Thursday, February 23, 2012

7 ways to fix unemployment

Level of unemployment in the world

Unemployment is regarded to be one of the biggest concerns in the world, even more overriding than climate change or terrorism. More than 200 million people globally are out of work, a record high figure for the global economy. Unemployment is related to high suicide rates, crime and violence, unhappiness, bad environment practices.

Below are outlined draft steps targeted at fixing the issue of global unemployment. They could appear to be pretty bold and unreal. Nevertheless, I believe that only bold steps and extraordinary measures are able to tackle such urgent problem as unemployment.

1. Migration. To open interstate borders to all persons who are willing to emigrate and be capable of passing the exam on knowledge of language, history, geography, culture of a country. Thus, the main criteria to get a a foreign visa or work permit are not financial or professional, but willingness to adapt to a new country and accept foreign values. Security verification is not to be waived. But it must be executed on the final stage of the process which should be short (not more than three month). Opening interstate borders will decrease pressure on unemployment-stricken economies and boost the host economies. However, immigrants will not be entitled to demand social payments during one year. In such a way, host economies will not be burdened by social payments. If an immigrant do not find a job within three months since arrival to a host country, one must leave the country.

2. Entrepreneurship. To set up special state funds for unemployed who want to establish one’s own business. Those funds must offer interest-free or low-interest loans. If a country lacks cash for such loans, international monetary organization or big businesses should provide such kind of interest-free loans or fellowships. The special focus must receive hi-tech and green businesses. One should remember that small businesses account for the majority of job places in the developed world.

3. Primary Education. To introduce special school courses to define which disciplines fit best child’s skills so that to properly choose career path. Also such courses must provide information on the most demanded jobs in the market. Nowadays the majority of school graduates lack long-term vision of labor market. As a result, there are huge imbalances in the world labour market and many people devote their lives to jobs which they show no interest in.

4. Higher Education. To introduce special courses in universities which teach students how to find job and compose one’s CVs.

5. Higher education. To establish a special body within each faculty of university/college and even schools which deal with establishing partnership between potential employers and students. Such body must help students to find a relevant job during studying.

6. A reform of unemployment insurance. To put into effect a reform that links unemployment compensation to searching for a new job. Refusal by an unemployed person to take an “acceptable” job offer automatically results in the end of state support for him or her. An unemployed person must accept a “comparable” job for the first six months of unemployment, and must take any job on offer after eighteen months on the dole or lose state benefits.

7. To start structural reforms in unemployment-stricken economies. Though not creating jobs in a short-term perspective, it is essential for boosting future productivity and flexibility which will contribute to long-term employment opportunities.

To eliminate unemployment is out of reach task, but to reduce it as much as possible is an urgent requirement for every government. Without fixing unemployment, the present economic order is doomed.

Nuclear Iran hard to get


By Tom Janssen, The Netherlands


Pressure buidling on Iran


Source - By Patrick Chappatte, The International Herald Tribune

Hirsh Goodman on the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations

HIRSH GOODMAN is a senior research associate at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.

He firmly believes in a multi-state solution. He think a one-state solution would be a recipe for continued conflict.


"Ultimately, the resolution is going to look like Switzerland. There are going to be three independent sovereign nations; Gaza, governed by Hamas, until they decide otherwise; Israel, with its majority Jewish population and minority Arab population; and Palestine with its ’67 borders. There will be three sovereign states with a federal governing body to deal with issues like traffic protocol and so on. Israel has to negotiate separately with Gaza and with the PA. Gaza and Hamas want a ceasefire and the PA wants peace".

In my point of view, it's an impossible solution. Unfortunately.

Switzerland is a nation united around Christian values (despite of two different branches: Catholics and Protestants), around common enemies. Modern Israel is a nation of two religions: Islam and Judaism. And there are no common foe for Palestinians and Jews. For now, it would be better to divorce peacefully and live in peace.