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Homenet SEA joins Three Asia- Wide Social Protection Meetings

Social protection seems to be the global  issue of the moment, given the impact of the financial and environmental crisis on vulnerable groups, especially the working poor. Representatives of Homenet Southeast Asia participated in three meetings on the issue:  the Annual Policy Conference and Research Workshop of the Social Protection in Asia (SPA)  program in Hanoi Vietnam June 1-5; the Regional Roundtable Strategizing Meeting on “Building Southeast Asia Peoples’ Agenda on Transformative Social Protection As a Democratic and Human Rights Response to the Crisis” in Manila 12-13 October, and the Asian Roundtable on Social Security (AROSS), in Hong Kong  8-10 October. Dr. Rosalinda Pineda Ofreneo of Homenet Southeast Asia and Dr. Voravidh Charoenlert of Homenet Thailand  presented papers and actively participated in AROSS, particularly in crafting the position paper (see p. 5) which is now being circulated for co-signing.

The Annual Policy and Research Conference of the Social Protection in Asia (SPA) program was organized by the Institute for Human Development, New Delhi and Institute of Development Studies, Sussex.  The conference brought together policy makers and researchers to share understanding, experiences, lessons, and barriers to the extension of social protection policies across the globe - Latin America, Southern Africa and through diverse regions of Asia. A panel of experts from Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa discussed the implications of the economic crisis for social protection needs and responses in these regions. Country specific challenges were raised, and common trends and concerns in extension of social protection across regions were identified. The conference included key note presentations from Vietnamese officials, providing an informative overview of Vietnam’s social protection challenges and policy responses. .

      Homenet Southeast Asia/Philippines (represented by Dr Rosalinda Pineda Ofreneo), Homenet Indonesia (Daniel Stephanus), and Homenet Thailand (Boonsom Namsomboon) participated in the workshop and presented the lessons learned in doing both research and advocacy through SPA-supported  policy briefs on social security, health insurance, and related issues.  These briefs, summarized in on pp. 8-13,  may be accessed at the SPA website or at  www.homenetseasia.org.While in Hanoi, the three Homenet participants met with Tran Tuyet Lan of Craft Links, a Vietnamese fair trade organization working  mostly with indigenous  homebased producers  and intending to affiliate with Homenet  Southeast Asia.

     The Asian Roundtable on Social Security (AROSS)was organized by theAsia Monitoring Resources Center (AMRC), Center for Social Policy Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,  Hong Kong Social Security Society, Social Welfare Practice and Research Centre, Department of Social Work, CUHK.  

According to the AROSS organizers, “Many studies point to the underdeveloped social security systems. It is high time that scholars and practitioners in the region gathered and worked in concerted efforts to examine systematically the role of social security system in the region in amending the social ills amidst economic growth..”