How to write a press release to achieve social impact?

How to write a press release to achieve social impact?

A press release is an effective tool to disseminate information to the media and the public about important events, developments, and initiatives. With the right approach, a press release can be a powerful tool to achieve social impact and bring attention to critical issues. Here are some tips on how to write a press release to achieve social impact. 

First, start with a compelling headline. The headline is the first thing people will see, so it needs to grab their attention. Make sure it is clear, concise, and highlights the key message of the press release. 

Focus on the “why”. When writing a press release, it’s essential to explain why the event, initiative, or development is important. What social impact will it have? What problem is it addressing? Make sure you convey the significance of your message and the importance of your influence.

Furthermore, you should provide the context of initiative, action, or event you are writing about. Although you know everything about your topic and you think it’s easy to understand it, your potential audience’s maybe not that into it. So – don’t assume that your audience knows all the background information. Explain the problem or issue you’re addressing. Try to do it in a simple way so that everyone can understand it.

One of the important things is using quotes. Including quotes from relevant people can add credibility to your press release and help to humanize the message. Use quotes from experts, stakeholders, or people who have been directly impacted by the issue. Try to have a main character in your story. 

Also, don’t be an expert or a poet. Avoid using jargon or technical language that may be difficult for the public to understand. Avoid words that beautify the topic too. Be real in approaching your topic. Use clear, concise language that is easy to read and digest. Don’t forget to send some visuals too. Visuals such as photos or videos can help to bring your message to life and make it more engaging. Make sure you have permission to use any visuals you include. It’s also desirable that you have people on your photos and/or videos – people appreciate personification.

In conclusion, writing a press release that achieves social impact requires a clear and concise message that explains the significance of your event, initiative, or development. Including quotes, visuals, and distributing it on social media can also help to amplify your message. By following these tips, you can create a press release that has a lasting impact and raises awareness about critical social issues.

Original article available on Revitalese.eu website.

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Images by Thom Milkovic , Us Wah on Unsplash

RESEARCH Rise Up: Understanding Youth Social Entrepreneurs and Their Ecosystems
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RESEARCH
Rise Up: Understanding Youth Social Entrepreneurs and Their Ecosystems

In introducing Youth 2030, the UN strategy for supporting youth to turn their “ideas into action,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres acknowledged that 

youth are “a vast source of innovation, ideas, and solutions” who are providing vital change and leadership on the global climate crisis, social justice, and technology

– (United Nations 2018)

As this UN initiative acknowledges, youth social entrepreneurs have great potential to lead positive change in the world today. This research contributes to understanding how to realize the potential and success of youth social entrepreneurs by identifying the support they need. 

SOME OF THE FINDINGS

The authors explored the dynamic ecosystem, including key influencers, access to resources, and the youth social entrepreneur mindset that provide youth the opportunity to rise up to transform themselves, the world, and the future. Many features of this ecosystem are unique to youth social entrepreneurs. Because youth differ from adults with regard to their societal roles, power dynamics, propensity to engage in prosocial behaviors, outlook on life, and patterns of thinking, the

youth social entrepreneur ecosystem is distinct from the adult social entrepreneur ecosystem.

Perhaps this is most evident in the role influencers such as adult allies, peers, and parents, as well as resources such as access to technology and place, play in bridging the opportunity gap for youth social entrepreneurs. By exploring the experiences of established youth social entrepreneurs and building on the extant research, this research provides a framework for understanding how to enable the success of youth social entrepreneurs.

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Indeed, there are those who view youth as lacking actionable ideas and requiring extensive instruction before becoming social entrepreneurs.

Yet as the research makes clear, youth have powerful ideas and can put those ideas into action to create positive change. Furthermore, some of the behavioral tendencies of youth that have been viewed through a negative lens—risk taking, challenging authority and status quo, and reward seeking—may help them to approach and pursue difficult societal challenges through social entrepreneurship.

As the Greek philosopher Plutarch noted, working with and supporting youth is not the filling of an empty pail, but rather the lighting of a fire (Sweeney 1968). In fact, the passion, fresh perspectives, and positive outlook of youth often spur them to take action to create social impact. So, what can adults do to fuel the fire in youth social entrepreneurs? Adult allies can help youth develop the personal agency to act on what they know, what they think, and what they feel. Many of our youth social entrepreneur partners credited parents or teachers with encouraging them.

