MANILA, Philippines—The modern-day idea of transformative social protection sprang from the squalor of mid-nineteenth century Europe when standards for water supply, sewerage, and housing (elements to a decent life) were left to market forces, which kept them so degradingly, dangerously, and deadly low that reforms particularly on health became necessary.

COMMUNIQUE
By Network for Transformative Social Protection
14 October 2009

Even before the global economic meltdown and the recent natural disasters that deepened the crisis in many countries in Asia, the poor have already been reeling in poverty. These crises impacted heavily on the lives and livelihood of people—depriving millions of their basic human rights to guaranteed jobs and livelihood, adequate food, and essential services like healthcare, housing, education, safe water, and electricity. Hungry, homeless and without access to services, the poor are usually at the receiving end of state or non-state effort, if any, to get them out of misery; they are often seen as part of the problem but ironically, the decision-making and implementation of the solution do not involve them.

AEPF-Philippines and the Institute for Popular Democracy (IPD) are holding a

Roundtable Discussion Series
on Transformative Social Protection in the Philippines

(October-November 2009)

At the heels of electoral campaign fever for 2010 Presidential elections, and in the midst of devastating impacts of recent typhoons "Ondoy" and "Pepeng," millions of Filipinos go hungry, homeless, jobless, and are now having difficulties picking up their lives again. The crises and the upcoming elections are actually opportune times for the people to put forward policies or measures towards the realization of life with dignity.

EU-ASEAN FTA Campaign Network and the Committee for Asian Women (CAW)

Free Trade and the Global Economic Crisis

Examining the linkages and implications on jobs and livelihoods and defining policy proposals and alternatives

October 2, 2009 (1:30-5:30 pm)
October 14 Memorial
Bangkok, Thailand

The global economic crisis has re-opened the debate on free trade and development. Multilateral institutions and forums like the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, and the G20 have used the crisis as an opportunity to push for more liberalization of trade and investment. Invoking the protectionism bogey, these institutions have led calls for the conclusion of the stalled Doha round of multilateral trade talks in the WTO and for countries to sustain efforts towards the creation of more open economic regimes. Their logic is simple, the crisis has led to a serious contraction of world trade-according to UNCTAD by as much as 6-8 percent in 2009- and the best response is to "contain protectionism and extend open markets to facilitate recovery and lay the foundations for future prosperity".^[1]