Final Post - BZSE AND ME ♥

I can't quite believe that three years being a Business & Social Enterprise (BZSE) student in Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) has flown by and it's all coming to an end in just a few weeks. I came into the course through the Direct Polytechnic Admission (DPA) because I kind of knew that being a BZSE student was in line with what I wished to do in life.





I had this dream... 








This dream of having the opportunity to give others opportunities - BZSE has made it possible for me to be so much closer to seeing this dream become a reality. From the theory I've learnt in modules and even forums, to the experiences from field trips to places like Cambodia, to the industry project experience in my final year that allowed me to get a taste of how it would really be like if I were a social entrepreneur; BZSE has given me so much in these three years that I thought would take me at least a whole decade of my lifetime to accomplish.

I won't say that it's always been a bed of roses being a BZSE student. I mean, there were times when I doubted if this was really what I wanted. Nevertheless, the good moments outweigh those that weren't so favourable and I am so grateful for being a part of the close-knit culture that is the BZSE family. From the things in my life that has happened in these three years, I have to admit that I am a changed person. I am hardly the squirmy spoilt brat scaredycat that I used to be, but I've become more of a daring dedicated dreamer who's ready to do all that she can to make her time in this life a truly worthwhile one. Hmm.. Okaay, maybe I have not become a total changed person. I have changed. I've grown up. And I owe it to the support from the people I've met as a result of being a BZSE student. Thank you so much, for everything.

I wish to end off with a note to say that, although my journey in BZSE ends here, I hope to make all my lecturers proud of what I will do in the future. (Not sure what the future holds though, but I'm hoping whatever it is, it'll be something that would make BZSE proud of me -- P/s, I am still counting on making my social enterprise fashion boutique a dream come true someday ♡ ) I do not have as much faith in myself as many of you have in me, but it's because you guys believe in me so much that makes me want to try my best so that I don't let anyone down. It's pretty hard writing this post but I just felt like I had to leave a final note of thanks paired with some words from deep inside that would not have seen the light of day had I not put it into writing here. This shan't be the last you'll hear from me - just the last coming from this blog here.

Xx

Week 17 - LEGAL DEETS FOR SOCIAL START-UPS

Image from writtenbysumer.com

This article talks about the legal responsibility that social enterprises cannot overlook while trying to achieve their social goals. Our favourite ice cream store Ben & Jerry's began like most other social enterprises - with two bottom lines: profit and people.  They were fair to employees, easy on the environment, and kind to its cows.  But in 2000, when it got sold to Unilever that is described as “a giant [MNC] clearly focused on the financial bottom line”, it wasn’t because the founders dodged their original social mission, but rather it was because they had a legal responsibility to consider takeover bids, and that particular responsibility forced the sale.

The case of Ben & Jerry’s is said to be what continually haunts social entrepreneurs today.  Taking on the corporate form of an organisation or business entity would mean that one day, they may become the second Ben & Jerry’s.  That is why for the past decade, social entrepreneurs have been calling for new legal forms of organisation for social entrepreneurship all over the world. In the UK, it is recognised that social enterprises are ... However in the US, only certain states like Maryland recognise the B Corp Company, or Benefits Corporation, which focuses on a "triple bottom line" of People, Planet & Profit aka the concept of social entrepreneurship that they term as Non-Profits. And in Singapore, we have something similar to the US' Non-Profits, namely Charities or Institutes of Public Character (IPCs). But these are not social enterprises, and over here, social enterprises face the similar dilemma of not having governance regulations specifically catered for them. They have to follow either the one for Charities and IPCs, or the corporate legal structures. This is extremely difficult for social enterprises because they exist for reasons very different from both of the above. There needs to be a new form of legal structure for social enterprises worldwide, to make things much easier to manage - which could result in the social enterprise sector flourishing and able to do so much more for the world.

If these new forms of legal structures for social enterprises were present at the time Ben & Jerry’s got bought out, then yknow, maybe the outcome may have been different.  But as Ben & Jerry's now demonstrates through their initiatives to try to foster more social entrepreneurs, maybe the only important thing is to do good, regardless of the form of structure(?) - Well, within reason I guess... Definitely take a step back if one is at risk of being involved in some form of legal trouble!

