Some reflections from my first day ( 22nd of November) at IAVE conference in KL. The government here is pushing hard to promote volunteerism because it fits perfectly into the national plans to develop young talents. Can such approach co-exist with smaller, independent initiatives that have nothing to do with programs backed by the government? Perhaps yes...

The Swedish Prime Minister rime Stefan Löfven is hosting a meeting between the EU institutions and the social partners to discuss about the so called SOCIAL PILLAR OF the European Union. At the same time, all the leaders of the EU members states will discuss about the role of education and culture in the future of the EU.

Not many people knows the Kingdom of Tonga, in the South Pacific. It is an archipelago nation and it is an emerging and fragile democracy. The outgoing Prime Minister,Akilisi Pohiva the first truly democratically elected, had to face a crisis due to parliament dissolution decided by influential King. Now he got elected again and his party is back on power. Will he succeed this time?

A mix of policy interventions are needed to eradicate child labor. Surely legislation alone will not be enough. It is about effective and inclusive educational policy, inclusive job market and better income generation opportunities for vulnerable families. In short we need a strong welfare system with safety nets in developing nations