, apprised Ms. Anstey of a list of needed changes in the rules at the Bank. These include changes in the Bank’s Pension Plan to allow garnishment of retirees’ checks for child and spousal support; changes to ensure that children of separated parents are not dropped from the staff’s health insurance without the knowledge of the spouse; changes in Staff Rule 3.06 (subsequently done) and changes to re-institution split shipment coverage for divorced and relocating spouses, to name a few. We are deeply grateful to Ms. Anstey for her support and her stance against DA in the WBG community. Conversations between the SPIC Chair and COPE Inc. members sparked the idea of starting a pilot program targeting WBFN male spouses and domestic partners. Sandipa Basnyat, WBFN President Operations, and Simo Malinen, EC member, were invited to participate in a brainstorming session on ways to engage male spouses. The result was the Personal Growth Forum Pilot, which “hopes to determine which interventions help spouses reach their personal goals, reduce the stress of transition, and promote healthy relationships within WBFN and WBG”, as described in the FCS report above. Last but not least, this year, SPIC members voted to help a total of three spouses in need of monetary support from the Barry McIsaac Emergency Fund.

DOMESTIC ABUSE PREVENTION TASK FORCE The WBG Domestic Abuse (DA) Prevention program is aimed at preventing the escalation of domestic abuse by focusing on early intervention and assistance for individuals who may already be impacted by an abusive relationship. WBFN advocated for the creation of this program in 2000 and continues to participate in education, prevention, and advocacy for its spouses/partners and their children both at headquarters and abroad. This past year, Hada Zaidan, the Bank’s first DA Prevention Coordinator, played a particularly active role in pushing advocacy. She met with HR VP Sean McGrath on numerous occasions to bring to his attention issues of concern particularly during the transition of the program from HR to the Health Services Department, which was effective in January 2013. In the spring, she also organized a meeting with WB Managing Director, Caroline Anstey,

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“Champion of the program”, which was attended by Dr. Stuart Fisher, HSD, Tanya Sisler, Corporate Security, and Elizabeth Legrain, DA Prevention Coordinator. The Spouse Issues Committee (SPIC), a small group of WBFN members, volunteered their professional skills to lend support to the program. They included Chair Hada Zaidan, El Batoule Alaoui, Fiona Oliphant, Hilary Welch and Diana Mayer. Mosaic’s monthly magazines continued to publish an article each month, “Stress In The Family” written by Fiona, a domestic abuse attorney. WBFN is an active member on the Bank’s DA Prevention Task Force, which meets monthly. Some of the Staff Rules reviewed this past year were the following: Staff Rule 6.06 provides paid leave to staff needing to take time off work to seek protection. It was passed in fall 2012. Staff Rule 4.01 on Spouse and/or Child Support Orders to be included within Protection Orders, is expected to be passed in September 2013. Staff Rule 7.01 on split shipment requires further discussion and advocacy. (WBFN advocated successfully for spouses to have rights to a split shipment following a divorce a decade ago, but this Staff Rule was reversed a few years back giving staff the benefit of full shipment). WBFN volunteers were involved in a Hackathon Against Domestic Violence in Central America organized by the Latin American and Caribbean region. This was the Bank’s first DA Hackathon, which won a VPU Team Award 2013. The result of this Hackathon was the creation of a HUB app for WBG staff for Bank owned mobile devices and a web app available to all staff and spouses/partners. WBFN is listed as one of the resources for those seeking additional help. This was the FIRST app pushed to all Bank owned mobile devices. Bank spouses/partners have the ability to download the app on personal devices. Caroline Anstey launched the app at WBFN’s Annual Dinner in May 2013. The DC Bar organized a Continuing Education training for local attorneys on November 13, 2012 titled, “Navigating Family Law Cases Involving the World Bank, IMF and IDB.” The Task Force initiated this effort.

