Last Thursday June 30th, 2022, leaders of chambers of commerce, women business and industry associations met in Bahir Dar to discuss ways to put in place sound mechanisms to ensure quality dialogue in the forthcoming National Dialogue and discuss issues affecting private sector enterprises.
Participants included business association leaders and operators, academic and civil society organizations – shared expertise and broad experience, through lively and dynamic discussions. They agreed to develop a road map to become a catalyst for positive change in the relationships between conflicting factions; act as a facilitator of constructive activities with other actors that have interest in peace; and be an influencer of actors who, by virtue of their official position or informal authority and legitimacy, can say “yes” or “no” to peace.
During the meeting, Initiative Africa (IA), the organizer of the meeting and the closest partner of the business organizations for the preparation of the National Dialogue , agreed to provide short to medium-term support for the business organizations through a Comprehensive Support Package (CSP) to improve awareness and knowledge, address policy issues, enhance communication skills or strengthen personal capacities of individuals, which, in turn, can fuel efforts to influence the National Dialogue.
A day earlier, chambers of commerce and industry association leaders, attended a workshop organized by the Institute of Security studies (ISS) together with Bahirdar University under the theme’ Importance, Process, Stakeholders’ Role, and Case Analysis of the National Dialogue for Ethiopia’.
The participants on this national peace dialogue were close to 100 in number and were executives from different private sectors, professors, the national elites, religious leaders, different CSO representatives, and so on. The dialogue was very dynamic and focused on how the collective can contribute to wheeling the national peace dialogue forward and contribute to being the change agent.
At the closing session IA Executive Director, Kebour Ghenna said “we face the most serious political and security situation in modern Ethiopia today. But we should raise to the challenge with unity and determination.” He also thanked all the participants and ISS for hosting and supporting the event.
Bahir Dar meeting ends with understanding to organize the private sector for the National Dialogue
Ethiopian Senbere Teferi World 5KM record ratified
World records of Senbere Teferi over 5km in 14:29 and 30:01 by the late Agnes Tirop over 10km set last year have been ratified.
Just moments after the 10km race in Herzogenaurach, 2015 world 5000m silver medalist Teferi ran away from her opponents after the first kilometer with an incredible solo effort, winning the 5km by 25 seconds in 14:29.
The Ethiopian ran with the pack for the first kilometer, covered just inside three minutes. Then, sensing that the pace wasn’t quite fast enough to challenge the world record set off on her own and covered the second kilometer in 2:49.
By 3km, which she reached in about 8:43, Teferi had an eight-second lead over the chase pack. She continued to forge ahead, passing 4km in 12:07 and then ended with a 2:52 final kilometer to cross the finish line in 14:29, breaking the women-only world record of 14:44 set by Sifan Hassan in Monaco on 17 February 2019.
“I’m so happy,” said the 27 year-old former world record holder Teferi. “After the Olympics, I knew I was ready to go after this world record.”
Hilina Fekede
Name: Hilina Fekede
Education: Degree in Literature
Company name: Internet café and Stationary
Title: Owner
Founded in: 2018
What it does: Provide internet service, sell writing accessories
HQ: Addis Ababa
Number of employees: 7
Startup Capital: 50,000 birr
Current Capital: Growing
Reasons for starting the business: Past experience
Biggest perk of ownership: None
Biggest strength: Creativity
Biggest challenging: Public awareness
Plan: To expand my business
First career: None
Most interested in meeting: No one
Most admired person: No one
Stress reducer: Writing, Designing
Favourite past time: Meeting with people, Reading
Favourite book: Love to read any kind of books
Favourite destination: Korea
Favourite automobile: Range Rover
ILO shares experience on SIRAYE Programme
International Labor Organization (ILO) holds a two-day experience sharing workshop under the “SIRAYE Programme” which focuses on advancing decent work and inclusive industrialization in Ethiopia, from June 28-29, 2022 at the Skylight Hotel.
The workshop presented different factories and stakeholders’ experiences on the business case of women in leadership, wage subsidy and building a productivity ecosystem.
SIRAYE programme which has an initial focus on the garment and textile industries, was initiated by ILO in collaboration with tripartite partners who have has developed a comprehensive and coordinated programme to promote decent work and inclusive industrialization in Ethiopia.
The programme works at national, regional and factory levels involving different ILO departments and global programmes to address the key challenges to advance decent work in Ethiopia.
At the national level, under the leadership of the tripartite partners, the programme facilitates dialogue among multiple stakeholders to develop a common vision and strategies to make Ethiopia an African hub of socially responsible production of garment for both global and domestic market. The programme also supports the tripartite constituents in fixing a minimum wage as well as enhances the capacity of government institutions to prevent and resolve labour disputes.
SIRAYE works very closely with government, enterprises, workers, and brands through a robust, sustainable and inclusive compliance assessment and remediation system.
As part of SIRAYE’s service package, ILO supports the strengthening of labour administration in building more effective labour inspection systems.
ILO aims to enhance capacity of the labour inspectorate in strategic compliance planning and implementation.