Image from www.forbes.com

I can't help but think back on our Corporate Governance essay assignment where we argued if there should be a separate code of governance for social enterprises here in Singapore to make it easier legally. I mean, imagine having to shut down operations just because a legal requirement was not met. Or worse, imagine being thrown in jail due to a lack in proper legalities when trying to do good with the running of your social enterprise. Shuddering at the thought of that ever happening to me.

Nevertheless, this should not be a discouraging factor stopping anyone who wishes to open a social enterprise of their own someday. (yes - this is definitely directed at me too). I think for me, I'd play it safe. At this young age, let's use our inexperience and lack of knowledge to our advantage here. I'm thinking that, instead of registering our social enterprise as any of the above entities, choose to maybe do something similar to what you have always wanted, but term it as a "project" or "venture" rather than an official social enterprise that has to run by the structures of either a corporate entity or a charity/IPC (this is in reference to the Singapore context)

It may not be anytime soon that I would be setting up a social enterprise (or social "project"/ social "venture"), but if and when I do wish to do that, I am definitely making sure I re-read this all over again so that I can avoid getting into any legal complications with regards to my social enterprise set up!

References

Ip, M. (2012, August 16). Why law is so important for social enterprises. In social enterprise buzz. Retrieved on 2nd February 2013 from http://www.socialenterprisebuzz.com/2012/08/16/why-law-is-so-important-for-social-enterprises/

Week 16 - IS THIS SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP?

Image from http://www.socialenterprisebuzz.com

Look at that - it's a boating school! How cool is that?!
(it kind of reminded me of something...)

Image from www.icollector.com

Anyway, jokes aside. While I am still in complete awe at this remarkable creation, here's some background information on it..

When Abul Hasanat Mohammed Rezwan was young, he found the monsoon floods in his Bangladeshi community very frustrating as it prevented him from travelling to school.  Due to the lack of proper transportation in riverside communities, the residents there did not have access to latest information and learning opportunities.

This problem kept on circulating in Rezwan’s mind, and in 2002 he found an innovative solution for it. Through Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, which is the Bangladeshi non-profit organisation that Mohammed Rezwan himself had established in 1998, he introduced the solar-powered floating schools in north-western Bangladesh’s flood prone region of Chalan Beel.

This simple but extremely effective solution which involved equipping boats with books and computers, and later powered with solar energy is fully furnished, and then used as a teaching space for the village students. The boat can also be used as a form of transportation for the students to and from their homes. These children are no longer deprived of an education as a result of this boating school.

Mohammed Rezwan’s initiative has impacted the lives of 70,000 children and has been recognised worldwide.  From being awarded the Citizen Based Initiative Award of Ashoka Innovator for the Public in 2002, to being noted as Social Entrepreneur of the Global Philanthropy Forum 2006 (US), Rezwan’s floating school project has been praised for its uniqueness and impact.

While Rezwan is being awarded as a social entrepreneur, does this make the boating school a social enterprise?

Image from www.sodahead.com

I believe it's a no... He did not start this boating school as a profit-making entity, therefore it is actually a social innovation. Social enterprises are in fact social innovations as well. So what we're seeing here is that social innovations form the broader category in which social entrepreneurship happens to fall under.

 

 

"Children can't go to school, so we thought the school should come to them." - Abul Hasanat Mohammed Rezwan

References

Nightingale, K. (2007, June 22). Developing world projects toast of the town. In scidev.net. Retrieved on 2 February 2013 from http://www.scidev.net/en/news/developing-world-projects-toast-of-the-town.html

Tasnim, A. (2012, November 22). If the children can't go to school, then the school should come to them. Social enterprise buzz. Retrieved on 2 February 2013 from http://www.socialenterprisebuzz.com/2012/11/22/if-the-children-cant-go-to-school-then-the-school-should-come-to-them/

Week 15 - PIRIKA!

