Resources for practitioners: inclusive business models in the energy sector
We are delighted to launch a new series of monthly Editorial Specials, in which we highlight our favourite resources on business and development. As the concept of inclusive business takes root and people move from ideas into action, an increasing number of sector-specific reports on inclusive business models have begun to come out. This month, […]
Fashion: A Catalyst for Change
The potential of the private sector to reduce poverty is well recognized; however, this has not been evident in the fashion industry. Fashion is one of the most globalized sectors, providing employment to more than 60 million people, mainly women and unskilled workers from poor economies. And it is expanding. According to Datamonitor, 2010, the […]
Global Entrepreneur Week
Youth Business International (YBI) is a global network helping aspiring entrepreneurs in 34 countries, so helping to promote a culture of entrepreneurship is a full time job for our hundreds of staff. Nevertheless the few months leading up to the end of each year are particularly hectic. In November 2011 we celebrated our International YBI […]
World Business and Development Awards 2012
Do you have a successful inclusive business model that is both commercially successful, and is contributing to development? The International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have just launched a call for nominations for their World Business and Development Awards 2012. The Awards demonstrate […]
Ida Horner Meets: Stephen a farmer from Kikube, Uganda
Ugandan entrepreneur, Ida Horner, attended the recent Villages in Action conference in Kikube, Masindi, Uganda, on behalf of Business Fights Poverty, the event’s sponsor. We asked Ida to meet up with some of the business owners in the village to get an insight into their businesses, the challenges they have had to overcome, and the […]
Made in Bangalore: How Social Enterprise is Transforming Business-As-Usual
As someone who grew up in Bangalore, I have seen my city undergo a startling transformation, from the Pensioners Paradise to the Silicon Valley of India. I am almost a pensioner myself now – I started writing this blog on my 60th birthday. Sometimes I feel stupefied and amazed by the changes – but I […]
Five common confusions on Fundraising vs. Partnerships
A lot is happening in the world of international development cooperation and the resources available for the coming years. There are public discussions in many countries regarding the (sustainable) impact of development aid. Many (governmental) donors are cutting back their funds and many foundations have less resources to spend and therefore engage more than ever […]
Interested In Joining DFID's Graduate Scheme?
Are you a recent graduate? Are you interested in working for the UK’s Department for International Development? Here’s you chance! Today DFID launched its new graduate scheme – a paid, 50 week development programme offering a diverse range of opportunities in areas from humanitarian response to private sector development. Successful candidates will undergo a structured […]
Interested In Joining DFID’s Graduate Scheme?
Are you a recent graduate? Are you interested in working for the UK’s Department for International Development? Here’s you chance! Today DFID launched its new graduate scheme – a paid, 50 week development programme offering a diverse range of opportunities in areas from humanitarian response to private sector development. Successful candidates will undergo a structured […]
Business Solutions to Enable Energy Access for All
Business solutions to enable energy access for all is the first major publication of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Access to Energy initiative. It has been released today to coincide with the launch of the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All by the United Nations’ Secretary-General, HE Ban Ki-moon. Addressing the […]
Report: Improving Business Ethics and Reducing the Risk of Corruption
Download this compelling report on business ethics and countering corruption, jointly authored by IBLF, Siemens and PwC.
Trust: The License to Operate – 7 Steps Companies Can Take to Rebuild It
IBLF’s framework identifies 7 Steps of company behaviour that can influence the trust of its customers, suppliers, investors and regulators.
Amanda Bowman: 10 Steps to Success in International Corporate Volunteering
By Amanda Bowman, IBLF In Part 1 of this blog, I looked at how 2011 had been a good year for International Corporate Volunteering (ICV). We define ICV as being one distinct form of employee community engagement – placing employees in foreign country assignments and contributing their skills to support the improvement of communities, social […]
The SAB Foundation Invests in Social Innovation
The inaugural SAB Foundation Innovation Awards recently recognised innovators who are helping improve the lives of low-income South Africans. The Awards are part of the SAB Foundation’s focus on igniting a culture of entrepreneurship in South Africa as a source of economic growth, job creation and innovation. The awards aim to showcase and scale commercialisable […]
Mark Foster: Rebuilding Trust in Volatile Times
We are in a period of unprecedented volatility and dynamism. The daily news brings conflicting signals about the pace, nature or durability of any recovery and the macro-global picture is also far from clear. Economic power bases and traditional orders are shifting – and not in predictable ways. China, India and Brazil continue to develop […]
Pick of the Year: Inclusive Business Resources in 2011
It’s that time of year: best book of 2011? Best movie, best photo, best newcomer of the year…? What were the highlights on inclusive business? It’s not such a hard question to answer, because each month we pick out one highlight to be Editor’s Choice on the Practitioner Hub,hosted by the Business Innovation Facility and […]
News: 30 Million Rural Poor in India and South Africa to Benefit from Banking Services
New York, 14 December 2011—Two companies announced today they will be providing banking services to more than 30 million low-income people in India and South Africa by 2015 through their commitments to the Business Call to Action (BCtA), a global initiative that encourages private sector efforts to fight poverty, supported by several international organizations including […]
Empowering Women Through Business
At a recent event in London organised by Business Action for Africa, UK Department for International Development and the Institute for Development Studies titled: “Advancing Gender Equality through Business and Partnerships”, we discussed the compelling economic and business case for investing in the economic empowerment of women. We know that improving the economic position of […]
Women Entrepreneurs in Mobile Retail Channels
Last week I launched my Foundation’s pioneering research study in partnership with STC and TNS on the inclusion of women entrepreneurs in the retail channels of mobile network operators. We consulted 14 leading mobile operators from 11 markets across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, in addition to stakeholders including NGOs, government representatives and select […]
IFC and G20 Launch Global Competition to Promote Inclusive Business
When a business produces development results and generates profits, the combination can yield a self-sustaining approach to reducing poverty. ‘Inclusive businesses’ – firms that include low-income people in their business model as either suppliers, distributors, retailers, or consumers – are doing exactly that, and by doing so they open up new opportunities to the estimated […]