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Fostering education in developing countriesâ€Ś

WBFN OUTREACH PROGRAMS

THE BOOK PROJECT Recently the editor of the WB 1818 Society (Bank Staff Retirees) Bulletin shared a 1987 article on the WBFN Book Project he found in the archives. The piece is on the history of the Book Project and the challenges the Book Project faced at the time. It could have easily been written today…26 years later. From the record it appears that over the years the dedication and determination of tireless volunteers have kept the organization determined and focused in its mission—the education of children in the developing world. While the volunteer pool continues to fluctuate with arrivals and departures, there is always a core group of devoted volunteers keeping the shipments to the developing world going. Upon closing FY13 the Book Project will see two large shipments sent to Ethiopia and Cameroon while two more are being prepared to Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya. The Book Project continues to add to the list of over 100 country recipients and the 3 million book donations sent in the past 30 years. The generous flow of books from county public schools in the Virginia and Maryland area along with the DC private schools and private donations keeps the Sterling, VA Warehouse full to near capacity (120 skids) regardless of how many books are boxed for shipment (30,000 books/18 skids/40 ft. container). The biggest constraint at times can be a shortage of volunteer hands. Volunteer support from WB staff, spouses, partners, and children helping during their holidays from school, as well as groups like the Bravo Club and 1818 Society staff is very much appreciated. Above all, support and advice under the WBFN leadership of Hada Zaidan, Sandipa Thapa Basnyat, and Catherine Mathieu have been invaluable in keeping the Book Project revitalized and encouraged. As we continue celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Book Project’s inception we face similar challenges and concerns encountered in 1987. However, it is reassuring and encouraging to know that the Book Project’s mission is so relevant to and supportive of today’s World Bank stated mission—END POVERTY.

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MARGARET MCNAMARA MEMORIAL FUND The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund (MMMF) selects women from developing countries to receive educational grants that will help further their education and build leadership skills so that they may ultimately work to benefit women and children in developing countries. To do this, MMMF raises funds through its annual crafts fair and through soliciting donations from individuals, while prudently managing its invested savings. It maintains its public non-profit status and governs through a volunteer Board of Directors, with many other volunteers carrying out fundraising and selection processes. In FY13, the South Africa program was expanded to include an additional two universities—Witswatersrand and Stellenbosch—and the pilot Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) program was launched. The MMMF selected a total of 24 grantees: 11 from US and Canadian universities; eight from South African universities; and five from LAC universities, to receive grants totaling $190,000. The US/Canada recipients were as follows: Rubina Bhatti (Pakistan); Easther Chigumira (Zimbabwe); Silvana del Valle Bustos (Chile); Masilin Gudoshava (Zimbabwe); Sabi Gurung (Nepal); Hala Malik (Pakistan); Janet Mangera (Kenya); Abidah Setyowati (Indonesia); Ly Tran (Vietnam); Nuha Shaer (West Bank and Gaza); and Simin Wadat (Afghanistan). The South Africa recipients were Faith Moyo (Zimbabwe); Wezzie Kuwenda (Malawi); Dumo Mkwanazi (South Africa); Idah Mzama (Malawi); Monica Longwe (Malawi); Joyce Mzingeli-Jere(Malawi); Nyaradzai Esther Dangarembizi (Zimbabwe); and Loveness Dube (Zimbabwe). The LAC recipients were Elizabeth Vargas Castellanos (Colombia), Liliana Molano (Colombia); Erika Torres (Peru); Georgina Velasco (Mexico); and Paloma Jimenez (Colombia). Grantees gathered in Pretoria in February and in Washington in May. Nine grantees met in Washington to attend the MMMF Forum, where they exchanged information about their academic studies and personal goals. The women also attended a one-day Leadership Workshop organized by the World Bank. Funds for the grant programs were raised through the annual International Arts and Crafts Fair, held on November 6 to 8, honoring Carla Scearce, the founder and Chair of the Fair for 20 years. The Fair raised approximately $52,000. For the first time, the MMMF participated in the World Bank Group’s Community Connections Campaign and raised just over $7,000.

