With real estate markets surging around the world, the affordability of housing is an issue many of us face today, particularly people on low incomes. Ana Bailão, deputy mayor of Toronto, believes that policymakers have a duty to keep housing affordable for all, and outlines the innovative programmes that her city is putting in place, from loans and grants to workforce housing to leasing public land to developers. We must build cities that work, says Deputy Mayor Bailão in this OECD Podcast.

To hear more from Ana Bailão, watch our interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5jchmc5ViEU

Host: Rory Clarke

Producer: Robin Allison Davis

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Immigrants arrive in their new homes after often long and difficult journeys. Some are coming to study or to join specific employers; others have lost their homes, savings or loved ones. But none come empty-handed, says new Canadian and entrepreneur Tareq Hadhad. They bring their skills, experiences and determination – and a desire to give back.

To hear more from Tareq Hadhad, watch our interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9w39jpTGYTk

Host: Kate Lancaster

Producer: Robin Allison Davis

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Entrepreneurs think big. They launch new ideas, create jobs, promote economic development. They also help foster sustainable growth and social inclusion. But is entrepreneurship open to everyone? And can it really serve as a social elevator? Yes, argues says entrepreneur and philanthropist John Hope Bryant – if there is the right culture in place. In this podcast he lays out his plan to build financial literacy, self-sufficiency and stronger economies.

To hear more from John Hope Bryant, watch our interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/I7IfbgHwtHo

Host: Kate Lancaster

Producer: Robin Allison Davis

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European Commission anti-trust chief Margrethe Vestager has taken on many a superstar firm, bringing sizeable fines against the likes of Google and Apple. Her philosophy? Ordinary people deserve a fair shake. That means the fair prices and consumer leverage market competition is supposed to ensure. Smart regulation is key but tech giants must step up to the plate and take responsibility.

Host: Clara Young

Producer: Robin Allison Davis

Sound engineer: Ivan Porras Sepulveda

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In a world where machines can do more and more, what skills and knowledge will today’s children need in order to be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow? The OECD’s Andreas Schleicher says that AI and tech can make our lives and work a lot more rewarding and interesting – if we are prepared. We need to think about how human skills can complement those of machines, rather than try to do what they do. And we need to talk a lot less about education that ends at the school door and a lot more about how to give people the capacity and motivation to continue learning, to continue to expand their horizon every day.

For more information on education, go to:

http://www.oecd.org/education/

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education

Host: Kate Lancaster

Producer: Robin Allison Davis

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Technology can be scary - are our digital assistants spying on us? Will robots steal our jobs? Change is challenging, says Sodexo's Belen Moscoso del Prado, but technology itself isn't to blame. How we use technology is what matters - and it can be positive force for people and companies alike. She explains how Sodexo - like many firms today - is adapting to the digital transformation and what this has meant for the company, its employees and clients.

Host: Kate Lancaster

Producer: Robin Allison Davis

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Rapid-fire information, distrust of experts and elites, and acute inequality are just some of the reasons we’re feeling more than thinking our way through important decisions. Like voting. Sociologist and political economist William Davies is the author of Nervous States, How Feeling Took Over the World. He takes us back to the decoupling of reason and emotion in the 17th century, and why we must fuse them back together in the 21st.

For more information on the Forum, go to:

www.oecd-forum.org/

Host: Clara Young

Producer: Robin Allison Davis

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Modern life is digital and fast. Democracy is analogue and slow, and cracks are showing in the system. Young people are blasé about voting, many distrust government, and extremism and populism are bubbling up. Jamie Bartlett is the author of The People vs Tech and the former head of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank, Demos. He says that international cooperation on cybersecurity and private sector ingenuity can help reboot democracy.

Host: Clara Young

Producer: Robin Allison Davis

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New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern was in Paris earlier this month for a global summit on online violent extremism. New Zealand’s initiative, Christchurch Call, is a pledge that countries will set guidelines on how the media should report acts of terrorism, and adopt and enforce laws on objectionable material. This follows the country’s ban on semiautomatic weapons and assault rifles weeks after the Christchurch mosque shootings in March 2019. In this short interview, Ms Ardern discusses the initiative as well as New Zealand’s landmark Well-Being budget, housing and the future of work.

Host: Clara Young

Producer: Robin Allison Davis

Sound engineer: Borja Ortuzar

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We need more women to work, to be paid the same as men, and to hold powerful positions. This is not just a matter of fairness but of plain economics. The OECD estimates that halving the gender gap in the work force by 2030 would boost GDP by about 6%.

Dame Helena Morrissey is the founder of the UK-based 30% Club. Its goal? To reach a minimum of 3 out of 10 women on boards and in senior management. And this is just the thin edge of the diversity wedge. Ms Morrissey believes the power base should also be more inclusive of different ethnicities and sexual identities. Helena Morrissey is the current head of personal investing at Legal & General.

For more information on the Forum, go to:

www.oecd-forum.org/

Host: Clara Young

Producer: Robin Allison Davis

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