For example, at the height of Congressional concern  BIS Review 68/1997  -4-  about financial derivatives, the Group of Thirty sponsored a study to identify principles of sound practice for managing risks in derivatives for both dealers and end-users. By providing guidance on this issue, that study served as a catalyst for industry participants to analyze and evaluate their own practices.
In less than one-and-a-half decennium, The Economist changed its mind and came up with the pet name “Hopeful Continent”. What made The Economist, like many others, change its mind? Well, basically two developments, I think. First, its economic achievements. The years since the turn of the millennium have marked a period of sustained economic growth for the African continent.