Some of the bravest people Ramanie Kunanayagam has encountered in her job with the World Bank’s internal watchdog are the everyday folks who push aside threats and intimidation to lodge complaints about bank-funded development projects.
Those coming forward are seeing their communities being uprooted to make way for things like new roads, dams, and power plants. They are often powerless compared to those who have a financial stake in the projects’ success.
And so, they come to the independent Inspection Panel at the Washington-based lender, often after having exhausted all other options, hoping for some remedy.