SPECIAL FEATURE


STEVEN IN SHORT


“We are using other people’s resources – taxpayers’ money,


private sector finance – and people quite understandably want to see results.”


Steven Shalita, Africa Communications and Partnerships Manager, World Bank Group


en Sh tnership t the wo


Steven began his career as a journalist in Uganda and a technology lecturer at Makerere University in Kampala (at around the time ‘the internet’ was catching on). He later became bureau chief of the East African newspaper and worked for Reuters as a correspondent, before moving into development work via the International Committee of the Red Cross. He has been with the World Bank Group for 15 years.


Steven…on motivation “I love communicating – interacting with people – and I love seeing that what we do at the World Bank is making a difference in the world. I’m moved by that. I’m very impatient with anything that doesn’t produce results. In my free time, I like gardening and I plant flowers. I check on them regularly, waiting for progress; waiting for them to bloom. I like to see the world change.”


…on working at the World Bank “It’s fascinating because the World Bank embodies


“We need to be especially transparent – and communication is the vehicle that ensures we’re accountable.” Steven manages the World Bank


Group’s communications for the Africa region. “It’s a huge mandate,” he acknowledges, involving a team of around 50 people. But he believes the aim for development communications should be straight- forward: “It’s about changing the narrative to show progress and to bring hope, so that people understand that change is possible.” Development actors, he says, need to be better at sharing success stories about people, communities and countries emerging from poverty – as well as learning points when things don’t go so well. “Ultimately, we’re all desperately in need of good news in today’s world. We must show that progress is possible; demonstrate the opportunities,” he says. This is part of Steven’s wider


argument about how today’s 24/7 news cycle brings with it many challenges – including the ‘drama threshold’ phenomenon. “People are not interested unless something


is terribly wrong, because they’re seeing so much negativity in the news. We come to think there are nothing but horrible events taking place.” Development communication – like fact-based reporting – offers an alternative reality, where something positive is happening. These days, communication plays such an important part in an organization’s success that it’s no longer the domain only of skilled professionals. Communication informs the political dialogue and raises the public awareness required to bring about social progress. All development staff have a responsibility to consider the relevance of their work to the organization’s communication strategy. “There is definitely a space for skilled communication professionals, because we need to ensure the consistency of messages and highly engaging narratives,” Steven says. “But everybody has a role today. All employees should be engaged in communicating – whether they’re new graduate recruits or chief executive officers.”


what the world looks like – it’s a very multicultural and diverse environment. It’s easy to point out that the Bank is not perfect. But when you see


onment.


But when you see the rigor of people’s work – how people hearts and


who believe in making a difference.”


…on recent innovative develo “About two years ago we started a


put their hearts and souls into the work they do – it’s really ve so


elopment projects we started a campaign called #AfricaCan


– it’s not just a feel good kind of thieel good kind of thing but an initiative to amplify optimism and opportunity by enco su


timism and opportunity by encouraging ambition, sharing successes, and celebrating the peo today. It collects success stories a are making a difference in their com man in Ghana invented a water bic to school when it floods. We’ve a ‘Visions of Africa’, and our aim the continent through con videos and photograph stereotypical ‘Live A to think Africa is that the contine


the people transforming Africa e making a diff


ccess stories and focuses on people who communities. For instance, a bicycle that children can ride


’ve also created an initiative called aim is to help change the narrative of


gh contemporary and empowering images, aphy. We found our database was full of Aid’-style images. It’s very easy for people


to think frica is stuck in the past. But Visions of Africa shows


that the continent is on the move. There are many women entrepreneurs a


change bureau in Ghana. The young man behind said: ‘Yes – it can! For such a long time, they told frica can’t. I’m so glad Africa Can.’ He said he’d give me change rate if I gave him the t-shirt. Luckily, I had in my luggage. It shows that people – especially young people – are simply looking for motivation in some cases. They are disap opportun


or


eneurs and African youth doing innovative things. Not long ago, I wore a t-shirt with a big 'Africa Can' logo and entered a foreign exchan the counter said us Africa can’t. I’ the best exchang another in my people – a


e disappointed with some of their leaders who don’t prioritize unities for creating jobs leading to transformation.”


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something. We have so many staff who believe in development; who believe in making a di


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