Dear newsletter subscriber,
The eyes of the world were on the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on 2 April: US President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on goods from almost every country in the world, causing shock and confusion among governments, businesses and stock markets.
One of the reasons that Trump gave for the tariffs is that he wants to bring jobs back to the USA – specifically those manufacturing jobs that were outsourced to low-wage countries under globalisation. And he is absolutely right that the global labour market is unfair. Countries like the USA and most EU states are the beneficiaries, however: In the Global South, more people work under precarious conditions, wages are lower, social security is worse, and poverty and wage inequality are higher. Workers in the low-wage sector make cheap consumption in the North possible. There is no question that this system is unbalanced. It is equally clear that all jobs should be fairly paid and protected.
In this month’s issue, we take a look at the lives of people with low incomes who work under precarious conditions – and at their options to improve their situations. You won’t be surprised to learn that raising tariffs is not one of them.
We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. Please feel free to share your opinions, criticisms and suggestions by emailing us at euz.editor@dandc.eu.
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Kind regards,
Eva-Maria Verfürth
editor-in-chief of D+C |
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Focus:
Working hard for a better life
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| © picture alliance/Photoshot |
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Improving working conditions in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry |
In Uzbekistan, the state itself forced both adults and children to pick cotton. The country is one of the world’s largest cotton producers. Fifteen years ago, reforms became inevitable due to international pressure. Shahida Tulaganova, an Uzbek director and reporter, explains why there is a risk of relapse. |
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| © picture alliance/zumapress.com/MD Mehedi Hasan |
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“The law would be gutted before it even came into force” |
The EU Supply Chain Act aims to hold European companies accountable for how their products are made. The introduction of the controversial law has now been postponed by a year – a concession to the business lobby, says Armin Paasch, advisor on responsible business and human rights at Misereor, the Catholic development agency, in our interview. |
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© dpa/AA/Augustin Wamenya |
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Very soon after it became clear how fundamentally AI would change our lives, voices began to warn of the loss of numerous jobs due to the new technology. What is rarely considered, however, are the workers without whom AI would not even exist. Fabio Andrés Díaz Pabón and Azza Mustafa Babikir Ahmed from the University of Cape Town are taking a look at exploitation within the AI supply chain. |
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The cover image of this issue shows the painting “Labor Day” by Rwandan artist Ngabonziza Bonfils. He also created the painting “Empty Baskets” which is featured at the beginning of this issue’s focus section. Here he introduces himself and his art:
“My name is Ngabonziza Bonfils, and I was born in Rwanda, where I still live. I mostly create African Folk Art or Naïve Art. My art is like a bright cloth made of stories about community, the strong women of Africa and how people and nature live together peacefully. I use strong colours and shapes. I want to make the women in my art look powerful. Through my art, I want to share stories that everyone can understand and help people from different places appreciate the beauty and strength of the African spirit.” |
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We are now better prepared for pandemics. After more than three years of intensive negotiations, WHO member states have taken an important step towards improving global pandemic preparedness by agreeing on a draft treaty. It is expected to be signed at the upcoming World Health Assembly in May.
“The nations of the world made history in Geneva today,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “In reaching consensus on the Pandemic Agreement, not only did they put in place a generational accord to make the world safer, they have also demonstrated that multilateralism is alive and well, and that in our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground and a shared response to shared threats.”
The draft text includes proposals for establishing a pathogen access and a benefit-sharing system, as well as for creating a global supply chain and logistics network.
Although countries such as the USA and Argentina have stated that they will not support the agreement, this is unlikely to jeopardise the broad consensus of the majority of WHO member states that support the draft. |
| What has also caught our interest |
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A year ago, elections began in the world's largest democracy. A major study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank examined the voting behaviour of Indian citizens. Roli Mahajan, our correspondent in Lucknow, sent us the study with the comment: “For anyone who wants to know more about India and its people, this is a very worthwhile read.” We would like to pass on her recommendation to you. |
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Two of Europe’s leading development policy thinkers attempt to make sense of the Donald Trump administration’s vision for development cooperation in the Global Policy Journal. Stephan Klingebiel, research programme director at IDOS, and Andy Sumner, EADI president, believe they have identified five guiding principles.
Stephan Klingebiel wrote about the topic for D+C back in February. |
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The scholarship programme “Leadership for Africa” (LfA) supports young refugees and national scholars from South Sudan and Uganda in pursuing their Master’s studies in Germany. Eligible are highly qualified graduates from South Sudan and Uganda or refugees that have been granted asylum in South Sudan or Uganda. A completed Bachelor’s degree must be provided at the time of application. The programme is covering all fields of study except for Law, Fine Arts, Architecture, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery or other healthcare related academic fields.
Application deadline: 10 June |
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The Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship (CSC) provides funding for Master’s studies for students from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries. The programme allows talents to access training and skills required for sustainable development through part-time taught Master’s studies with UK universities while remaining in their home countries.
Application deadline: 20 May |
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The “Business solutions for climate” programme of Solutions & Co by Sparknews is calling for business projects tackling climate issues. Selected projects will be featured in 20 of the worldwide leading economic newspapers and can therefore gain international coverage as well as new audiences.
Submission deadline: 28 June |
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Imprint
Publisher information: ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL gGmbH Service für Entwicklungsinitiativen
Publisher: Fazit Communication GmbH, Pariser Strasse 1, D-60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Telephone: +49 (0)69 7591-3110 | Email: euz.editor@dandc.eu
Website: www.fazit.de | Managing Directors: Jonas Grashey, Hannes Ludwig |
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