Author Archives: Jon Custer

International Women’s Day 2013 Wrap-Up

Posted on 14 March, 2013 | Comments Off

Thanks to all of our partners and blog contributors for helping CIPE celebrate International Women’s Day, 2013. Over the past week we have written about:

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Celebrating International Women’s Day at CIPE

Posted on 8 March, 2013 | Comments Off

Watch an International Women’s Day welcome message from CIPE Deputy Director Jean Rogers.

Today CIPE celebrates International Women’s Day — but really our work on women’s empowerment is a year-round effort.

This week, we have posted a number of stories about women’s empowerment and women’s economic and political participation (with more to come). Here are some others from the past few weeks that you might have missed:

You can learn more about CIPE’s approach to women’s programs at the CIPE website, or follow stories about women here on the blog.

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Business Fights Corruption in Thailand

Posted on 4 March, 2013 | Comments Off

 

Dr. Pakdee Pothisiri, Commissioner of Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Commission, at an IOD event in Bangkok. (Photo: CIPE)

Dr. Pakdee Pothisiri, Commissioner of Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission, at an IOD event in Bangkok. (Photo: CIPE)

Corruption is one of the world’s most pervasive and vexing problems, costing the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars each year and stalling economic growth in many developing countries. Though most anti-corruption efforts focus on government-driven solutions in Thailand, the private sector, with CIPE’s assistance, has taken the lead in stamping out corrupt practices.

Writing in the Bangkok Post, CIPE Program Officer John Morrell describes how this unique program took shape, and why private companies have taken such an interest in what is usually regarded as a problem for the government.

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Melanne Verveer to Head Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security

Posted on 27 February, 2013 | 1 Comment

Melanne Verveer, the first ever U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, will continue her advocacy for women’s political and economic empowerment in a new role at Georgetown University.

The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, where Verveer will serve as executive director, focuses on women’s participation in ending conflicts and dealing with state failure and humanitarian disaster.

“Political and economic realities are intertwined,” Verveer said in her keynote address at CIPE’s Democracy that Delivers for Women conference in 2011. “Progress in one dimension reinforces progress in the other. These are the two principal elements of empowerment.”

CIPE congratulates Verveer on her new appointment and for her continuing efforts in advancing women’s economic and political participation around the world.

Find out more about this year’s Democracy that Delivers for Entrepreneurs conference in Chicago.

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Spain’s Recession May Aid Anti-Corruption Efforts

Posted on 7 February, 2013 | Comments Off
Demonstrators outside the ruling People's Party headquarters in Madrid on February 4, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

Demonstrators outside the ruling People’s Party headquarters in Madrid on February 4, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

The European debt crisis and attendant recession has cause enormous pain for Spanish citizens. But today’s pain might lead to long-term gain, as a series of high-profile scandals have begun to turn the tide of public opinion against entrenched corruption.

Writing in TrustLaw, CIPE Senior Program Officer Anna Nadgrodkiewicz argues that a slew of recent corruption scandals, which sting all the more given the economic suffering of average citizens, may be catalyzing a wider movement.

“It will take more than name-and-shame or even high-level convictions” she writes. “The core of the problem lies in the rules for how political parties in Spain are financed and a widespread expectation that once a party wins the election that party’s officials will be placed in influential civil service positions.”

However, there are signs of the emergence of a popular movement against corruption that could help Spanish citizens root out these systemic problems.

Read the whole article at TrustLaw.

 

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The Power of Failure

Posted on 30 January, 2013 | 1 Comment
Inventors tried hundreds of designs before the Wright Brothers made powered flight practical.

Inventors tried hundreds of designs to make flying machines practical.

Looking at the glittering corporate campuses of booming technology startups in places like Silicon Valley, Boston, or North Carolina’s Research Triangle, it is easy to see nothing but success. But one of the secrets of entrepreneurship is that all of these successes are built on a culture that embraces failure.

It is a surprising truth borne out again and again by business researchers: the places where entrepreneurs have the most success are the ones where it is least painful for entrepreneurs to fail. Only a system that allows individuals to take great risks will see the great rewards that come from truly path-breaking innovation. As Jonathan Ortmans puts it, “the ideal environment for innovation not only celebrates success, but also accepts—if not encourages—failure.”

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Democracy that Delivers for Entrepreneurs: Save the Date!

Posted on 18 January, 2013 | Comments Off

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Save the date: April 9-10, 2013, Chicago, IL

In order to capture successful approaches to building strong, inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems that help democracies deliver for all segments of the population, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is organizing a two-day international conference in Chicago, IL on April 9-10, 2013. It will focus on the following key themes:

  • Role of entrepreneurs in building democratic societies
  • Institutions of an entrepreneurial ecosystem and policy solutions fostering entrepreneurship
  • Profiles of various types of entrepreneurs, including youth and women
  • Effective ways to support entrepreneurship from the perspective of successful entrepreneurs, business associations, governments, investors, and donors

World famous democracy advocate Hernando de Soto will deliver the keynote address. De Soto is the president of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy in Peru and the author of The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else. He has received numerous awards for his groundbreaking work on the informal sector, property rights, and legal reform.

Learn more about the conference including the agenda and speakers, or register now to receive the early registration discount.

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