Nearly 7,000 civil society organizations and trade unions have signed a letter to their respective heads of state and government calling for redoubling efforts to implement a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT), also known as the 'Robin Hood tax'. The petition was submitted on the occasion of the European summit held in Rome to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

CSOs point out that such a tax on financial transactions would entail a minimum income of € 20 billion a year, and that revenue should be used to meet social needs such as financing global public goods such as health, education and the fight against poverty and climate change. In addition, this measure would restore the stability of markets, the prevention of future crises such as the one that shook Europe and the world in 2007-2008.

Almost 22 years have passed since the Fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing, marking a turning point for women’s rights activists around the world. For many, the approved Declaration and Platform for Action represented a moment of vindication for the rights, living experiences, and human dignity of women everywhere. But the promises made in Beijing regarding the indivisibility of human rights, gender equality, and the empowerment of women and girls were not fulfilled, and it is in the socioeconomic field where this deficit strikes one of its hardest blows.

Men and women are different. That shouldn’t be news, but today it is. Today, the government released the first federal budget that includes a look at the differences between men and women. Differences like the fact that women are twice as likely to work part-time, do more hours of unpaid care work, are less likely to qualify for Employment Insurance and are more likely to be the victim of a violent crime.

For public spending to be effective, we need policies and programs that respond to those differences. More targeted policy is more effective policy. Otherwise we could just divide up the budget by 37 million Canadians and send everyone a cheque.

Investment in the least developed countries (LDCs) will need to rise by at least 11 per cent annually through 2030, a little more than the 8.9 per cent between 2010 and 2015, in order for them to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The United Nations' World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2017 report focuses on the difficulties in securing sufficient financing for the SDGs given the global financial system and current economic environment.

ICAE announces the ICAE Virtual seminar 2017 - on the topic of “Skills and Competencies”! The seminar is free of charge, open to anyone and will start on April 3rd.

Following each issue of DVV International’s journal Adult Education and Development, the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) offers the chance to discuss the topics raised in the print issue in a virtual seminar.