The Weekly Lift - January 13, 2022

Enjoy this third edition of The Weekly Lift and take a few minutes to celebrate positive and hopeful events, developments, and achievements around the world. Happy Reading!

If you have come across a positive news article or headline in the last two weeks, please send to [email protected].

This week's selection:

Economy: In the UK, The Surprising Rise Of The Minimum Wage

Le Monde (France) writes that "the minimum wage in the UK has increased by a third in five years and will surpass the French level this year. The same movement is taking place all over Europe.

Since 2015, it has risen by a third, while inflation has climbed 20%. Currently at 8.91 GBP (10.63 euros or 12 USD) an hour, it has reached the level of the French minimum wage (10.57 euros or 11.9 USD ). In April, it will again jump 6.6%, to 9.50 GBP (11.30 euros or 12.8 USD), clearly exceeding that of France.

The article also states that "all of this does not mean, far from it, that living on minimum wage is easy. In parallel with the increase in the British minimum wage, several social assistance has been reduced. In addition, many minimum wage recipients, often single mothers, work only part time. In food banks, it is common to see people who have jobs and cannot provide adequate food for their families.

The Living Wage Foundation, an association, calculates "a living wage" for a decent living should be set at 9.90 GBP (13.5 USD) an hour (and 11.05 pounds in London or 15 USD, where life is more expensive).

The UK is not there yet. The progress is nonetheless indisputable. In 2015, 21% of employees were classified in the “low-paid” category (earning less than two-thirds of the median salary). In 2020, they were down to 14%. The sudden increase in the minimum wage since 2015, in a country where it has only existed since 1999, has sparked surprisingly little debate in the UK.

Gradually, this minimum wage is gaining importance for UK companies. In 1999, just after its introduction, only 2% of employees were paid at this level. In 2018, the proportion had tripled to 6%, or 2 million employees.

Admittedly, this remains half as much as in France, where 12% of the workforce is close to the minimum wage. But in some areas, especially in eastern England, up to 17% of the workforce is paid minimum wage.

The British situation is part of a larger European movement. In Spain, the minimum wage increased by 7% in 2017 and 22% in 2019. In Germany, the new ruling coalition has pledged a one-quarter hike, from 9.60 euros (10.9 USD) per hour to 12 euros (13.6 USD). The European Commission is also trying to impose the establishment of a minimum wage for all countries of the Union.

These new minimum wages all seem to converge on a similar level: between 60% and 66% of the median wage. France has been at this level for a long time, but has stagnated for decades. For Spain, the catching up is spectacular: his minimum wage was only one third of the median salary at the beginning of the 2000s, and the current government is committed to raising it to 60% by the end of 2023."

Global Affairs: Africans Are Winning Top Jobs At International Institutions

The Economist (UK) mentions that "the world’s?big multilateral institutions are always keen to trumpet their global outlook. Art from far-flung corners of the world adorns their headquarters—and should a visitor ever need to consult a massive map of the world, one is rarely far away.

Yet in one area their global credentials have not always matched up: leadership. Most of the bosses of multilateral institutions have been white men. Sub-Saharan Africans, especially, have been overlooked. Until 2017 only one had led a big multilateral organisation: Kofi Annan, who ran the?un,?which rotates its top job by region, from 1997 to 2006.

Today Africans lead several global institutions. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, an Ethiopian, has steered the World Health Organisation (WHO) through the pandemic. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian, heads the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Makhtar Diop, a Senegalese, presides over an investment portfolio worth about $64bn at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the semi-independent arm of the World Bank that invests in private firms. A stitch-up gives the top jobs at the World Bank and?IMF?to America and Europe. But for just the second time a sub-Saharan African, Antoinette Sayeh of Liberia, is a deputy managing director of the IMF.

Each is highly qualified. Ms Okonjo-Iweala, Mr Diop and Ms Sayeh were all finance ministers and had all worked at the World Bank. Dr Tedros was health minister and then foreign minister. That they all have big jobs at once is partly by chance.

But there are signs that governments have deliberately sought Africans to lead big institutions. “There was a lot of feeling that it was Africa’s turn—and that it was the turn for a woman,” says Keith Rockwell, the?WTO’s spokesman, of the mood before Ms Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment.

This reflects a realization that the focus of many of these institutions is shifting to sub-Saharan Africa, which has more than two-thirds of the world’s poor and where the average life expectancy is about 61 years, compared with 80 years in rich countries. Although Africa accounts for a small part of global commerce, it has the most to gain from trade. It will probably make up a growing share of the IMF’s work, too. Lending to sub-Saharan countries is 13 times higher since the pandemic struck.

One thing the new bosses may offer is a “special ear” for issues on the continent, says Ms Sayeh. At the very least their leadership is bringing greater attention to Africa. “I don’t think anyone in the?wto?set out to ignore the concerns of Africa,” says Ms Okonjo-Iweala. Nonetheless, she adds, “Africa has not benefited as much from trade integration…as it should have.” In theory many African countries get lower tariffs in richer countries through trade deals allowed under the?WTO’s rules.