This research with youth social entrepreneurs suggests that their faces and voices are diverse.

The youth social entrepreneurs they partnered with were from varied backgrounds and their work was motivated by a wealth of passion and purposes. Thus, parents, teachers, youth organizations, and other allies aiming to encourage youth to become social entrepreneurs should be open to a variety of models of what a youth social entrepreneur might “look like.” The fact is, all youth have the potential to create positive social change as long as we as a society bridge the opportunity gap by providing them with the ecosystem they need to fulfill their potential.

The full article is available HERE or as a download below.

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To cite this article: Bublitz, M. G., Chaplin, L. N., Peracchio, L. A., Cermin, A. D., Dida, M., Escalas, J. E., … & Miller, E. G. (2021). Rise up: Understanding youth social entrepreneurs and their ecosystems. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 40(2), 206-225.
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1177/0743915620937702

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Photo by Dim Hou on Unsplash

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

 

Inclusive Business Creation – Good Practice Compendium

Inclusive Business Creation – Good Practice Compendium

Today we present to you a report from the OECD’s Local Economic and Employment Development Programme (LEED) provides innovative ideas and practical solutions for how to build inclusive and sustainable communities with quality jobs for all. This series explores how national and local governments can promote local development, leveraging the social economy, entrepreneurship, employment and skills, and specific sectors such as culture.

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Inclusive Business Creation

Good Practice Compendium

This compendium contains 20 case studies of public programmes in European countries that are successfully supporting business creation by people from disadvantaged and under-represented groups in entrepreneurship. The populations targeted by these programmes include youth, women, seniors, the unemployed, immigrants, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. Each programme description details the programme’s activities and approach, assesses the challenges faced in development and implementation, and offers tips for successful transfer to other contexts.

Public policy actions at national, regional and local levels can make an important contribution to economic growth and social inclusion by promoting business creation and self-employment by people who otherwise could remain outside of the mainstream of entrepreneurship. This compendium demonstrates that workable approaches exist and can help policymakers learn from each other’s experiences to achieve widespread results.

https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264251496-en  9789264251496 (PDF) 9789264257504 (EPUB)

Authors: OECD and European Union

Access to the full reading material here: 9789264251496-en

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DALBA – Beer that means more
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DALBA – Beer that means more

Meet DALBA, social enterprise which is a part of NESs’t Fund network which is investing in entrepreneurial solutions that lift people out of poverty.

In spite of Poland’s strong economic growth, many find it difficult to secure stable employment and reliable wages. More than 18% of young people under the age of 30 are unemployed, with women, people living in rural areas, and people with disabilities especially affected. NESs’t investments in Poland focus on social enterprises that connect these potential workers with training and jobs in growth industries like technology, business process outsourcing and health care.

DALBA is an award-winning craft beer brewery in Puck, Poland that employs people with intellectual disabilities. It is the first in Poland and sixth in the world of its kind. The business addresses one of the most serious social problems in Poland: labour exclusion and social marginalization of people with intellectual disabilities. Today, only 10% of people with disabilities participate in the labor market.

The production process of DALBA’s craft beer counts on a group of 30 young men with disabilities who are also shareholders of the cooperative. Some prepare malts with a recipe and boil it, while others are involved in bottling or labeling. They do so without supervision, having received training from management to work with precision.

DALBA was co-founded by Agnieszka Dejna, a mother of children with disabilities, and Janusz Golisowicz, an occupational therapist of patients with disabilities. Agnieszka and Janusz often heard these young people seeking greater independence in their lives, but unable to achieve it as a result of their parents fear of discrimination and harassment in the workforce. Today, DALBA’s craft beers are rated Top 50 out of 270+ brands in Poland.

Browar Spółdzielczy (Cooperative Brewery) originated from the passion for beer, sea and the need for change. We brew our beer in a traditional manner, in small brewery in Puck, Poland. The brewery is owned by Spółdzielnia Socjalna DALBA (Social Cooperative DALBA).

