In February of 2020, the USA had 3.5% unemployment in the entire country - a 50 year low. But then came COVID-19 and 20.6 million job losses. This has left many wondering - what happened to the plentiful jobs of Trump? Truth be told, they were plentiful - just not sustainable. On this episode, we explore how COVID-19 revealed a critical in sustainable jobs in the USA and what this could mean for its economic future.
Episode 30: Trump, tariffs and Mexico - a real solution to the migrant crisis
In early June, US President Donald Trump announced a plan to implement tariffs on all Mexican goods until the Mexican government solves the current migrant crisis along the US border. But is this an appropriate solution? More importantly, is this even sustainable? We discuss the root cause of the migrant crisis, the current dynamics and propose a real solution, which businesses, NGOS and investors can also be on board for, which leads to real action and a positive solution.
Episode 20: Brazil under Bolsonaro - political will and the SDGs
In early 2019, Brazil elected Jair Bolsonaro as its new president. Hailed as the "Trump of Brazil" by many media commentator for his far-right stances, he has come into office promising to tackle the country's urban violence and spiralling corruption which has caused much unwanted attention globally. Much like Trump, Bolsonaro dismisses climate change and his political focus is no longer on sustainable development for a country where economic inequality and poverty is still a reality. So what is the current political climate and will for sustainable development in Brazil? On this episode, we're joined by Dr Ryan Lloyd of the University of Sao Paulo, Amanda Lima of UNDP and political journalist Carlos Oliveira to discuss the current Brazilian political landscape, political will for the SDGs and the change for businesses and NGOs to influence for the sake of social good.
Episode 12: Life After Economic Sanctions
For years, the preferred method of US Foreign Policy against states deemed dangerous were economic sanctions. From Sudan to Iran, sanctions have proved to be more harmful to the people on the ground than the government. But with sanctions lifted from Sudan in 2017 and the EU rigorously trying for the sake of their businesses to bypass re-emerging sanctions from the USA against Iran, what are the opportunities that lay for NGOs, impact investors and businesses when the curtains of sanctions are lifted? And what is the political will present for them? Our Director and Host Gesu Antonio Baez dives into the question to find out more.