Yet this does not work well in practice. “We really need to look at some of those agreements and make it easier for African countries,” says Ms Okonjo-Iweala. Mr Diop says the?IFC?has not neglected Africa in the past. Still, it plans to double annual investments on the continent to $10bn in the next few years.

Personal experience inevitably shapes leaders' priorities. Dr. Tedros lost his brother, who was about four, to what was probably measles. He made similar curable diseases the focus of his campaign to run the?who, and has prioritised them during his term. When Ebola struck the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr Tedros visited 14 times, despite the threat from rebels.

Having Africans in charge of wonk-filled institutions can also provide role models and help overcome racist stereotypes. “It’s important for people to see an African leading an institution in the economic sphere,” says Ms Okonjo-Iweala.

Dr Tedros was recently nominated unopposed to lead the?WHO?for a second term. Ms Okonjo-Iweala and Mr Diop doubtless aspire to similar endorsements of their work. Trailblazers sometimes feel extra pressure to succeed, and may be held to an unfairly high standard. Yet not all leaders of global institutions excel.

The real sign that Africans have broken through the glass ceiling in international organisations will be when run-of-the-mill leadership by an African generates no more comment than the tepid tenure of a bigwig from Asia, Europe or the Americas."

Environment: New York Could Make History With A Fashion Sustainability Act

The New York Time (US) reports that "the state would be the first to pass legislation setting broad sustainability regulations for the industry.

Last week, The Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act (or Fashion Act) was unveiled: a bill that, if passed, would make New York the first state in the country to pass legislation that will effectively hold the biggest brands in fashion to account for their role in climate change.

Sponsored by State Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblywoman Anna R. Kelles, and backed by a powerful coalition of nonprofits focused on fashion and sustainability, including the New Standard Institute, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, as well as the designer Stella McCartney, the law will apply to global apparel and footwear companies, with more than $100 million in revenues, doing business in New York. That is pretty much every large multinational fashion name, ranging from the very highest end — LVMH, Prada, Armani — to such fast-fashion giants as Shein and Boohoo.

Specifically, it would require such companies to map a minimum of 50 percent of their supply chain, starting with the farms where the raw materials originate through factories and shipping. They would then be required to disclose where in that chain they have the greatest social and environmental impact when it comes to fair wages, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, water and chemical management, and make concrete plans to reduce those numbers (when it comes to carbon emissions, specifically in accordance with the targets set by the?Paris Climate Accords.

Finally, it would require companies to disclose their material production volumes to reveal, for example, how much cotton or leather or polyester they sell. All of that information would also have to be made available online.

“As a global fashion and business capital of the world, New York State has a moral responsibility to serve as a leader in mitigating the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry,” Ms. Biaggi said in a news release, calling the law “a groundbreaking piece of legislation that will make New York the global leader” in holding the fashion industry “accountable.” She also said that the act would ensure that “labor, human rights, and environmental protections are prioritized.”

Companies would be given 12 months to comply with the mapping directive (18 months for their impact disclosures), and if they are found to be in violation of the law, they would be fined up to 2 percent of their annual revenues. Those fines would go to a new Community Fund administered by the Department of Environmental Conservation and used for environmental justice projects. The New York attorney general would also publish an annual list of companies found to be noncompliant.

While similar legislation regarding due diligence is being debated in the European Union?, and while?Germany, France, Britain and Australia have laws requiring due diligence when it comes to human rights and slavery, there is no general legislation in any country governing the greater social and environmental actions of the fashion industry and mandating change.

In 2010, California passed the?Transparency in Supply Chain Act, which addresses modern slavery, in 2019?banned sales of new fur products, and last year passed the?Garment Worker Protection Act, but the New York act focuses on the manufacturing end of the business, broadly defined.

“Fashion is one of the least regulated industries,” said Maxine Bédat, the founder of the New Standard Institute. In part that is because its sprawling supply chain can include multiple countries and continents. As a result, efforts at sustainability vary widely. Imposing government regulation would regularize the reporting and “make sure there isn’t a competitive disadvantage to doing the right thing,” Ms. Bédat said.

Though many brands have become increasingly vocal in acknowledging their own responsibility when it comes to climate change and human rights violations, efforts to rectify the situation have been left up to the companies and an assortment of nongovernmental watchdog consortiums like the Fair Labor Association, which addresses wage issues, and Higg, which addresses supply chain reporting. They can vary widely.

Ralph Lauren, Kering, LVMH and Capri Holdings, for example, are among the companies that have already committed to using the?Science-Based Targets Initiative, a tool for reducing carbon emissions created by the CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature. But Shein didn’t hire its?first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) head until December.

The Fashion Act, Ms. Bédat said, “is an effort to meet industry where they are, recognize the good faith efforts they are already making and come up with a common standard, but do so with some teeth.”

The bill will now make its way through Senate and Assembly committees, with the sponsors aiming to bring it to a vote in late spring after state budget negotiations are complete.