This is not just an ordinary workplace, this is passion. Most employees of the cooperative are the people who have not had a chance on the open job market due to their disabilities. Their engagement and determination results in our beer being something exceptional, dreams coming true and a chance.

That’s why DALBA slogan reads “Piwo, które warzy więcej” – it’s a word play on the Polish words “warzyć” (to brew) and “ważyć” (here: to mean).

DALBA and NESsT partnered to increase the production capacity of the enterprise, positioning it to generate higher revenues and to increase its employment of people with disabilities. With a grant from NESsT, DALBA upgraded its equipment, generating a production growth of 15%. The next phase of investment is the expansion of its production hall.

DALBA’s tailored business mentoring focuses on consolidating its rapid growth, leveraging co-investments, and strengthening its impact measurement. As it prepares to launch five locations in the next two years, NESsT and DALBA have also been collaborating on managing the enterprise’s product portfolio, by identifying and developing products with higher margins, and on ramping up its sales efforts.

NESsT is excited to support DALBA as the enterprise has proven to be equally committed to empowering youth with disabilities and developing award-winning craft beer.

Answering the global Covid-19 crisis, NESsT has developed a special support plan for its portfolio. To support Dalba, we are working together to remodel communication and marketing strategy in order to generate additional revenues to sustain Dalba’s operational costs and revenues that decreased due to Covid crisis.

Source and more information: https://www.nesst.org/dalba; https://en.browarspoldzielczy.com/strona-glowna

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This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

11 Strategies For Activating People As Contributors In Creating Social Impact – The Unlonely Planet 2022 Study
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11 Strategies For Activating People As Contributors In Creating Social Impact – The Unlonely Planet 2022 Study

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT ASHOKA

Ashoka identifies and supports the world’s leading social entrepreneurs, learns from the patterns in their innovations, and mobilizes a global community that embraces these new frameworks to build an “everyone a changemaker world.” Read about Ashoka’s theory of change for this historic moment, the new inequality, and the new framework that they require.

ABOUT THIS REPORT

This report presents our findings and is organized in two parts. Part I outlines the strategies Fellows use to build an Everyone a Changemaker™ world. Part II outlines the strategies Ashoka uses to support Fellows’ lifelong commitment to changemaking and efforts to realize the Everyone a Changemaker™ vision. Besides other insightful information and facts about the ways how social entrepreneurs can change the world, this study has drawn out the 11 “how-tos” used by Ashoka Fellows to activate people as contributors and solution-providers in their communities. These are a great help to understanding how the social impact works.

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11 STRATEGIES FOR ACTIVATING PEOPLE AS CONTRIBUTORS IN CREATING SOCIAL IMPACT

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Inspire individuals to become changemakers 

Strategy 1: Create opportunities for many individuals to contribute. In addition to creating employment (95% of Ashoka Fellows) and volunteer opportunities (87%), many Fellows recognize that it is time for a fundamental shift especially in the role of young people. 89% of Fellows are putting young people in charge of leading change within their organizations.

Strategy 2: Encourage individuals to believe in their own capacity. By encouraging problem-solving on even a small scale, Ashoka Fellows expand others’ sense of agency. Giving a person the opportunity to take action and make a difference–no matter how small–sets in motion a long-term commitment to changemaking.

Strategy 3: Redefine “weaknesses” as strengths. Interview data showed that Ashoka Fellows take stock of people’s skills and invite them to put these to good use. Further, they look at what broader society may perceive as weakness and find strength, leveraging diverse experiences or skills to drive positive change.

Strategy 4: Support changemaker identity development. Ashoka Fellows identity as changemakers sustains their commitment to systems-change work. This identity benefits their communities and professional endeavors as well as their personal development and quality of life. Wanting this for those around them, Ashoka Fellows help others to develop changemaker identities.

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Collaborate to engage more changemakers 

Strategy 5: Build multiplier partnerships. Ashoka Fellows build partnerships to generate solutions, impact, and changemakers. They work with others toward a shared vision. They often relinquish control and ownership of their ideas to see them spread as far as possible: 82% of Ashoka Fellows have had their innovations replicated by others (through strategic partnerships, open sourcing or licensing, among other methods). 61% replicated within their country, and 42% at an international level.