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In addition, the MMMF raised funds through the Combined Federal Campaign. Generous donations from the families and friends of Leila Zlaoui and Arlette Fumiere, along with the McNamara Foundations and the Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union were very much appreciated. The MMMF would like to express its deep gratitude to the many WBFN volunteers and staff who give so much time and energy to our activities. They all make it possible to achieve our mission. More details about each of this yearâ€™s recipients can be found on our website, at mmmfâ€‘grants.org

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Investing in the Future of Developing Countries

AROUND THE OFFICE

Keeping the WBFN wheels turning…

MEMBER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Since 2009, WBFN has used a Microsoft Access database to keep track of all members and their personal information. The Member Management System (MMS) is maintained by the WBFN office staff, IT Specialist Golnaz Badkoubi and WBFN volunteers. This year, the performance of the database has improved (significantly) and the synchronization process of data with HR through SharePoint has become automated and transparent to the user. There is now no need to check the WBFN database for each alert received from HR, and at the same time, the administrator can monitor the synchronization process.

OFFICE LIFE Yet another year gone by, and so quickly! This year was such an enjoyable one for me. Hada and Sandipa made the perfect presidential team, always supporting and complementing each other, making my job much easier! Hada’s calm, positive, and diplomatic persona with Sandipa’s pragmatic and proactive nature gave the office a real “can do” feeling, where anything and everything seemed possible. Despite their numerous other commitments, the two dedicated uncountable hours and enormous energy to WBFN, for which we are all so grateful. The office bloomed under their leadership, with so many members and volunteers coming in and meeting so often that we sometimes had nowhere to put them all! This is the beauty of WBFN. As we move into the new fiscal year, I look forward to continuing to work with Hada and Sandipa in different volunteer roles. For yet another year, our dear Mariela has graced us with her presence every Monday morning, reporting to her “boss” Mimi for instructions on how she can help around the office. Always happy to take on any task while recounting her wonderful stories and sharing her knowledge with us all, Mariela brightens up our office and helps us get going during those first few hours of the week. This year saw the addition of a new face to the WBFN office. Goly, our Persian-PrincessIT-lifesaver, has become a part of the furniture in a very small time. Bravely taking over the MMS responsibilities from our dear Tania who moved to Moscow for a couple of years, Goly has worked wonders with our database, Sharepoint, and many other issues that only she with her special IT eye can foresee. And solve!

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Thanks to my favorite UK curly haired pseudo Brazilian young woman, Amy, this summer I was able to have really relaxing holidays. I knew the fort would be well held. After our dearest Louise finally retired (yes she did, can you believe it? Good job Masaharu, you won!), we all felt a bit like orphans, but Super-Amy combined her MA studies with our office so we could survive! Don’t get the wrong idea: this amazing young lady looks very young indeed, but she has a solid background in communications and organizational management, as well as being a very fast learner and, even more importantly, she is very passionate about WBFN. As always, a note to my wonderful “girls”. Yes I know, I must not call them that! It is terribly incorrect, but I haven’t yet found a better way to synthesize all they do. Are they Program Assistants? Well, they certainly assist, and program also, so that should be OK. But they do so much more. They are the soul, the smile, the backbone, the problem solvers, and the live memory of our organization. They are also the inspiration, the safety net, and the guidance for many aspects of my job that you, our beloved members, would not suspect. And this is exactly the proof of their talent: most people do not see nor imagine how much they work. Many thanks to Mimi and Christinne for another year of their great work. (Catherine Mathieu, WBFN Coordinator)

Thank you to our great office team!

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11 THE YEAR IN NUMBERS

FUN

256 people participated in our Annual Potluck Picnic.

748 kids and parents enjoyed our Children’s Holiday Party.

127 WBFN members, Bank staff and WBG partners attended 3 WBFN Office Gatherings.

INFORMATION

Of this year’s new members, 32% are male, and 33% are at Country/Field Offices.

310 members/staff attended Information Seminars on legal, tax and benefits matters.

101 members improved their English through WBFN English classes at 3 levels.

76 newcomers attended 5 sessions of the Spouse/Partner Orientation Program.

VOLUNTEERS

There are over 100 active volunteers at WBFN HQ in Washington.

These volunteers dedicated a total of 26,869 hours of their time to WBFN activities this year.

…while approximately 85 volunteers at WBFN local chapters dedicated over 5,000 hours!

OUTREACH PROGRAMS

The Book Project sent two large shipments to Ethiopia and Cameroon, with shipments to Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya also underway.