Image from blogs.independent.co.uk

You know how obsessed we all are now with our camera/photo applications on our smartphones - especially the one application known as Instagram. Most iPhone users would have it installed, but now with the rise of Android, this application is practically used by billions worldwide! It is afterall free, and one of the most easy-to-use social media photo-sharing applications there are. We use it to snap photos of our #ootd or #wiwt ('outfit of the day' or 'what I wore today'), photos of our food before we dig in... Basically, photos of everything happening in our lives. Some examples of what one would post on instagram are:

Art...

Scenery...

#ootd & #wiwt ...

Own pictures (OPs)...

Outings with friends

And even, mismatched shoes...?

But what about photos of garbage? (Yep, you read that right - GARBAGE!)

While it may sound like a turn off at first, this is actually a really innovative solution that has helped to properly dispose of more than 95,000 pieces of garbage in over 60 countries. PIRIKA - which actually means 'clean and beautiful' in one of the native Japanese languages called Ainu – is a mobile application that hopes to kick off a movement for garbage-picking and reducing, reusing & recycling worldwide. Similar to the way in which Instagram works, PIRIKA allows users to snap a photo of the trash they find and share it on PIRIKA, Facebook, or Twitter before throwing it into the garbage bin.  It displays where garbage has been collected via some form of geotagging technology (which is able to determine location of one's whereabouts - just like Instagram!) and allows users to comment and give thanks to one another for making the world a cleaner and greener place. 

Let's take a look at how PIRIKA works:

PIRIKA is very easy to use!

 1. Find litter

2. Take a photo with PIRIKA

3. Throw it away

I think it's really amazing how the ever-so-innovative Japanese are coming up with inventions that surprise us. Now this is a true social innovation that combines a technology we all know and love (and it helps that we use it practically every single day too) with an underlying social motive in saving our environment. I think I'm gonna go download the PIRIKA app for myself too right now ☺☺

PIRIKA: 'clean and beautiful'

References

Ip, M. (2013, January 2). Japanese app "pirika" helps clean the world. Social enterprise buzz. Retrieved on 30 January 2013 from http://www.socialenterprisebuzz.com/2013/01/02/japanese-app-pirika-helps-clean-the-world/

Week 14 - SOCIAL INTRAPRENEUR

In my previous post, I mentioned that there needs to be more knowledge on social entrepreneurship. But then, I've come across this article on "social INTRApreneurship". What is that?!

Image from www.entrepreneurnews.com.au

What is a Social Intrapreneur?
Interesting as they are, the greatest agents of change are unlikely to be social entrepreneurs, but rather those working for large companies who have the ability to see avenues for new markets and to leverage resources to create better products, according to The Economist. Paul Polak, social entrepreneur and founder of International Development Enterprises, a company that produces low-cost solutions for small-time farmers, explained that big business is the key to scaling solutions to problems such as poverty. Those driving change within these corporations are the social intrapreneurs or in other words, “corporate social entrepreneurs”.

Image from www.behance.net

Social intrapreneurs are capable of making a positive impact to their business and for the world, and wish to align societal needs and business value.  They possess characteristics similar to social entrepreneurs, yet they are able to navigate massively complex systems to get things done with scale and impact because of the fact that they are HUGE people in the corporate industry.  And they are thus, surrounded by the resources to be able to create much more change for the better.  Together, these social intrapreneurs make for an army ready to attack – social and environmental problems that are being faced in this world.

While social entrepreneurship has deeper roots, having existed way back in the day and only being officially known in the 1970s, the first mention of social intrapreneurship or "corporate social entrepreneurship" came in place in the early 2000s and was more of an observation of the role an employee (intrinsically-driven by personal values). Today however, social intrapreneurship is the result of global market failures, increased expectations of businesses’ role in society, and a shift in personal values and motivation to build more sustainable business structures to help solve the many existing social issues.

I do wonder though... Will social intrapreneurship be here for the long-run?

Image from www.sustainablebrands.com

I would imagine that while these big corporate individuals have the drive to make great changes, their journey would be filled with many many challenges.  Social intrapreneurs would typically work all on their own and play the role of a social intrapreneur in addition to their normal day-to-day tasks.  Though the light has switched on for them and some of their colleagues, many describe their companies as slow-moving and simply aren’t able to adjust to the change in trying to be more social than profitable.