Strategy 6: Create space for the community’s voice. Ashoka Fellows see community members not as beneficiaries, but as experts and decision-makers. As such, they create space for community members to develop solutions and voice their plans for action. They present ideas and ask for input from a range of stakeholders or invite others to partner in implementing solutions.

Strategy 7: Engage individuals everywhere. Interview data show that Fellows strategically target community members who are beyond the inner circle of allies. By targeting “unlikely allies,” Fellows can often engage those who may not normally encounter a specific social issue, but who can meaningfully contribute to positive social change.

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Change systems to support all changemakers 

Strategy 8: Shift policies and market systems. Many institutions either by design or inadvertently prevent large portions of society from reaching their full potential. Ashoka Fellows shift systems and restructure institutions to operate in service of the collective good and provide many more people the freedom and support to contribute. They do this by changing policies of large companies or industries (51%), encouraging them to include previously excluded communities (52%), or creating value for a product or service where it didn’t exist before (51%). At the legislative level, 63% of Ashoka Fellows changed or influenced government policy, while 66% have advised policymakers as experts.

Strategy 9: Influence societal mindsets or cultural norms. By influencing societal mindsets and cultural norms, they help others see and act in accordance with social changes that benefit all. Fellows do this by encouraging people to think differently (88%), through campaigns (43%), or through programs (21%).

Strategy 10: Foster supportive environments that enable changemaking. Fellows invest their energy in the creation of communities where individuals feel psychologically and physically safe, cared for and supported. They do this within the walls of the organizations, but also wherever they convene the broader community in public spaces from classrooms to community squares. In doing so, individuals feel comfortable to share their ideas, work with others, and build something new.

Strategy 11: Build ecosystems that sustain changemaking. Interview data show that Fellows bring together funders, businesses, governments, civil society organizations, media companies, and universities to reduce barriers that blunt agency and prevent individuals from engaging in changemaking. By banding together, they can exponentially increase their potential to address issues that perpetuate systemic inequality.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE

This publication has been prepared within SENBS project No. 2020- 1-EE01-KA204-077999. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

The Social Procurement Manual
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The Social Procurement Manual

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This manual is a practical guide to integrating social businesses into corporate value chains created by Yunus Social Business as a part of research series “Business as Usual“. 

What is social procurement?

We de-ladder fine ‘Social Procurement’ as the purchase of goods and services by companies from social businesses. Through social procurement, companies integrate social businesses into their supply chains with the explicit intention of creating social or environmental impact through their procurement. Social Procurement enables companies to drive impact directly via their supply chains (‘do good’ approach), extending beyond awareness building and mitigating supply chain risks (‘do no harm approach’).

More about the background of the manual

Today, there are already many successful examples of commercial partnerships between large corporations and social businesses. For instance, IKEA began working with the Indian social business Rangsutra in 2013, procuring small batches of handcrafted cushions. Eight years on, Rangsutra provides IKEA with more than 400,000 pieces a year, working with 2,000 artisans under a model in which most of them are also shareholders of the social enterprise.

Inspired by these stories, we wanted to understand the range of challenges that both sides face when working with each other, and the practices that are key success factors for both business value and social/ environmental impacts. For this research, we conducted qualitative interviews with over forty corporate leaders, social entrepreneurs and intermediary organisations that have extensive experience in these partnerships (our sample composition is available in the Appendix). We then created a survey for our research participants to validate some of the assumptions that we extrapolated from our interviews and preliminary research.

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Our Social Procurement Manual is designed for companies who want to engage with the topic of Social Procurement. We share insights and frameworks to help them better understand the concept of Social Procurement, its value for corporations and the tools needed to create partnerships with social businesses more efficiently, increasing the impact on social businesses and corporate partners alike.

