Ethiopia – CIPE Field Representative Hailemelekot Asfaw met with the board and management of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Association (ECCSA) to discuss the upcoming partnership project with CIPE for the establishment of a Chamber Academy. ECCSA agreed to provide the venue and office space within their premise for housing the Chamber Academy, which is modeled after the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Organization Management.
Afghanistan – This week CIPE printed 44,000 textbooks for students in CIPE’s Tashaboshigh school entrepreneurship courses for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students. CIPE will distribute the textbooks to participating schools in Kabul, Parwan, Bamiyan, and Nangahar Provinces.
West Bank/Gaza– As part of a CIPE-supported project to strengthen corporate and democratic governance, the Palestine Governance Institute (PGI) gave a detailed presentation on the 2014 budget formulated and approved by the Palestinian National Authority. PGI provided a comprehensive analysis of the budget, including an assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. The presentation was part of a high-profile event organized by Transparency Palestine.
Bolivia – Fundación Milenio released its weekly economic analysis bulletin, featuring an analysis of the socio-environmental problem and the economic potential of hydrocarbons in Bolivia. These economic analysis bulletins form part of CIPE’s and Milenio’s efforts to cultivate a more informed citizenship in the area of economic policy.
Russia – Longtime CIPE partner in the Volga region the Saratov Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) distributed an electronic anti-corruption resource guide to 170 regional CCIs and 180 business associations. The guide provides a roadmap for the groups on how to train local experts on the examination of laws for corruption potential and how to advocate for changes in the laws. It is part of CIPE’s NED-funded Fighting Corruption through Legal Reform program.
Bahrain – From March 17-19, CIPE Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East Abdulwahab Alkebsi, and CIPE Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Program Officer Ali Ayadi visited Bahrain to meet with several stakeholders to learn about entrepreneurship and civic education initiatives in the country. Alkebsi and Ayadi met with leaders from key bodies that work to support entrepreneurship in Bahrain, including Tamkeen, the Bahrain Development Bank, the Bahrain Family Bank, Ebdaa Bank, and the Bahrain Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Pakistan – Under a small grant from CIPE, the Peshawar Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PWCCI) held its second focus group with financial institutions on an “Entrepreneurship Development Policy for the Women of Khyber Pakhtoonwa.” The Chief Manager of the State Bank of Pakistan, along with the PWCCI President chaired the meeting, in which more than 40 representatives of the Chamber and regional banks participated.
Philippines – AsiaRegional Director John Callebaut was in Manila to participate in a Public Governance Forum hosted by the Institute for Solidarity in Asia. He also visited Hanoi to meet with prospective Vietnamese project partners.
Cote d’Ivoire – La Federation des Artisans de Cote d’Ivoire (FEDACI) met with the Minister of Commerce and the informal sector to discuss FEDACI’s recent election to the presidency of the Confederations des Artisans de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (CAAO), a confederation of artisans throughout West Africa. FEDACI was recently elected to the presidency of CAAO by its member federations.