Challenges

Image from www.behance.net

As the article mentioned, the first reaction these social intrapreneurs would face to any new idea is a straight out “no”.  Their colleagues would counter their proposals by saying “This is a distraction”, “Poor people have no money”, or “We’re not in that business”. In turn, they face the risk of losing out on promotions and salary increases, and even losing their jobs. The numbers don’t lie - they show that social intrapreneurship can be short-lived and may not actually last for the long run.  It was reported that four years after SustainAbility’s report launched, just under half of social intrapreneurs interviewed remain at their companies.
Still, those who have gone through a light bulb moment tend to remain committed to the idea of aligning social and business values, and have moved on to other bigger (and better!) roles. 

There is hope that social intrapreneurs would stir much great change in the world, but if all else fails, we still have all our social entrepreneurs to come in and save us!

Image from www.karmakonsum.de

References

Ip, M. (2013, January 8). Social intrapreneurship - an idea whose time has come. In social enterprise buzz. Retrieved on 26th January 2013 from http://www.socialenterprisebuzz.com/2013/01/08/social-intrapreneurship-an-idea-whose-time-has-come/

Week 13 - SPREADING THE SOCIAL WORD

Image from www.channelnewsasia.com

Making the world a better place does not have to begin with a huge global transformation. While this is a dream that is wonderful to achieve, it is extremely ambitious and one would probably just be building sandcastles in the air for the rest of time. Having listened to various different people who are pioneers in what they do in the social sector, it has come to light that starting small and consistently while slowly growing is the way to go. We had a field trip earlier this week to a social enterprise hawker centre called Dignity Kitchen that provides many opportunities for people with disabilities as well as the elderly and we were fortunate enough to get an inside look into how it is like trying to create social change without much, or any support for that matter, from the government. The founder, Mr Koh put everything on the line to make Dignity Kitchen where it is today. From pure dedication and passion, to the amount of time and resources, to the large debt he still faces until today ... Mr Koh has been kind enough to tell us that it is not at all easy, but at the end of the day it is extremely fulfilling and heartening to see all that he put in result in better lives for the many people there. 

Image from www.channelnewsasia.com

For people with no experience like many my age, I am glad that Mr Koh mentioned this; "Volunteer somewhere just one day, once a month, every month." He then further elaborated that making this small step could result in so much more to come. We would be able to find where our passion truly lies. We would be able to gain expertise in an area that would come in useful to us for when we wish to kickstart our venture. We would be able to gather necessary contacts in the industry to help us in the future. We would be able to use the time planning and thinking things out very carefully before beginning anything. We would be ready for creating social change. We would succeed.  

Plus, I really think that we need to go out there into the industry and share with people the concept of social entrepreneurship rather than just trying to do things all on our own. Two heads are better than one, and the success rates of collaborations are much higher than sole startups. I was just previously writing on how the concept of social entrepreneurship is not very known in the Middle East. But I should not have even looked that far. Adults in our midst right here in Singapore are completely clueless as to what social entrepreneurship is. My mum had forced me to join her and her colleagues for dinner one night and I spent the entire time waiting for our meals to be served just talking about what social enterprise is and what possibly lay ahead for me in the future.

Image from realsolutions4life.com

Image from www.bouldercitysocial.com

There needs to be more knowledge on social entrepreneurship. I wish that when people heard that I am studying a course in social entrepreneurship, it would hit them instantly just like how one would react to hearing that someone is studying in the field of business, or engineering, or even dentistry. Social entrepreneurship needs to become a more common concept and it can be done by spreading the social word. To be honest, I hardly read the newspapers and watch the news but I do follow updates on Twitter with regards to current affairs and this might just be the way to go - spreading the social word through social media. I'm not very active on Facebook, and I have a couple of friends who are just as inactivate, some of them having even deleted their Facebook accounts. Facebook may not be the social media approach to take on here as it is somewhat becoming a fad. What could instead be done is promotion through Twitter, and those creative Youtube ads that we MUST sit through before our video plays.   