This publication has been prepared within SENBS project No. 2020- 1-EE01-KA204-077999. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

 

DESIGN THINKING FIELDGUIDE FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISES AND INNOVATION
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DESIGN THINKING FIELDGUIDE FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISES AND INNOVATION

This field guide has been developed in response to the specific needs of Social Enterprises and other stakeholders within the social economy. Design Thinking has been proven as a way to help businesses and organizations respond to customer needs with innovative and human centered solutions. The guide is organized within a bespoke, socially oriented design thinking framework, containing free to use tools for each section and instructions and links to other resources within the instructions for each tool. There is a section on training and facilitation for support agencies, VET’s and in-house design thinking trainers.

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The Design Thinking Guide is for social enterprises. The guide will be useful for many levels of social enterprises, from social entrepreneurs or start-up social enterprises to larger, longer standing social enterprise who are looking to become more sustainable. The guide is also designed for NGOs and civil society organizations, consultants and advisers in the social economy and design thinking sectors. It includes a well-documented step-by-step path to introduce you into the logic of the design thinking phases and how they are applicable to the philosophy and the challenges of social enterprises.

Below you can see the introductory video, but to access the whole guide, please click HERE.

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This publication has been prepared within SENBS project No. 2020- 1-EE01-KA204-077999. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

 

 

5 Tangible Tactics to Participate In Social Entrepreneurship
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5 Tangible Tactics to Participate In Social Entrepreneurship

Unlike traditional businesses, social enterprises are dedicated to help specific groups of people that are socio-economically backward.  Since their goal to serve mankind sits above the financial gain, building a sustainable social enterprise is no walk in the park. If you are planning to build a career in social entrepreneurship or already pursuing one, then you should be prepared for the unique challenges and opportunities it brings to your table.

Social enterprise is a different ball game and does not follow a typical organizational structure. You have to be very strategic in executing your business process management plan and ensure that the operating costs do not hamper your profit margin. There are a few tactics that could help you to participate in social entrepreneurship more efficiently.

1)  Identify Your Entrepreneurial Elements

Business is about finding a solution for an existing problem; social entrepreneurship works on the same principle.  However, as a social entrepreneur, you would be addressing slightly different kinds of issues. It would be community-driven and focused on public welfare. The first step towards social entrepreneurship is to identify the community problems that evoke your interest. The next step is to work on your entrepreneurial elements vital for executing the mission, like goals,  core competencies, networking, funding, etc.

2)  Have a Firm Social Entrepreneurial Organizations (SEO) Strategy

A firm social entrepreneurial organization strategy is crucial because, unlike the traditional business model, the social enterprise has to tackle social issues in an economically sustainable and self-sufficient way. You need to build a network, make alliances, identify risks, find investors, track performance, develop an income-generating model, and create a value-adding social entrepreneurial organization.  The first step towards this is to build a robust social enterprise by conducting market and competitive analysis. You need to perform thorough research to find the criticality of the issue and how it impacts the people. You need to set your target customers and work on the approach towards them. Additionally, you have to perform a competitive analysis to find out if there is any relevant product in the market or market covered by competitors. You also have to document how to fund your social enterprise project and plan strategies to onboard investors. Your job does not end there; you can further find yourself engaged in public relations, marketing, and brand awareness. Social enterprise enthusiasts can also refer to a few knowledge resources that are available online to create a successful social enterprise.

3)  Get Your Customers Involved

Your customers can be your brand’s biggest advocate, and if you can involve your customer on a large scale, it can bring success to your social enterprise.  Initially, it would be difficult to attract a large cohort of customers, but you can target customers on a small scale and gradually increase the numbers. However, it is a must that your service or product resonates with the customers; only then can you engage your customers. You can use various technologies to address social issues and the company’s motto. For instance, you can use a mobile app to answer customers’ queries or use software to post updates about business events on social media accounts automatically. There are myriads of ways an individual can use technology to involve customers in your social enterprise endeavor.

4)  Adopt Innovative Funding Practices

Funding is the foremost thing that stays on the entrepreneur’s radar while designing the business plan.  In a typical business scenario, companies approach financial institutes for a loan, but social enterprises are not revenue-oriented, and therefore they don’t qualify for equity capital. Instead, they adopt innovative funding practices.

