|
Corporate Social Responsibility
News
4.03.2006 ET
|
CSR News from:
|
|
|
News Category:
|
|
MEDIA ALERT: Ashoka Brings Together Global Finalists to Introduce New Approaches to Economically Sustainable Change
(CSRwire) 
WHO: Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, a global
organization that supports the field of social entrepreneurship around the
world, and Changemakers, an Ashoka Initiative that creates
community through open-sourcing social solutions, host 11 finalists
of Changemakers' latest on-line competition on Market-based Strategies
that Benefit Low-Income Communities
Speakers will include:
Diana Wells, co-President of Ashoka
Bill Drayton, Ashoka Founder and CEO, speaking on trends in social
innovations
Valeria Budinich, Vice President, Ashoka, speaking on market-based
strategies
Sushmita Gosh, Changemakers Chair, speaking on sourcing social
innovations by leveraging technology
Brief presentations by 11 finalists representing projects in 7
countries
WHAT: An opportunity to discuss new approaches to economically
sustainable change with Ashoka and 11 Changemakers finalists. Followed by
a reception and interview session with individual finalists.
WHEN: Wednesday, April 5th, 2006, 7pm
WHERE: The National Press Club Ballroom; 529 14th St. NW, 13th
Floor, Washington, DC 20045
BACKGROUND:
Strategies leveraging market forces and business models to achieve social
impact are part of an increasing trend where the borders between the
business and the social sectors are blurring. Increasingly, citizen sector
organizations and businesses are developing creative approaches centered on
profit and positive social impact that provide enhanced opportunities for
low-income individuals and their families. Entrepreneurial market-based
approaches represent a tremendous potential for large-scale social impact,
innovation and value creation for low-income communities, citizen sector
organizations and businesses altogether.
Harnessing the momentum of this critical issue, Changemakers launched a
global online competition to bring together the most innovative solutions
for Market-based Strategies that Benefit Low-Income Communities.
The 13 competition finalists from both business and social sectors were
selected from an impressive field of 128 participants from 38 entries.
The finalists include:
Business Sector Organizations:
Mango Tree Educational Enterprises (Uganda) manufactures
innovative educational tools for schools and health centers and provides
training in how to use them effectively.
SELCO Solar Light Private Limited (India) uses solar power to
provide reliable, safe and affordable electricity for lighting and for
income generating activities.
Sambazon (Brazil) (Sustainable Management of the Brazilian
Amazon) purchases organic, fair trade, and sustainably wild harvested
Açaí Palmberry fruits in the Amazon Rainforest.
International Development Enterprises (India) provides
low-cost micro-irrigation and water storage technologies.
Honey Care Africa (Kenya) works with small-scale rural
producers and beekeepers by empowering them to engage beekeeping as a
supplementary source of income.
Social Sector Organizations:
Centre for Rural Development India Rickshaw Bank Project
(India) provides a market-based opportunity for rickshaw pullers to own
their rickshaws and stop paying onerous daily rent for the vehicles.
Waste Concern (Bangladesh) helps urban poor and low income
people to take care of their own waste and create income opportunity from
waste.
ASEMBIS (Costa Rica) delivers products and medical services in
a private clinic with a high level of technology and first class
professionals but the prices are 70% lower than in the private sector.
Mann Deshi Mahila Sah Bank Ltd (India) designs savings,
credit, and micro health insurance products according to the need of rural
poor women population.
The HealthStore Foundation (USA) employs a franchise system to
target villages with inadequate access to essential medicines and
underserved by the existing public and private health infrastructure.
SULABH (India) provides on-site sanitation units for household
wastes and "pay & use" public toilets in slums and at public places like
markets and bus stands.
Phulki (Bangladesh) implements what was known as factory based
on-site childcare centers where working mothers can leave their children
during the daytime for a small fee.
RUGMark Foundation (USA) certifies and labels handmade rugs as
free of child labor, offers educational opportunities to exploited
children, and builds markets for certified goods.
About Ashoka
Ashoka is the world's community of leading social
entrepreneurs--individuals with innovative and practical ideas for
addressing social needs. Since its founding in 1980, Ashoka has launched
more than 1,700 leading social entrepreneurs in over 60 countries. Working
with these social entrepreneurs, Ashoka builds communities of innovators
who work collectively to transform society and design new ways for the
social sector to become more productive, entrepreneurial and globally
integrated. For more information, visit www.ashoka.org.
|
|