Human Rights: Canada Bans Conversion Therapy

The India Times (India) reports that "Canada has become the latest country in the world to ban the practice of the so-called 'Conversion Therapy' a set of techniques that its proponents say can change the sexual orientation of LGBTQ individuals.

The Canadian government on Friday officially implemented the ban which was unanimously passed by the Parliament in December 2021. "As of today, it's official: Conversion therapy is banned in Canada. Our government's legislation has come into force - which means it is now illegal to promote, advertise, benefit from, or subject someone to this hateful and harmful practice. LGBTQ rights are human rights," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet on Friday.

Under the new law, anyone who looks to subject someone of any age, consenting or not, to so-called conversion therapy could face up to five years in prison. In addition to this, if someone is found to be promoting, advertising, or profiting from providing the practice, they could face up to two years in prison.

Several provinces and municipalities across Canada had sought to outlaw conversion therapy in their jurisdictions, including Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., Yukon, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.?

Conversion therapy is a controversial practice and uses tactics ranging from talk and aversion therapy, as well as medical or drug-induced treatments. Several studies have, however, said that conversion therapy does not work and in fact, can have a long-lasting negative impact on the mental and physical health of those being subjected to the practice.

The practice has been discredited by the World Health Organization WHO and more than 60 health professional associations from over 20 countries. Despite this, it continues to be practiced in some form or other in many countries.

Other than Canada, just a handful of countries -- Brazil, Ecuador, Germany and Malta have an outright ban on the practice. Five countries – Argentina, Uruguay, Samoa, Fiji and Naura have indirect bans while US, Australia and Spain have outlawed it in some areas.

International Relations: How A Novelty Plane Restaurant In Palestine Is Keeping Dreams Of An Independent State Alive

The Telegraph (UK) reports that "it took two decades, cost a hundred thousand dollars and was nearly scuppered by the outbreak of war.???But the dream of two Palestinian brothers is finally ready for take-off, as they open a patriotic restaurant in a converted Boeing jet atop a mountain.

Ata and Khamis al-Sairafi, both 60, bought the decommissioned plane in 1998 and will fully open the venue in the Spring 2022, with a grand ceremony featuring costumed flight attendants.?

It is not the first time a plane has been converted into a restaurant, with similar themed restaurants opening in Costa Rica, Colorado and even Bolton in the UK. But this remote venue has a political twist: it is a poignant symbol of the Palestinians' enduring hopes of becoming an independent state.

The West Bank, which the Palestinians claim as their own land, currently has no airport, while their freedom of movement is controlled by the Israeli military.?For many visiting the restaurant, it will be their only opportunity to step on board a commercial aircraft.

One of the last remaining Palestinian airports, Yasser Arafat International in the Gaza Strip, closed in 2000 during the Second Intifada, the Palestinian uprising against Israel. Israel bombed its radar station and bulldozed the runway over the following two years.?

The restaurant has already been decked out with posters of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and King Abdullah of Jordan, whom the brothers regard as national heroes.?Arrivals and departures signs are also being set up in the courtyard where the plane sits, on the outskirts of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.?

"It took us 20 years to make this dream happen," Ara al-Sairafi told the Daily Telegraph as he smoked a shisha pipe on the tarmac next to his so-called plane to nowhere. "People love the idea, it's an entertaining spot for a day out."

Israel controls entry and exit points in the West Bank, which according to the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem "forces Palestinians to live in constant uncertainty, making it difficult to perform simple tasks and make plans."?Israel says the restrictions are essential for national security, and that Palestinians can fly from Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv or from neighbouring Jordan if they have a permit.?

Even so, it means that for some Palestinians, eating a meal on a disused plane in the middle of nowhere could be the closest they get to a holiday abroad.?

The Oslo Accords which were signed roughly around the time the brothers were purchasing the plane, are far from delivering the two-state solution that at the time had filled Palestinian leaders with optimism. More recently, the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020,?which saw Israel normalize with Gulf neighbors Bahrain and the UAE, has left the Palestinians diplomatically isolated.

During a preview of the restaurant during the summer, "people brought their kids to show them how travel works, because as Palestinians we are deprived of such things,” Mr Sairafi said. "As we don't have an airport in Palestine, people felt it was important to have a plane, even if it's not in an airport," he said. "It gives people enthusiasm and excitement about flying."?

Mr. Sairafi said it took so long to open the restaurant due to disruption caused by the second intifada, some financial difficulties and more recently the coronavirus pandemic.?And it was no easy task getting the plane, which was purchased in the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, up to their home in Nablus. It had to be disassembled and then moved on trucks for a hundred miles up the mountainous terrain.?

Some hurdles still remain, even as the opening day approaches. The brothers are still working on the menu, which will likely offer up a mix of hummus, falafel, coffee and shisha pipes.?They are also undecided on allowing visitors to smoke shisha inside the plane, which has novelty value but risks turning the venue into a smokebox.?

"That was the idea," Mr Sairafi says as he inspects the plane's interior. "But I think it might be too much."?

* Please note that the content of the articles may have been summarized or modified to fit the format of the newsletter.