  • Quasi-equity debt: Social enterprises often observe financial crunch due to lack of funding, and in such circumstances, Quasi-equity debt is an ideal way of funding. This type of loan is given based on the future cash flow projection proposed by the social enterprise, and the payment terms are pretty flexible. Mezzanine debt and junior debt are examples of quasi-equity debt; such debts do not require any collateral.
  • Pooled funds: In pooled funds, money from several individual investors are accumulated into a single account, which is then allocated to the social enterprise by the head fund manager. It significantly reduces the costs of operation from individuals and shares higher returns.
  •  VPO (Variable Payment Obligation): In the VPO model, the investors offer funds to social enterprises based on future cash flow. The good thing about VPO is that entrepreneurs are liable to pay only 20 to 30 percent of the return. It enables entrepreneurs to keep most of the income and reinvest in their social enterprise.
  • Social impact bonds: In social impact bonds, the government acts as a middle-man and contracts with social enterprises and investors. The government evaluates the project of the social enterprise, and if it is successful, the government pays to the investors.

5)  Use the Right Technology

Technology can be quite supportive for social entrepreneurs to amplify their efforts and get in a position to accomplish their work quickly.  They can use a range of technologies such as data analytics, cloud computing, AI, automation to solve their core challenges, such as minimizing investment risks, identifying revenue opportunities, increasing productivity, reducing communication gaps, etc. They can even use advanced software solutions to organize their work structure and get a clear view of the entire process.  For instance, social entrepreneurs can use policy management software to create, modify and track various social enterprise policies. Mobile apps are further empowering social entrepreneurs to take their mission to a global audience and build a network with other social entrepreneurs.

Conclusion:

The global economy demands organizations to build enterprises that could bring positive change in society and overcome the challenges such as poverty, climate change, inequality, etc. Social enterprises have the ability to generate social impact and strengthen the economy. Since social enterprises are more focused on addressing social issues and less on revenue, you need to be tactical in your business approach. You should operate a social enterprise in a way that widens your scope for growth and sustainability. By following a few best management practices for social enterprises and adopting a few latest technologies, you can build a stable social enterprise.

Article written by associate contributor Paul Wheelson

Why support social entrepreneurs in the Christmas season?
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Why support social entrepreneurs in the Christmas season?

Christmas is the time when most businesses are looking forward to capitalizing on the heartfelt feelings. And people are willingly spending their hard earned bucks on presents for the loved ones. But how can we create more meaningful moments for our loved ones amidst the bustle of this consumerist culture flagship event? And still stay socially responsible, sustainable and even more – impactful? In this article you will hear about several ways to do at least double the amount of goodness for this Christmas already! With that I mean getting Christmas gifts that your dearest will love, and supporting a cause at the same time. 

Why support social entrepreneurs in the Christmas season?

First and foremost, purchasing goods and experiences from social entrepreneurs is a great deed any day of the year. Your money is the way how they can fulfil their good intentions, and grow their impact too. Namely, the profit they get is then invested in a good cause. And the best thing is – they work on solving this issue throughout the year, from day to day!

But why is it especially important to have a look at their offer especially in the Christmas time? Simply put, it is just more responsible and considerate spending your money for a socially responsible and sustainable business practice. And in this season the amount of spending increases drastically, so why not make sure that the good causes get enough of boost for their business, and in turn can create larger impact as a result of Christmas craze. But this is not the only benefit. You see, by purchasing and giving such gifts you help to tell their story to other people, and this is a great contribution to the cause, too! Additionally, receiving a gift with meaning makes a greater sense of gratitude, doesn’t it?

Now that we have established common grounds on why is it crucial to think about social entrepreneurs in this festive season, let’s talk a bit more in detail about the potential gifting options and scenarios! Just for the information – the article will feature mostly Latvian enterprises, but you can easily google the similar alternatives in your surroundings. Because, as you know – buying local is always better! Shall we start?

slow fashion

It is undeniable that one of the most pressing issues in the world is related to over consumerism and various environmental issues. Which is also why it is not a surprise that so many social enterprises are looking for their own approach and social innovation to contributing to a better and greener world in future. Clothing is among the most common gift items under almost any Christmas tree (because, it is obviously practical), so why not gift clothes that have been made sustainably, or even from recycled fabrics and other items. For example, for avid swimmers or the next summer season consider swimsuits from SWIMBE. Besides practicing a responsible approach to their business, they craft their garments from a fabric that is made from recycled fishing nets, carpets, PET bottles etc.!