"Volunteer somewhere just one day, once a month, every month." - Mr Koh, founder of Dignity Kitchen

References

The Straits Times. (2012, November 23).What can you get for $600,000?. Retrieved on 29th January 2013 from http://ifonlysingaporeans.blogspot.sg/2012/11/dignity-kitchen-what-can-you-get-for.html

Week 12 - SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE MIDDLE EAST

We always hear so much about social enterprises and its development in Asia, the US, the UK, certain parts of Europe and even in Africa, but hardly is there any news on the social entrepreneurship sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). MENA is made up of the following countries:

Image from www.economist.com/

From before, majority of the MENA countries were seen to be performing well on various different developmental fronts, showing impressive growth rates and an improving business sector of its own. However, many of those who took to the streets and have been to MENA believed that this growth only benefited a privileged minority. This article aims at looking at how the MENA region can adopt a new development model of social entrepreneurship for competitive economies to create decent jobs while promoting sustainable development, social justice and equity.

Ashoka was the first organization since 2003 to introduce the concept to the MENA region and to support Arab social entrepreneurs financially and technically. The Arab Spring had brought about much tumult to the Middle East, but the demonstrations have also resulted in new aspects to civil life in the Arab society. Researchers at Stanford University say that the Arab Spring has also been a key factor to furthering the development of social entrepreneurship in the region. According to Social Entrepreneurship: Why It Is Important After the Arab Spring, it states that "unanimously across the region, young people are more interested in improving their communities and contributing to the long-term development of their societies after the revolution."

So why then is social entrepreneurship still hardly heard of in MENA? Here are several main reasons why:

1. Lack of public awareness: The lack of exposure and knowledge about social entrepreneurship and the benefits it brings to communities means that some very good social entrepreneurs might not be known to the public. Greater exposure needs to be given to the contributions made by social entrepreneurs. Such heightened awareness would lead to greater trust and an environment that is more conducive to social entrepreneurship. In the meantime, the public remains skeptical.
2. Lack of governmental support: Although the Egyptian government has invested in development initiatives in the past, it has never prioritized social entrepreneurs. The current political environment and concurrent social instability have further complicated the situation and negatively affected a lot of development projects and activities. Increased bureaucracy and a focus on politics led to longer delays by the government in approving licenses or issuing funding approvals for not-for-profit organizations and small businesses. The media has also been attacking NGOs, accusing those who receive foreign funding of promoting foreign agendas. In Egypt, people are shutting down their organizations, not because anyone forces them to, but because they are not receiving the help and support they need. Because of Ashoka’s independence and lack of affiliation with the government, it is able to fulfill a vital role.
3. Lack of capacity: The lack of know-how is another significant challenge. What NGOs need is the transfer of know-how in order to produce the start-up project activities and organizations that are needed. As an example, social entrepreneurs who only receive a local education in the region do not have the skills to write a good investable business plan. Unless training is offered to build the capacity of local NGOs, there will be no good start-ups in the region.

But there are many opportunities coming about for the rise of social entrepreneurship in MENA, as after the Arab Awakening, an increasing number of younger people in the Arab continent have been applying for fellowships. Most applicants used to be in their thirties, but it is noted that Ashoka has been receiving many applicants who are in their early twenties. Projects are now generally more sustainable, less elitist and more geared towards the needs of the poor. Many proposals are more conscious of the real needs and priorities of the people.

Image from cartoonstock.com

Such a change across the MENA region may just about remove the typical Arab stereotype about them being rich and selfishly spending all money they have for themselves on themselves. But this rich Arab community, geared with the right mindset, knowledge and tools of social entrepreneurship could indeed lift the entire continent out of its social unrest, and possibly even put an end to the political instability and economic discontent in time to come.   

