We are pleased to announce four of the speakers who will be joining us for our annual National Conference over the weekend of the 10th-12th of May 2014.
With an exciting range of speakers already confirmed, this year’s conference is shaping up to be one of our most exciting conferences to date! To find out more about them, have a read of their bios below.
 Speaker Biographies
 Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor is an analyst and activist, working on open government and citizens’ engagement. He works as Open Development Consultant for Twaweza, an East African NGO that creates opportunities for citizens to make change happen in their own communities directly and by holding government to account. Prior to this, Ben spent 12 years working for various civil society organisations in Tanzania, including WaterAid and Daraja. Drawing on his expereince working with grassroots movement Twaweza in East Africa, Ben will be speaking in the weekends first session: Doing it for themselves: national and grassroots development successes that are breaking the mould.
Nick Dearden
Nick Dearden is the director of the World Development Movement, a not-for-profit organisation campaigning against the root causes of poverty and inequality. Nick started his career at War on Want where he became a senior campaigner. He went on to be corporates campaign manager at Amnesty International UK. As director of the Jubilee Debt Campaign, he built strong relationships with campaigners in the global south. He helped win a new law to stop Vulture Funds from using UK courts to squeeze huge debt payments out of poor countries. Nick will be speaking in the weekends contested debate: The unseen hand of progress? Does the private sector hold the key to development in the 21st century?
Daniel Ben-Ami
Daniel Ben-Ami  has worked as a writer for over 25 years, during which time he has contributed to numerous national, specialist and international publications. Ferraris For All, his book defending economic progress, was first published in 2010 and an extended edition was published in 2012. His book on global finance, Cowardly Capitalism, was recommended by the Baker Library of Harvard Business School. Ben-Ami will be joining Nick to debate the private sectors role in development
Andrew Felton
Andrew Felton is currently the Senior External Affairs Counsellor at The World Bank. Â Prior to becoming the Senior External Counsellor at the World Bank, Felton worked with DeDepartment for International Development as a Policy Analyst, and Head of Cabinet. He also spent time working with DFID in both Tanzania and Sierra Leone. Felton received his MSc in Rural Resource Management: Tropical from the University of Wales, Bangor. Andrew will be presenting the Banks vision of a world without poverty in the days final session: Is zero possible? Fulfilling the World Bank’s ambition of ending poverty by 2030.
For more information about the conference check out the National Conference webpage or click here to download a booking form.
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