handmade accessories

Buying these goods you will warm at least three hearts, for sure! That is yours, the one who will receive it, as well as the person who made the present. By gifting a handmade pair of socks, soaps, handicrafts, tableware or accessories you can support various marginalized groups of society that take part in creating these little goods by their own warm hands. For some of them it is a crucial financial necessity, for some – a possibility to feel relevant and included! For example, on webpage tiptip.lv you can buy various nice items made by seniors and people with special needs. The best part about this shop? When buying you will also be able to find out something more about the author of the gift!

special experiences

Isn’t the best part about social innovation the creativity in solving the issue? Sometimes it is brought to us through a fun game or activity that might as well be a great gift. May it be a walk with one of the dogs from the animal shelter, or learn to spell letters of alphabet through an innovative game. Anyhow, what matters is your commitment to the experience, and the time spent together. For what it matters, if you want to do something especially kind then donate for company Sonido that provides a service where everyone who feels lonely or wants to talk can reach out without an additional cost.

buy less

If you are especially conscious about your actions consider buying less and creating meaningful moments with your loved ones without spending too much of money. Think about all the ways that you can create the impact and cultivate the love in your surroundings by just being a little more creative than going to a supermarket for you Christmas gifts. First, consider organizing a gift lottery where each of the family members gets one person to prepare a gift for. I am sure that some of your loved ones have everything they need already, and deciding on a present for them is a struggle each year anyhow. And secondly, consider giving experiences instead of things – craft a special moment together that will make everyone feel more special and remember this event way longer. Here’s an example: bake gingerbread cookies together before sitting at the common Christmas table!

Wherever your thoughts are going this year concerning the gifts and the season itself, I hope that now you have gotten at least a few ideas about the ways how to make your friends and family feel more special at the Christmas Eve. To be honest, it is rarely about the presents, but about making people feel loved and special. But if you do look for a tangible parcel of joy to transfer this feeling then be mindful and go for goods of social enterprises!

Photo by Juliana Malta on Unsplash

This publication has been prepared within SENBS project No. 2020- 1-EE01-KA204-077999. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.

Social Economy for the full inclusion of people with disabilities BEST PRACTICE GUIDE
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Social Economy for the full inclusion of people with disabilities BEST PRACTICE GUIDE

Social Economy for the Full Inclusion of People with Disabilities: How and Why – An Introduction to Our Best Practice Guide

Actions speak louder than words, but how can companies, businesses and employers further include people with disabilities if they are not fully aware of the possibilities? The willingness of companies to make their businesses more accessible and inclusive is improving as various legal and societal incentives put healthy pressure on businesses to maximise opportunities for #inclusion4all. However, there is still much to be done to provide accessible information and create good practice examples that clearly demonstrate the benefits of inclusivity for all.

People with disabilities face a wide range of barriers daily to access services, transport, education and training, and employment. However, one area that has been highly successful in supporting, training, and employing people with disabilities is the social economy. This economic model (cooperatives, mutuals, associations, foundations and social enterprises, among other specific legal forms) is indeed a powerful tool that can contribute to the empowerment of people with disabilities, creating meaningful jobs and promoting inclusive working conditions. Indeed, social economy organisations represent a significant 6 to 8% of GDP across 27 European Union[1], which is committed to the labour integration of people with disabilities (in some countries they employ up to three times more workers with disabilities than traditional enterprises). Social economy organisations are people-centred entities applying internal flexibility to save jobs and maintain the socio-economic activity.

[1] What future for the social economy? (europa.eu)

Introducing the Best Practice Guide

To share highly successful and impactful examples of inclusivity in action, and demonstrate how barriers can be reduced or removed, Social Economy Europe has released a best practices guide: Social Economy for the Full Inclusion of People with Disabilities.  The aim is to help communicate good practices which can be mirrored and adopted by any business, and raise awareness of the social economy’s potential for inclusion regarding the post-2020 Disability Strategy.