24 scholarships were awarded by the MMMF: 11 to women studying in the US or Canada; 8 to women studying in South Africa; and 5 to women studying in the Latin America and Caribbean region.

A total of over $52,000 was raised at the International Arts and Crafts Fair to benefit the MMMF.

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SALUTE TO VOLUNTEERS

WBFN = volunteer dedication, energy and skillsâ€Ś

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE July 1, 2012–June 30, 2013 President President Operations Secretary Welcoming Chair

Hada Zaidan Sandipa Thapa Basnyat Fiona Oliphant Florinda D’Eugenio Karen Manzanilla El Batoule Alaoui Aisha Humayun Kashif Karen Manzanilla Johannes Tonn Amber Van De Genachte Meg Walker Gilda Dadush (Senior Advisor) Laura Byerlee (Book Project Pres.) Andree Winkoop (MMMF Pres.)

Nominating Chair Member Member Member Member Member Ex-officio Member Ex-officio Member Ex-officio Member

NOMINATING COMMITTEE El Batoule Alaoui Philippe Futa Giselle Youmbi

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WIVES/WBVS/WBFN PRESIDENTS Hada Zaidan/Sandipa Thapa Basnyat Annemarie Brink Olsen Maaike le Grand Anne Folliet Rula Ghani Chantale Holzmann Gilda Dadush Kristina Jensen Rosa Lia Troch Lois Khairallah Chantale Holzmann Elizabeth Medina-Tata Barry McIsaac Hada Zaidan Katy Doyen Caroline Berney Ruksana Mehta Anne Dickerson Carla Peperzak Miliza Wright Paula Jeffries Miliza Wright Ruby Wingate Ruth Isbister

2012 – 2013 2011 – 2012 2010 – 2011 2009 – 2010 2008 – 2009 2007 – 2008 2006 – 2007 2005 – 2006 2004 – 2005 2003 – 2004 2002 – 2003 2001 – 2002 1999 – 2001 1996 – 1999 1994 – 1996 1991 – 1994 1988 – 1991 1985 – 1988 1982 – 1985 1981 – 1982 1978 – 1981 1977 – 1978 1974 – 1977 1972 – 1974

SALUTE TO VOLUNTEERS An organization such as WBFN cannot exist except by virtue of those who volunteer their talents, services, and above all, their time, so willingly and unsparingly. We gratefully thank all those whose names appear in alphabetical order on the following pages and sincerely hope that none have been inadvertently omitted. Patricia Caicedo

