Steve Marshall
By Steve Marshall, ILO’s liaison officer in Yangon, Myanmar
A view from Yangon: ILO’s liaison officer Steve Marshall talks about the changes he is witnessing in Myanmar
Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar. © A.Lwin Digital
Watch and Listen: Reform process in Myanmar is irreversible, says ILO expert
Patrick Belser
By Patrick Belser, ILO Senior Economist
Like many people, I like talking to my hairdresser while getting a haircut. Sometimes these conversations can be quite trivial, but what Yvan told me the other day really got me thinking. Continue reading
Simel Esim
By Simel Esim, Chief of the ILO’s Co-operatives Branch
There’s quite a buzz in Manchester Central (United Kingdom), where 10,000 men and women from co-operatives around the world have gathered to share their ideas and experiences.
The three-day Co-operatives United event marks the close of the UN International Year of Co-operatives and highlights the staying power of a movement that is gaining renewed attention worldwide.
Personally, I find it inspiring to be in the land of the Rochdale pioneers – 10 weavers and 20 others who in 1844 decided to band together to sell food items they could not otherwise afford, as the industrial revolution forced skilled workers into poverty. They started off with just a few items – butter, sugar, flour, oatmeal and candles. A decade later, the British movement had grown to nearly 1,000 co-operatives.
Their story, 168 years on, still rings true. Continue reading
Work In Progress 