D+C Development and Cooperation (No. 6, November/December 2000,
p. 3)

The developing countries, on the other hand, attracted their visitors with a mixture of charm, exotic ambience, down-to-earth salesmanship and serious information on their local development and environment. Millions of people enjoyed the exuberant atmosphere of the Africa Hall with its colourful stands, its bazaars bursting with samples of African art and handicraft, and its ever-present music from all corners of the continent; and millions, too, came to dance to hot Latin American rhythms at the Mexican or Venezuelan pavilions. Many of those attracted by the show elements of EXPO may not have looked at the more substantial parts of the exposition with information on a wide variety of subjects concerning our present and future life on planet earth. But at the end of a day at EXPO, most people had got at least a glimpse of the great diversity of peoples and cultures that make up our world.

In Germany, the pros and cons of EXPO 2000 were hotly debated. Was it worth to spend so much money on a venture with such uncertain return? From an economic point of view, EXPO 2000 can indeed be considered a disaster. Because only 18 million visitors came instead of the expected 40 million, the bill to be picked up by Federal finance minister Hans Eichel and his counterpart from Lower Saxony runs into 2.4 billion DM. But there were also kickbacks from the huge investment into Hanover's infrastructure and from the extra employment effects so that the net cost of the EXPO for the taxpayer is actually far less. Moreover, the benefits of a World Exposition for a host country cannot be measured in financial terms alone. Its is the effects on a country's image which form a less tangible but nevertheless real gain when hosting a world event of this magnitude.

In this respect, Germany certainly profited enormously from the peaceful, relaxed and exhilarating spirit of EXPO 2000 in Hanover. The news from Germany during the last ten years had often been dominated by reports about xenophobic and racist attacks by rightwing extremists on foreigners living in this country. Since unification of East and West Germany in 1990, no less than 100 people have actually been killed in such attacks. At EXPO in Hanover, where more than 100 000 visitors met with thousands of foreigners from all cultures, religions and races every day, not a single serious incident was reported either within or outside the fairgrounds. Out of the 18 million visitors, more than 16 million were Germans, and they were all open to learn about other countries, meet people from other continents, enjoy their food, their customs, their culture, and celebrate with them in the evenings. Those Germans who went to EXPO obviously did not belong to the small minority of extremists on the right lunatic fringe who have given such a bad name to Germany in recent years, and the world could see that there is the majority of others who want to live in peace with other cultures.

EXPO 2000 was also a chance for small developing nations to build their image and put their names on the world map. The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, for instance, attracted an estimated 3 million visitors to its pavilion. Built in form of a traditional buddhist temple by Bhutanese craftsmen and artists, this pavilion was one of the most beautiful and authentic sights on the immense fairgrounds. Hardly anybody among the many visitors would have been able to tell before seeing the exhibit where exactly Bhutan was located or what its culture or constitution was like. This all changed through EXPO, and Bhutan was one of the countries most frequently mentioned in press reports or visitors' tales about the Hanover show. Nepal, Jemen, and other small countries had similar experiences.

It is these intangible gains which make EXPO 2000 a success, not only for the host country but also for the participating nations. Its developmental impact is assessed on the following pages. It is worth mentioning here that in the ten Global Dialogues held during EXPO in Hanover, in which central issues of international development were discussed, some 3000 participants from all over the world put their brains together to find answers for the future. The Worldwide Projects of EXPO also contributed to giving the exposition a global approach.

Ricardo Diez Hochleitner, the President of the Club of Rome and one of the fathers of EXPO 2000, called the exhibition "a dream come true". This may sound a little too enthusiastic, but it is undeniable that the exposition was much better than its reputation, and that most visitors were extremely pleased with it. For Germany, it was a major success and a much needed boost for its image in the world.