Open Network Approach to Social Enterprise in SE Asia

"Social enterprise networks Driven by ICTs and social networking tools, more networks are emerging among social enterprises, investors and government departments. Social Enterprise Network Asia (SENA) is a good example, with SE members from various Asian countries. SENA was conceived as a way to foster further collaboration in the region, and emerged after the British Council facilitated a trip to the UK for SE professionals in the region to learn from the UK’s own experiences. According to the UK Office for Civil Society, the UK has 62,000 registered social enterprises generating turnover of US$45 billion, representing five per cent of UK revenues.

"SENA and similar networking initiatives will enable social enterprises and related sectors to share knowledge and experiences and support each other in addressing problems e.g. through peer support for capacity building and funding issues. Networking will also stimulate more widespread and rapid adoption and diffusion of effective ‘best-practice’ approaches, business models and technical solutions to social and environmental problems at all levels (community, city, country and regional).

"In addition, social-entrepreneurship-related collaboration can provide excellent opportunities not only for social enterprises to network and share experiences, but also as the first port of call for investors, CSR and social venture funds interested in the latest trends. Clearly, this can lead to closer levels of collaboration and funding for social enterprises."

Implications from Noviscape:

"From the examples above, we may anticipate much greater interest and participation by future entrepreneurs in this rapidly evolving field. The increasingly more intense networking among social enterprises, together with growing public sector support offers the prospect of new and unexpected alliances, new business models and new approaches to enable social entrepreneurs to work more effectively. This carries strong and encouraging implications for solving issues at community, country and regional levels, and of course, to give a boost to the goal of sustainable development. Dare we wish for a kinder, more caring world?"