Ponna Wignaraja

Ponna Wignaraja Chairman, South Asian Perspectives Network Association (SAPNA), Colombo. He served as Vice Chairman of the SAARC Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation (192). During a career with the UN system of over four decades, Dr Wignaraja has held numerous advisory roles in the World Bank, IMF, the UN University, UNESCO, UNICEF, IFAD and UNRISD. He has pioneered development banking and poverty focussed institutions at national and local levels, both internationally and in South Asia. A prolific author, Dr Wignaraja has published more than eight books so far, including Women, Poverty and Resources; Participatory Development: Learning from South Asia (co-author); New Social Movements in the South (ed.); and Pro-poor Growth and Governance in South Asia (ed.). He is currently also involved in issues relating to conflict management transformation and negotiations for peace in several South Asian countries. In 1993, he was awarded the highest civilian honour for national service in Sri Lanka—Deshamanya.