Articles

October 2009

Business continuity planning: how the ILO prepares enterprises for a major Influenza A pandemic

29 October 2009

The ILO held a workshop on “Business continuity planning for Pandemics” with the participation of workers’ and employers’ representatives from key sectors, as well as representatives from related UN agencies. The meeting aimed to promote preparedness among diverse economic sectors for the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) and its potential impact on businesses worldwide. ILO Online spoke with Alfredo Lazarte-Hoyle, director of the ILO Programme on Crisis Response and Reconstruction.
One dinner that changed thousands of lives

27 October 2009

Last month, the Salvadoran NGO Agape was awarded the Social Entrepreneurship Award 2009 for Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic. The prize, presented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, recognizes Agape’s contribution to improving the lives of thousands of poor Salvadorans as well as its leadership and innovation in applying a successful business model.
Somalia: addressing the root causes of piracy and warlordism

13 October 2009

Faced with a dramatic increase in piracy off the Horn of Africa, countries have stepped up their efforts to protect shipping in the region. However, attention is now turning more to the question of why people turn to piracy to make a living and what can be done to provide an alternative. ILO Online reports from Somalia where an ILO programme financed by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) seeks to provide a visible peace dividend to poor communities by engaging them in large scale employment-intensive projects, together with enterprise skills development and the promotion of social dialogue.
Climate change in Asia: while awareness is increasing, the water is rising

06 October 2009

As global awareness on climate change increases, some regions of the world are already suffering from its consequences. In one such area in the Philippines, the ILO has launched a new project to lessen the impact of changing weather patterns on the local economy. This experience illustrates the challenge of adapting to climate change which will be one of the items on the agenda of Climate Change Talks involving 2,500 participants in Bangkok until 9 October to prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. The ILO’s Communication officer Minette Rimando reports.

September 2009

Social security for all, the Brazilian way

23 September 2009

Brazil has been at the fore front of social security protection and promotion in Latin American over the past years. Its social protection programmes are widely regarded both for their scope and innovation. The Brazilian Deputy Minister for Social Security, Carlos Eduardo Gabas, was recently elected President of a Tripartite Meeting of Experts on Strategies for the Extension of Social Security Coverage at the ILO and discussed Brazil’s experience in this field with ILO On-line.
India’s barefoot solar engineers fight climate change and poverty

04 September 2009

The year 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the ILO’s gender equality action plan, and the end of a year-long global ILO campaign on gender equality and the world of work. One of the themes of the campaign was the linkage between climate change and the role of women in the world of work. Mandy Cunningham, a freelance journalist, reports from Rajasthan, India where women are at the forefront of what the ILO calls Green Jobs; jobs which are created as a result of economies adapting to climate and environmental change.
Social protection for all: From large-scale poverty to decent societies

02 September 2009

The global recession has increased unemployment and poverty across the world. A new publication "Building decent societies", edited by Peter Townsend, makes the case for the development of comprehensive social security systems in all countries, notwithstanding their levels of wealth, as a measure towards alleviating desperate conditions of poverty, the reversing growing inequality and encouraging economic growth. ILO Online provides questions and answers on social security and our societies today.

August 2009

Power for the powerless; the woman behind India's ‘Gentle Revolution’

31 August 2009

The year 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the ILO’s gender equality action plan, and the end of a year-long global ILO campaign on gender equality and the world of work. One of the themes of the campaign was “Social dialogue at work: voices and choices for women and men”. ILO Online reports from India where the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) has helped women and men to make their voices heard since 1971.
Gonaives: Preparing for the next big storm

26 August 2009

Come hurricane season, the citizens of Gonaives in northern Haiti brace for the worse. Five years ago, Hurricane Jeanne ripped through its shores sending walls of water and mud down the surrounding slopes and changing the face of the city forever. A project managed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) has been helping local residents organize themselves to build erosion control networks to protect the city from mudslides and heavy run-off. But as ILO Online reports, the challenge does not stop at the hillsides.
By cooking and cleaning, Cambodia’s Mr. Mom sweeps away poverty

21 August 2009

The year 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the ILO’s gender equality action plan, and the end of a year-long global ILO campaign on gender equality and the world of work. One of the themes of the campaign was the issue of harmonizing employment and family commitments for both women and men. Karen Emmons, a freelance journalist, reports from Cambodia where an ILO training programme helps to bring about the necessary change in attitudes.