Driving Social Enteprises in India

South Asia Workshop on Social Entrepreneurship Since the 1970s, with the advent of Bill Drayton's Ashoka, social entrepreneurship is a growing phenomenon. In India, there is Aravind Eye Healthcare, Basix Bank, Ekal Vidyalaya,  Sri Grameen Mahila Udyog (Lijjat), Narayan Hrudayalaya, Sewa, Selco, Nidaan, etc. For social entrepreneurs, the creation of wealth is  a means to an end.  Typically,  social entrepreneurs attempt to combine techniques, tools and values derived from NGOs and business  and apply them creatively to solve social problems. The Centre for Training and Research in Responsible Business and Social Entrepreneurship, New Delhi,  in partnership with the Centre for Social Initiatives and Management, Hyderabad, is organizing a two day workshop on Social Entrepreneurship in New Delhi on June 5-6, 2009. The workshop is open to national and international participants. The earlier date of April 16-17, 2009 has been changed due to the elections. Social entrepreneurial ventures are characterized by innovation, sustainability, effectiveness and accountability. Such ventures are operating in diverse social fields like poverty alleviation, women's empowerment, education, health, disability, environment etc.The growing success of micro-finance and micro-enterprise programmes in the economic and social empowerment of the poor, especially women, demonstrates the  importance of social entrepreneurship in solving social problems. Although many social entrepreneurs take up income-generating activities, they measure their success primarily in terms of social benefit. Thus social entrepreneurship seeks to apply best available concepts and methods from the social and business worlds for social benefit. This workshop has been designed to explain the important breakthroughs in nonprofit development: social entrepreneurship. Participants learn what social entrepreneurship is, and how to develop and implement customized plans for social entrepreneurship, including for their own organizations. Who should participate? Being socially relevant is part of being a professional. Professionals also possess social skills which can create social value. The Human Resource Manager can use his skill to empower the deprived of the society, the sales manager can help open up markets for village artisans, the corporate strategist can help turnaround a school, and the financial expert can help solve the cash flow problem of a small vendor.  You can participate in this event if you and/or your organisation are passionate about creating positive change the world.  You could be any of the following: Social Entrepreneurs Team members/trustees/directors in a non-profit Team members/trustees/directors in a funding or support organisation, involved with social entrepreneurs, or which is interested in working with them Team members in a corporate or its CSR arm Faculty in an academic institution running a course in social entrepreneurship or is interested in starting a course Students wanting to drive change For more details, contact Suresh Kr Pramar (suresh.pramar (a) gmail dot com).◊ Thumbnail courtesy of WorstRoadtripEver.

South Asia Workshop on Social Entrepreneurship

Since the 1970s, with the advent of Bill Drayton’s Ashoka, social entrepreneurship is a growing phenomenon. In India, there is Aravind Eye Healthcare, Basix Bank, Ekal Vidyalaya,  Sri Grameen Mahila Udyog (Lijjat), Narayan Hrudayalaya, Sewa, Selco, Nidaan, etc. For social entrepreneurs, the creation of wealth is  a means to an end.  Typically,  social entrepreneurs attempt to combine techniques, tools and values derived from NGOs and business  and apply them creatively to solve social problems.

The Centre for Training and Research in Responsible Business and Social Entrepreneurship, New Delhi,  in partnership with the Centre for Social Initiatives and Management, Hyderabad, is organizing a two day workshop on Social Entrepreneurship in New Delhi on June 5-6, 2009. The workshop is open to national and international participants. The earlier date of April 16-17, 2009 has been changed due to the elections.

Social entrepreneurial ventures are characterized by innovation, sustainability, effectiveness and accountability. Such ventures are operating in diverse social fields like poverty alleviation, women’s empowerment, education, health, disability, environment etc.The growing success of micro-finance and micro-enterprise programmes in the economic and social empowerment of the poor, especially women, demonstrates the  importance of social entrepreneurship in solving social problems.

Although many social entrepreneurs take up income-generating activities, they measure their success primarily in terms of social benefit. Thus social entrepreneurship seeks to apply best available concepts and methods from the social and business worlds for social benefit.

This workshop has been designed to explain the important breakthroughs in nonprofit development: social entrepreneurship. Participants learn what social entrepreneurship is, and how to develop and implement customized plans for social entrepreneurship, including for their own organizations.

Who should participate?

Being socially relevant is part of being a professional. Professionals also possess social skills which can create social value. The Human Resource Manager can use his skill to empower the deprived of the society, the sales manager can help open up markets for village artisans, the corporate strategist can help turnaround a school, and the financial expert can help solve the cash flow problem of a small vendor.  You can participate in this event if you and/or your organisation are passionate about creating positive change the world.  You could be any of the following:

• Social Entrepreneurs
• Team members/trustees/directors in a non-profit
• Team members/trustees/directors in a funding or support organisation, involved with social entrepreneurs, or which is interested in working with them
• Team members in a corporate or its CSR arm
• Faculty in an academic institution running a course in social entrepreneurship or is interested in starting a course
• Students wanting to drive change

For more details, contact Suresh Kr Pramar (suresh.pramar (a) gmail dot com).◊

Thumbnail courtesy of WorstRoadtripEver.