Ethiopia has long prioritized creating more and better jobs as core to its sustainable and inclusive development. However, steady growth in the gross domestic product and gains in agricultural productivity in recent decades have not translated into better opportunities nor increased earnings for much of the population. The 2021 Labor Force Survey data reveal labor trends since 1999 and underscore these realities. Moreover, COVID-19 and other shocks have reinforced the disconnect between positive macroeconomic trends at a national level and stagnant incomes at the household level. Working Today for a Better Tomorrow in Ethiopia: Jobs for Poor and Vulnerable Households outlines how Ethiopia can leverage its social safety net programs to help poor and vulnerable workers earn more in today’s labor market. The government’s latest development planning policies focus on private sector growth and structural transformation to create more and better jobs. While these long-term reforms take hold, the jobs agenda also must include near-term measures to improve worker productivity in and connect people to jobs that already exist. Complementing cash transfers with capital, training, and other services can help workers earn more in their current work, diversify into new types of employment, or connect to available wage jobs.These investments can have an immediate impact for poor people in Ethiopia while also contributing to sustainable and inclusive development.

Ethiopia has experienced decades of turmoil. The founding fathers created Ethiopia to have prosperity, to have love for each other, and to have unity, but those who were taken aboard by force knew nothing, saw nothing, loved nothing, and only united to sort out all those goals through fighting. In Ethiopia, author Tadesse E.A. offers a profile of Ethiopia, one of the worlds oldest and most complex countries. Part history book and part book of memoirs, it provides deep insight into the country. Based on Tadesse E.A.s strong academic background, vast international experience, and identity as an Ethiopian, he presents a look at Ethiopia in a contemporary way. He shares his life experiences from childhood to adulthood in an unfinished country; deals with the forces of the past; highlights the challenges of the people and their struggle during the imperial era; discusses two long-running governments and the national election process; and offers insight into the nonstop struggles and challenges during the transition period. Ethiopia melds the background of the past and the making of the present. It helps in the understanding of yesterday, which warrants many questions of its own, and todays mood, the uncertainty, and the central fact of the ongoing fractures between Ethiopians. It shares the journey of Tadesse E.A.s life and what his country and its people have meant to him.

Various international scholars and associates of the PASCAL (Place, Social Capital and Learning Regions) International Observatory (Africa hub), under the auspices of the Centre for Local Economic Development (CENLED) based at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), have contributed chapters in this scholarly book. The book aims to demonstrate how a combination of globalisation, pandemics and the impact of innovation and technologies are driving towards a world in which traditional ideas are being challenged. The book carries forward a dual context and relevance: to South African social, educational, economic and cultural development, and the broader international context and action directed at how lifelong learning for all can be fostered in communities as a foundation for a just, human-centred, sustainable world. The distinctive contribution of this book to the production of a local body of knowledge lies in the symbiotic relationships between these objectives, so that South Africa could serve as a test case in working towards approaches that have a wider international significance.

In corporate dynamics, organizations grapple with a pressing dilemma—how to balance the pursuit of success with the well-being and sustained mental health of their workforce. Across industries, employees find themselves burdened with an ever-growing array of responsibilities, a phenomenon that takes a toll on their physical and emotional well-being, ultimately jeopardizing productivity. The pervasive threat of burnout looms large, necessitating a nuanced understanding of the intricate interplay between employee welfare and organizational prosperity. Recognizing the escalating prevalence of mental health issues, particularly in developing nations, scholars are intensifying their focus on the need for comprehensive studies to unearth strategies that can mitigate workplace stress and enhance the overall mental health of employees. This critical exploration forms the crux of our upcoming book, Nurturing Prosperity: Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Employee Wellbeing, where we unravel the profound influence of CSR on the multifaceted dimensions of employee wellness. This book presents a comprehensive synthesis of the latest empirical research findings and relevant theoretical frameworks. Tailored for academic scholars, it aims to deepen the understanding of the strategic role of trust in various domains within the information and knowledge society. Encompassing the global economy, networks and organizations, teams and workgroups, information systems, and individual actors in networked environments, the book elucidates how CSR practices can be leveraged to foster employee wellbeing in diverse settings.