- Youth Career Initiative pilot programme in Brazil
- China's business leaders to raise standards
- more IBLF news
The Americas is a region of high importance for IBLF - both in terms of engaging business leaders and developing projects, both in Latin America and North America.
North America
A central objective of IBLF is to work with the leadership of global companies on sustainability challenges. This means that engagement with US corporate leadership is a high priority for us, as some 44% of the world’s 500 largest businesses by market capitalisation are from the US.
www.iblf.org/northamerica
At present 30% of our corporate partners are headquartered in the US, and in order to help US corporate partners tackle social issues on their doorstep, as well as facilitate the engagement of funding partners, in 2007 we formed a non-profit 501c3 status company: IBLF – North America.
Delivering technology through public-private partnerships
In 2006, IBLF’s Digital Partnership launched a computer learning lab at the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDCo) in order to provide technology support to families in the South Bronx. Digital Partnership operates in several countries around the world, but the WHEDCo operation is the first to be set up in an under-served community in the US.
www.iblf.org/digitalpartnership
Working with companies to raise the profile of sustainability
We manage the Alcan Prize for Sustainability on behalf of Alcan, and in 2006 organised a Crossing Borders visit for Alcan executives and NGO leaders to see the development challenges that existed in inner city Vancouver.
www.alcanprizeforsustainability.com
Advancing the sustainable business agenda
In 2006, as part of its commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative, IBLF organised – in partnership with Harvard University and the Conference Board – a series of cross-sector leadership dialogues on topics including post-disaster recovery, the Millennium Development Goals and tackling malnutrition.
www.iblf.org/clinton
www.iblf.org/crossingborders
Supporting youth entrepreneurship
Canadian Youth Business Foundation is one of the most successful programmes of Youth Business International, a programme of IBLF that helps fund and support young entrepreneurs. Since its creation in 1996 it has invested in more than 1600 young entrepreneurs who have in turn created more than 9300 new jobs in Canada.
www.cybf.ca
Latin America
Peace-building in Colombia
During 2006 over 200 leaders from international and Colombian civil society, government and business met in a series of dialogues across three continents to discuss the role that business can play in helping to mitigate the impact of Colombia's armed conflict on the vulnerable and socially excluded, and as a result encourage conditions for lasting peace and greater prosperity.
The events took place in Bogotá in July 2006, London in October and Washington in November, and were designed to help tackle the high levels of mistrust between different groups that have been hindering the potential contribution that business can make in Colombia.
More on IBLF's work in Colombia
Youth Business International
YBI is a programme of IBLF which helps disadvantaged young people to become entrepreneurs by providing business mentoring and funds. In the Americas it has six accredited programmes in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago.
Argentina: Fundacion Impulsar was established in 1999, making it YBI's longest running programme in Latin America. Despite major economic challenges throughout Argentina during the first years of the foundation's existence it has worked with nearly 200 entrepreneurs, developing more than 50 new businesses in 2005.
Brazil: Instituto Negocios da Juventude do Brasil
Colombia: Fundacion Jovenes Empresarios de Colombia
Guyana: Guyana Youth Business Trust
Mexico: Jovenes Empresarios por Mexico
Trinidad & Tobago: Youth Business Trinidad & Tobago
More on YBI’s international network
Youth Career Initiative
Youth Career Initiative uses the resources of the hotel industry to equip young people with life skills, which they can then go on to use in their career of choice. YCI is operating a scheme in Brazil in conjunction with Marriott Hotels, and a graduation of students took place in October 2005. In 2006, 14 hotels ran the programme in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo and Costa do Saulpe.
For more information on YCI go to www.youthcareerinitiative.org/