Oral history interview with Ponna Wignaraja, 2001.

Biographical Note

United Nations Developement Advisor

Scope and Contents

Background and childhood: born 1926, Sri Lanka, Hindu family; education: economics, University of Sri Lanka, University of Ceylon, 1944-48, Yale University; career: International Monetary Fund [IMF] development advisor, 1951-53, World Bank advisor, 1962-67, secretary-general of the Society for International Development, 1981-86, vice chairman of the Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation, 1991, chairman of the South Asian Perspectives Network Association [SAPNA]; themes: Hindu background and village life during childhood as influence for interest in global development and poverty, Gandhi's influence on development of political consciousness, yoga as a spiritual influence, experiences in Germany, World Bank missions in Africa, SAPNA as a tool for development and social change in South Asia, UN commissions and projects for dealing with South Asian poverty, family reminiscences, colleague reminiscences; writings: "Towards a Theory of Rural Development", "New Social Movements in the South", "Pro-Poor Growth and Governance in South Asia"

Subjects

• Economic development projects.
• International Monetary Fund.
• Interviews.
• Jolly, Richard, interviewer.--http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/ivr
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Poverty--International cooperation.
• Poverty--South Asia.
• South Asia.
• South Asian Perspectives Network Association.
• United Nations--Officials and employees--Interviews.
• Wignaraja, Ponna--Interviews.
• World Bank.

Access Conditions

Copyright by the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, 2002