Alumni Affairs and Development

The Working Poor in Today’s Globalized World with Gary S. Fields, Luís-Felipe López-Calva,and Edward Potter

Two-and-a-half billion people in the world live on less than two US dollars per day. Much has been written about how poor people live, but ILR’s Gary Fields, in his newest, in-progress work, is approaching the issue of poverty from the point of view of poor people’s work in the era of globalization. In exploring these issues, this colloquium will address such questions as: Do poor people work? How much do they earn for the work they do? What will their earnings buy? What can be done to increase wage employment in the economies in which they live? What about those who are excluded from getting jobs in the better parts of the economy because of the lack of such jobs for all who want them and are capable of doing them? How can earning opportunities be improved for those who have no choice but to work in the relatively poor parts of their economies? The evening will include presentations by Gary Fields, Edward Potter, and Luís-Felipe López-Calva.

Gary S. Fields is the John P. Windmuller Professor of International and Comparative Labor at the ILR School, where he has been a professor since 1978. He heads ILR’s new Program on Globalization and the Workplace, supported by a generous gift from David M. Cohen (ILR ‘73) and Abby Joseph Cohen (A&S ‘73) in response to the challenge of improving poor people’s lives.

Luís-Felipe López-Calva, is the head for Latin American programs at the United Nations Development Program and a specialist in human development and child labor. He earned his PhD in Economics at Cornell University in 1999.

Edward Potter, (MILR ‘72) is the vice president for workplace rights and global labor relations at Coca-Cola, a leader of the US employers’ delegation to the ILO, and the co-author of today’s globally accepted labor standards as encapsulated in the ILO’s Fundamental Declaration on Principles and Rights in the Workplace.

To Register
Complete the attached form and send it with your payment to: Institute for Workplace Studies, Cornell University, 16 E. 34th St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016 or fax it to: (212) 340-2893.
You may register online at www.ilr.cornell.edu/iws

Format
Each colloquium will begin with a presentation by the
featured speaker followed by dinner and a group discussion on the evening’s topic.

Time and Place
The Workplace Colloquium Series will be held at The
Cornell Club, 6 East 44th Street (between Madison and Fifth) in Manhattan from 6:30pm to 9:00pm.

Cost
The cost for each event is $45. The cost for ILR Alumni Association members is $40.

Dietary Needs
A vegetarian or kosher option is available.

Confirmation
Your reservation will be confirmed in writing or via e-mail.

Cancellation
Cancellations are accepted up to 72 hours prior to each event. A refund check will be sent by mail within four weeks.

Further Information
Web: www.ilr.cornell.edu/iws
E-mail: iwsnyc@cornell.edu
Phone: Katie Briggs at (212) 340-7931

Information about the MPS Program
Web: www.cornellnyc.org
E-mail: mpsnyc@cornell.edu
Phone: Sara Edwards at (212) 340-2808