Document Abstract
Published:
2001
Development through the looking glass: the Knowledge Bank in cyber-space
The Global Development Gateway: a flawed initiative?
This article looks at the World Bank's role as a Knowledge Bank. The article in particular investigates the Global Development Gateway. The article finds that:
- the Gateway it is in fact conceived, designed and operated in a way that systematically excludes certain voices and perspectives
- many civil society organizations have decided not to cooperate with the Gateway and instead to continue to build a plurality of spaces to post, share and aggregate information, including critical perspectives on the Bank's knowledge agenda
- the Gateway fails to udnerstand that many people are simply not prepared to accept information which is categorized and endorsed through official processes, but seek material that is produced and filtered by like-minded organizations or individuals
- a positive, if unintended, result of the Bank's Gateway push is a growing concern about the World Bank's knowledge agenda among diverse civil society groups
- this may result in the development of horizontal linkages between like-minded organisations and people
