Evidence for Hope

4

Time for change: IIED 1984–1990

Brian W Walker

By the mid-1980s, I had known William Clark (then President of IIED) for some years, and Barbara Ward, his predecessor, for even longer. Indeed, Barbara had been a powerful supporter of Oxfam both before and during my time as its Director General.

Ten years earlier, by one of those strange quirks of fate, IIED had arranged a conference on ‘The Exploding Cities’, in Oxford, starting on 1 April 1974. By chance this was my first day in Oxfam as ‘Director Designate’. Leslie Kirkley, from whom I was taking over, said that I'd better go down to the Ashmolean to represent Oxfam, but to be sure to introduce myself to Barbara who was to give the keynote address. She was a powerful ally in the battle against ...