The post-2020 Disability Strategy will be a chance to take a comprehensive approach and generate awareness of the current contribution and the future potential of the social economy for a barrier-free Europe where people with disabilities can fully participate in society and enjoy their fundamental rights.

– Juan Antonio Pedreño, President of Social Economy EuropeTweet

We should keep in mind that this Guide is not an end in itself, but just one more step forward on the long road to full integration of persons with disabilities into society

– Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum.Tweet

The Guide explores how social economy enterprises and organisations can work towards implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and further contributing to the full integration of people with disabilities. It reminds us that both EU and national government leaders have the responsibility to create the right political and legislative environment that allows this integration to happen as well as incorporate appropriate funding! ​​​​​​​In 2017, the European Parliament adopted a Report calling for a new EU disability strategy 2020-2030. The report also contains various health-related recommendations, such as including a disability component. The guide states that “the new EU’s Disability Strategy 2020-2030 must ensure a harmonised implementation of the UN CRPD both by the EU and by the Member States and commit to new disability policies and legislations, in line with the 2030 Agenda.”

Let’s Meet the Best Practices

The 12 good practices include APEMH (Association des Parents d’Enfants Mentalement Handicapés), Luxembourg; Adelante Dolmen, Italy; Juncker Plan investment in ILUNION, Spain; The League of Historical and Accessible Cities, Europe; Ateliers Jean Del’Cour (JD’C), Belgium; FENACERCI, Portugal; AMADIP ESMENT, Spain; Tricentenaire group, Luxembourg; Les Genêts d’Or, France; Humana Nova, Croatia; TPK “Mara Dencheva” worker cooperative, Bulgaria and CECAP’s Group Social Business Factory, Spain.

So What are the Best Practices?

As a whole, the organisations, some of which comprise of umbrella organisations facilitating the work of other socially responsible entities, provide inclusive work opportunities in several areas including:

  • Gardening services
  • Cleaning
  • Examples of services
  • Chocolaterie Brand “Les chocolats du cœur”
  • Printing
  • Packaging services
  • Tea brand Au cœur du thé
  • Sales
  • Microbrewery
  • sewing and tailoring services.
  • Manufacturing of paper and cardboard products
  • Plastic products
  • Bookbinding services
  • Personal Protective Equipment for both local and foreign customers

This impressive group of organisations include fantastic initiatives which all businesses could potentially incorporate into their policies and practices. Just imagine the benefit from companies investing some of their profits to achieve this social goal. Good practices from this list include, but are by no means limited to; adapted support to individuals, often by providing residence and educational support structures; and incorporation of easy read and accessible information; specified training (often adapted to prepare young people with disabilities for their professional life, including internships). And is essential for a truly inclusive business, initiatives are often conceived in partnership with people with disabilities, ensuring equal opportunities and projects have a duel societal and ecological goal.

The projects focus on accessibility from the entire experience of the worker, from developing applications and software to facilitating people’s involvement as well as providing assistive devices. Redesigned routes for transport in cities, tactile billboards and sign language guides highlight the infrastructural changes that are often important and necessary for accessibility. Some of the companies demonstrate intelligent use of funding and government subsidies to offset initial costs. Furthermore, some examples use social assistants to ensure personal finances, health matters, administration and housing for employees is adequate.

Training can focus on two pillars; autonomy and increased skills to facilitate people’s integration into working life. Other companies promote transnational cooperation while teaching with alternate curricula and use sport for inclusion. The incorporation of professional certification following rigorous, personalised training of up to 2637 hours of “learning by doing” is a fine example of work integration.

This publication and the elaboration of this guide are co-funded by the European Social Fund, in the framework of the Transnational Cooperation initiative, Social Economy and Disability (SE&D), led by Fundación ONCE within the ESF Spanish OP “Social Inclusion and Social Economy” 2014-2020. The responsibility for the opinions expressed in this work is exclusively of their authors.

 

Read the full text here: SEE_SocialEconomy-4-the-inclusion-of-People-with-Disabilities_compressed

 

This publication has been prepared within SENBS project No. 2020- 1-EE01-KA204-077999. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.