The Sustainability Learning Forum

Will the Arab Spring Free the “Orphans of Globalization”?

Prof. Jean-Pierre Lehmann, IMD

It was a humiliated Arab youth – the Tunisian Mohammed Bouazizi from the desolate village of Sidi Bouzid – who, in immolating himself, sparked a revolution that engulfed his country, spread to Egypt, and has gripped the entire Arab world. It is the first revolution to happen in the Arab world for some time, certainly one led by youth, and it is the first in which the spirit of revolution was spread through such social media instruments as Facebook and Twitter. more[...]

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Renewable Energy in the Middle East and North Africa

Dr. Franz Trieb, German Aerospace Center - DLR
Prof. Hans Müller-Steinhagen, Technische Univeristät Dresden

Until very recently, the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region had not indicated any serious interests in the use of renewable energies, as these technologies were considered insufficient, irrelevant, and expensive. Countries with oil or gas became rich by exploiting their fossil fuel reserves, while the other countries claimed to be too poor to be able to afford wind or solar power. This picture changed in 2008 when the price of a barrel of oil climbed to $140. more[...]

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Improving Labor Standards Performance in the Middle East

Craig Moss, Social Accountability International (SAI)

Labor standards and working conditions in the Middle East exhibit many of the same basic problems that occur globally. If we look at workers’ demands from the recent strikes in Egypt and Jordan, we will see issues that clearly violate the International Labour Organization’s core labor conventions – unfortunately, that will surprise no one. more[...]

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Wasta: How the Use of “Connections” Impacts on Private Sector Development in Arab Countries and Why

Dr. Markus Loewe, German Development Institute

The literal translation of the Arabic word wasta is “connection,” but it is often employed for favoritism, that is, the use of personal relations for preferential treatment. Favoritism is a form of corruption when someone uses her/his position to distribute the resources of someone else (e.g., the employer or the state) to a friend or relative. more[...]

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Freedom, entitlement, and the path to development

Jean-Pierre Chauffour, World Bank

Twenty years after the revolutions of Central and Eastern Europe, the Arab Spring is again raising some fundamental questions about the place of freedom and entitlement in development. Depending on the balance between free choices and more coerced decisions , individual opportunities to learn, own, work, save, invest, trade, protect, and so forth could vary greatly across countries and over time. more[...]

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Water, oil and demographics: The Arab world’s triple crisis

Dr. Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed, Institute for Policy Research & Development

Unless Arab governments invest much more in health, education and citizens' rights, warns Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed, the pressures of water scarcity, oil depletion and population growth will spell their downfalls. One in five people around the world lack access to safe drinking water, so it is undeniable that we already face a global water crisis. But water scarcity is not just about its physical availability, it is also about power, poverty and inequality. more[...]

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The UN Global Compact in the MENA Region

Matthias Stausberg, United Nations Global Compact

For a few years after the Global Compact’s launch in 2000, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remained uncharted territory for the initiative. This changed in 2003, when the first efforts were undertaken to promote the Global Compact in Egypt. A high-level launch took place in Cairo in February 2004, resulting in the participation of more than 50 companies, including many of Egypt’s leading corporations. more[...]

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The UN Global Compact in the MENA Region

Matthias Stausberg, United Nations Global Compact

For a few years after the Global Compact’s launch in 2000, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remained uncharted territory for the initiative. This changed in 2003, when the first efforts were undertaken to promote the Global Compact in Egypt. A high-level launch took place in Cairo in February 2004, resulting in the participation of more than 50 companies, including many of Egypt’s leading corporations. more[...] login_required

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Eni’s Cooperation Model for Sustainable Development

Sabina Ratti, eni

Multinational companies face huge challenges in countries they operate in, from human rights to the growing need for transparency and responsibility, from respect for the environment to the fight against poverty and the promotion of fair labor practices. Oil and gas companies operate in some of the most challenging places on earth, where they can have an important impact on local communities and on the environment due to the nature of their operations. Furthermore, they manage energy resources that are deeply connected to the economy of a country, and they cope with a public sector that often looks for the support from the private sector to guarantee an improvement of development standards. more[...]

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The MDGs at a Glance

Editorial Team

In the year 2000 the United Nations introduced the Millennium Development Goals. Main targets are the reduction of extreme poverty and a global partnership for development. At the UN Millennium Summit in New York stakeholders from the international politics, civil society and global NGOs promised to achieve all these targets till 2015. The eight goals are: Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/Aids, Malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development. more[...] login_required

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INSIDE... Middle East and North Africa

Editorial Team

The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has even described the Arab Spring as the most significant event of the 21st Century so far. Our special describes the political and historical backround, focuses on cores sustainability issues in the region like human rights, labour standards and ani-corruption. Another mayor section is the analysis of CSR in the region and role of the UN Global Compact. more[...]

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Notable Shift Towards Holistic Understanding of CSR

Matthias Stausberg, United Nations Global Compact

It took its time but the Global Compact has become increasingly important in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) over the last couple of years. UNGC spokesperson Matthias Stausberg explains in our interview that the understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a value driver is typical for the whole region. more[...]

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The Global Compact in the Emirates

Habiba Al Marashi, Emirates Environmental Group (EEG)

In just 20 years, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have transformed themselves from deeply traditional nations that depended largely on oil revenues to booming metropolises with rapidly growing and diversified economies. The transformation – especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been staggering; once home to a small and tight knit society, the UAE today boasts over 202 different nationalities, making it one of the most diverse nations in the world. more[...]

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