Image from cartoonstock.com

"Social entrepreneurship can be a powerful solution for the region." - Suzi Sosa, founder and president of the MPOWER Foundation

References

Sosa, S. (2011, February 23). Why we need social entrepreneurship in the middle east. Inc: Small business resources for the entrepreneur. Retrieved on 7th January 2013 from http://www.inc.com/articles/201102/suzi-sosa-why-we-need-social-entrepreneurship-in-the-middle-east.html

Townsend, J.C. (2012, October 10). Can social enterprise contribute to inclusive growth in middle east and north africa? In Ashoka's Youth Venture. Retrieved on 7th January 2013 from http://www.youthventure.org/can-social-enterprise-contribute-inclusive-growth-middle-east-north-africa

Week 11 - HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

"Healing Human Rights Abuses with Social Enterprise" - That is the article by Janet Tafel, the executive director of Hagar USA, which supports the work that Hagar International carries out in developing countries such as Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Vietnam. The mission of Hagar is to raise awareness about Hagar's model of social rehabilitation and economic empowerment and about egregious human rights abuses suffered by Hagar's beneficiaries.

Image from vimeo.com

The genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia was a trauma that caused massive cultural, social, and psychological distress and dislocation in that country. Some of the worst victims have been women and children, who are frequently the victims of poverty, violence, and trafficking for sex among other human rights abuses. 

Tafel mentions the work Hagar is doing to help such individuals develop productive and meaningful lives. She outlines how the organization tends to physical and psychological needs first, and then provides job training and opportunities for social entrepreneurship.

This reminded me of the sharing by Ms Sylvia Lee, founder of Lotus Culture when she came down for one of Mr Damien's NPODEV classes. She spoke about Somaly Mam, a Cambodian woman who has become an advocate for human rights against women who are forced into sex slavery and/or human trafficking after having lived through such torture in her past. She set up AFESIP, an organisation that has transformed the lives of thousands of victims in the aforementioned illegal trade since it begun in 1996, and she is now regarded as one of the most prolific human rights activists fighting sexual slavery in this century. I am awed by the numerous success stories of girls that have been saved as a result of Somaly Mam's efforts. She's an amazing woman, an amazing social entrepreneur, and an amazing human rights advocate - she's become another inspiration for me ♡

Image from missrosen.wordpress.com

There is a local organisation that carries out similar work as that of Hagar International. Access to Justice Asia (AJA) was co-founded by husband and wife, Mahdev and Vinita Mohan in 2008, with an aim of providing legal aid and representation to the underserved groups of people living in the Asian region.

Image from accessjusticeasia.org

Made up of mostly pro-bono human rights defenders as well as legal scholars, it focused on justice and capacity development of those victimised as a result of large-scale crimes in Asia. Most of AJA’s efforts to date have been carried out in Cambodia, towards victims of the Khmer Rouge. Mahdev had also been appointed the international counsel for victims by the Tribunal and the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia (BAKC). He is the very first Singaporean to have achieved such great authority in the legal system of Cambodia and is thus able to successfully push for human rights for the many Cambodians who have been oppressed. (Mohan, 2009). To date, AJA has managed to represent a total of 132 Khmer Krom clients before the Khmer Rouge Tribunal to date.

"The aspiration for democracy and respect for fundamental human rights is as important to the people of Africa and Asia as it is to those in Europe or the Americas. But of course, it is often those people who are deprived of their human rights who are least able to speak up for themselves. The responsibility rests with those of us who do enjoy such freedoms." - Dalai Lama

 

References

Mohan, M. (2009, January). An introduction to the khmer rouge tribunal for singaporeans. In Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Retrieved on 6th January 2013 from http://www.siiaonline.org/?q==programmes/commentary/an-introduction-khmer-rouge

Shiromany, A.A. (1995). The spirit of Tibet, universal heritage: Selected speeches and writings of HH the Dalai Lama XIV. Bombay: Allied Publishers Limited.  

Tafel, J. (2009, November 9). Healing human rights abuses with social enterprise. In Stanford Center for Social Innovation. Retrieved on 6th January 2013 from http://csi.gsb.stanford.edu/healing-human-rights-abuses-social-enterprise

Week 10 - CURE TO UNEMPLOYMENT

 Image from conservativepapers.com

Unemployment is not only a serious economic issue but it is also poses to be a huge social problem. A country's unemployment rate is a social problem because it affects a large number of people within a community but has the potential to be alleviated by efforts from a separate coalition of individuals.Who might these individuals be? They are none other than social entrepreneurs.