WBFN

Karen Cannon

Noha Abedel Masih

Himani Chaudary

Shalu Advani

Ling-yan Chen

Bilkisu Ahmed

Cary Clark

Sadeem Alkadi

Lysette Cohen

Goly Badkoubi

Alain Cornet

Mariana Balgurevich

Carmela Cosans

Dhara Balwa

Brinda Dayal-Prakash

Barbara Barbu

Deepika Davidar

Yulia Syachwinda Barkeling

Gaelle Dessus

Shital Beejadhur

Rachida El Yadari

Javier Bilon

Giovanni Fantasia

Sigrid Blobel

Naâ€™ava Feder

Marlene Bolze

Phi Fostvedt

Melanie Borgmann

Nancy Garcia

Sergiu Bulbas

Gladys Gikura

Ruth Bull

Francisco Gonzales-Cos

Debra Byam

Catherine Gouarne

Barbara Cackler

Charlotte Grant

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Alma Heroabadi

Anu Mishra

Myra Jacobs

Veronica Montfort

Rebeca Jimenez

Isabel Moreno

Clarisse Julia

Isabelle Moullier

Rumbidzai Kambasha

Melanie Muro

Florence Kando Fraval

Saimir Nasi

Sergey Karpenko

Cecilia Neher

Dafina Kelmendi

Laila Nelson

Diane Kerswell

Monica Nermark

Lois Khairallah

Lenore Oblitas

Shaheen Khan

Kathryn Oâ€™Brian

Carol Kiernan

Brian Ochieng

Silvia Kirova

Tope Olanrewaju

Sonja Kuhn

Alison Ordu

Elena Kuznetsova

Mari Parker

Nicky Lumb

Ning Poopech

Sally Macartney

Odile Prevot

Vim Maguire

Wenna Price

Shaziah Majid

Briana Pyfrom

Simo Malinen

Jeff Ray

Diana Mayer

Ursula Revuelta

Kiki McGrath

Dusan Rihor

Alison McIntire

Dorcas Roco

Albertina Meana

Pedro Saa

Mishi Mirza

Shirley Scheyer

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Monika Sergo

Amira Aly

Ruby Shamayleh

Vasilia Anayiotos

Louise Shimizu

Fatima Andrada

Haylee Smith

Diego Arias

Pat Streifel

Vivian Avalos

Jane Sui

Busharah Azhar

Louise Touber

Barbara Barbu

Baptiste Tripard

Yulia Syachwinda Barkeling

Rosa Lia Troch

Mehrunnisa Bashir

Alies Van Geldermalsen

Caroline Berney

Vanita Vengopal

Corrie de Blocq van Scheltinga

Hilary Welch

Sigrid Bobel

Rosa Wrede

Sarah Brau

Maki Yanagimoto

Debra Byam

Giselle Youmbi

Sophie Caporossi

Marta Zonta

Isabel Chatterton Tembi Chikosi

MMMF

Natasha Sophia Dales

Toyin Adnijii

Khetsime Dlamini

Georgine Ahmad

Shriley Faragher

Yasmine Ahmad

Naâ€™ava Feder

Hamelmal Aklilu

Glaucia Fernandes

Alex Alba

Miren Fernandez

Maria Alcover

Cecile Ferri

Betsy Alley

Miozotis Florez

Claudia Alvarez

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Mary Gervais

Monique de Morslis

Clarisse Guesdon

Makena Mwiti

Elizabeth Gutierrez

Thiru Naidoo

Ineke de Haan

Rema Nair

Marilon Hakuta

Samalie Nambuuya

Peta Sue Hellmann

Shilpa Narain

Lori Jacobson

Rosario Navarro

Melanie Jaya

Phindile Ngwenya

Anne John

Reiko Niimi

Ana Jubiz

Ceren Ozer

Patrick Kabuya

Rheetuparna Pal Mahajan

Diane Kerswell

Mari Parker

Lilian Kew

Dhamayanthy Pathmanathan

Madeleine de Kock

Hope Philips

Judith Kom

Yolanda Quintero

Nalinie Kouame

Manjusha Rai

Ada La Forgia

Jacqueline Rivero

Margaret Lane

Binny Saker

Francine Last

Shirley Scheyer

Anthea Levy

Louise Shimizu

Ledda Macera

Mei Siek

Wilson Magaya

Selene Sopelana Loyo

Barry McIsaac

Swati Srivastava

Don McIsaac

Christine Stover

Elizabeth Medina Tata

Zane Stuggings

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Ela Tomris Ilkgelen

Nancy Mugwagwa

Elize van der Linde

Rema Nair

Judy Wolf

Saimir Nasi

Najat Yamouri

Elleni Nati

Giselle Youmbi

Aggie Nuval

Marcia Yu

Asuka Okumura

Aparna Zaveri

Doina Olievschi

BOOK PROJECT

Caridad Penajemy

Josephine Acan

Pushpa Pherwani

Marie Louise Ahkee

Vilaykham Phomsouvanh-Backes

Maria Elena Anderson

Jana Prouzova

Bernard Bell

Sue Ramachandran

Suniti Bhand

Tessa Ravry

Carmelinda Blagg

Shubhangi Rele

Anna Bodahlborg

Riham Saah

Henrietta Butler

Veronica Schreiber

Laura Byerlee

Sunil Sehgal

Dorothy Dranneberg

Isabelle Stephant

Marie Helene Forget

Larissa Tungberry

Mary Green

Ester Valmonte

Sofia Kaneko

Hilary Welch

Talagavathi Karapayah

BFSFCU volunteers

Elena Kpodjedo

Student volunteers

Antje Liese-Muetinga Aminata Mbody

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World Bank Family Network 701 18th Street, NW, Room J2-030 Washington, DC 20006 www.wbfn.org familynetwork@worldbank.org 202-473-8751