Image from transitioning.org

A social entrepreneur for more than 20 years, Collin Crooks published a couple of articles on unemployment and the positive effect social entrepreneurship has on possibly solving this crisis. On his own website TreeShepherd.com - nurturing local solutions, he wrote this: "Inevitable economic processes create ever more desperate ghettoes of unemployment of people with low skills or complex commitments. So how do we reverse the trend and create low and semi-skilled local jobs? Enter social enterprise. Social enterprises are perverse. They deliberately choose to locate in challenging areas and are three times more likely to be based in an area of multiple disadvantage and high unemployment than their private sector equivalent (SEUK 2011).  And relative to a similar sized private firm they employ more people." (Crooks, 2012, para. 7-8).

OK, a part of me when reading what Crooks had written could not help but wonder... If social enterprises are doing so much, including hiring more people to help the issue of unemployment as compared to a private firm of the same size and capacities, the social enterprise as an entity would have to cover so much more expenses than an ordinary firm and this could in turn lead to the inability to sustain itself in the long run. Even more so if the social enterprise has to compete with other ordinary firms. This is where the government and authorities should step in and provide aid to social enterprises because if not, they're competing in an unfair game - winning socially but losing profitably.

Then I came across an article in The Guardian written by Crooks three months after the previously mentioned article by him. In it, what was written served as the perfect follow up to where we left off ... how social enterprises can help society's issues like unemployment and also the need for aid from governments and other larger organisations.

"But to do it on the scale that is needed we need to do two things: Firstly, we need to recruit more social entrepreneurs. To do this we need to work directly with those local people who do have ideas and can provide services and give them the tools to enable them to make the difference. Secondly, we need to persuade councils and businesses to buy services from social enterprises as a defined part of their general spend. My challenge therefore to government, local government and business is to spend 5% of their procurement budget in areas of high deprivation and critically with companies dedicated to creating work for the people that live there even where they if that commitment was made it would be possible to establish the businesses to meet the demand." (Crooks, 2012, para. 9).

Image from agorapartnerships.org

With the two above needs being met, social enterprises will truly live up to its cause for existence. And true enough, just a couple of days ago, the new year brought about great news for Spain. Spanish social entrepreneurs are making great change in their country amidst all the economic and political issues that are still apparent there. "With all eyes on its government finances and rate of unemployment, the dominant view of Spain is that it will be in dire economic straits for a long time to come. Few people know that there is also a flip side: new forms of social innovation and a range of social approaches to business are to taking root in Spain's economic and political fissures." (Rebel, 2013, para.1). There is still much hope for the country though.

In the growing social enterprise sector of Spain, there are many different entrepreneurial spirits coming together trying to form something innovative that would help to rebuild Spain's economy. All of these look to solving the most crucial Spanish social issues, such as widespread youth unemployment and an aging population that depends heavily on purely their state pensions. One such success story is the Spanish co-operative MONDRAGON. For more information on this upcoming world leader in the co-operative movement, as well as the seventh largest business group Spain has, click on the link below. MONDRAGON is an extremely relevant example of how social enterprises not only develop an economy, but put a stop to unemployment too.

Image from mondragon-corporation.com

The MONDRAGON Cooperative Experience: Humanity at Work

References

Crooks, C. (2012, July 25). Social enterprise and the unemployment crisis. In TreeShepherd. Retrieved on 5th January 2013, from http://www.treeshepherd.org.uk/social-enterprise-and-the-unemployment-crisis/

Crooks, C. (2012, October 12). Thinking positively about solving the unemployment crisis. In theguardian. Retrieved on 5th January 2013, from http://socialenterprise.guardian.co.uk/social-enterprise-network/2012/oct/12/thinking-positively-solving-unemployemnt-crisis

Rebel, C. (2013, January 2). Spain's entrepreneurs carving a new path amid economic crisis. In theguardian. Retrieved on 5th January 2013, from http://socialenterprise.guardian.co.uk/social-enterprise-network/2013/jan/02/spain-enterpreneurs-economic-enterprise-cooperative