Publication Result on social entrepreneurship and sustainability
Observations, Lessons, Benefits and Purposeful Action Going Forward –
The subject project ‘’Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability’’ brought together forty (40) Nordic youth participants with each member of the group originally born in, or now permanent residents and citizens of Finland, Sweden and Denmark to acquire knowledge in social entrepreneurship and sustainability, youth collaboration and networking.
All participants seeking to discover, learn, develop, share and go on to teach the required skills for self-development, necessary business acumen and ways and means for making a positive and permanent impact on host communities and themselves.
Supporting the overall well-being, environmental and economic security needed for the maintenance of shared civility within all nations comprising the Nordic Region.
The six (6) days activities being focused on personal empowerment and competence building, together with the development of both individual and group interests and skills for subsequent implementation of the various ideas openly shared and developed during the days together. The project also aimed at expanding horizons for the future achievement of personal, community, national and international economic goals and objectives but also the need to make some good initiatives involving youths that are unemployed with lack of the opportunity of entrepreneurship in their countries of residence. it gave a chance for partners to provide good alternatives for youth workers in an unemployed situation and existing
opportunities in Europe. This training was achieved in Suomenlinna Hostel having a residential format with English being the language of instruction and a method of non-formal learning exercised
Each participant had been selected based on the priority unanimously consider which includes those with little opportunity but in need of knowledge, gender equality, individual commitment to success, and their understanding that “personal, community and national successes are interdependent”. It was soon obvious that the project had been well designed and prepared by the organizers on the solid foundations of subject knowledge and experience as acknowledged by the participants following their feedbacks. Resulting in the growth of a well-integrated, cooperative, trusting and supportive group prepared to share ideas, goals and objectives. Whilst maintaining an overall spirit of mutual respect, understanding and sharing of cultural, educational, belief systems and values. That is, building
“strength-in-unity”.
The importance of openness and transparency in the sharing of individual backgrounds, ideas and goals were soon made apparent in the various lectures and joint exercises. Working together in a mutually supportive “feedback” mode to achieve individual, collective and ultimate targets, while being made aware of and understanding the many possibilities for contributing to both national targets and the longer-term UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
Helpful group visits had been arranged to official government departments and business development offices, NGOs Where additional support resources were described for sound advice as required on a case-by-case basis. Specific advice and encouragement vis-à-vis sustainability of individual ideas, complemented by the importance of necessary feasibility studies, reality checks and market surveys etc. were well covered.
The mobility reached it expectations by impacting youth participants to social integration and youth competences with regards with their upcoming collaboration while linking them through entrepreneur’s projects to meet youth entrepreneurs from Finland, Sweden and Denmark and other Diaspora organization that works with social entrepreneurship projects.
Again, it became apparent that even in the short time available for the various project lectures and exercise sessions, each participant showed early signs of self-empowerment, clarity, utilization and readiness for deployment of the “tools” presented. In particular, for planning and preparation of the next steps for individual business start-up, based on “ownership” of their specific initiative.
An additional benefit of this particular project was the building of a strong supportive network for sharing and monitoring of individual efforts and progress. That is, we need not feel alone in our efforts, and where to go for additional advice and support. During this training we followed everything as planned in the programmed training, group work, feedback, visit other NGOs, cultural activities.
WORKSHOP
Defining terms Social entrepreneurship and sustainability
Process of setting up a business
Being an entrepreneur
Advantages of self-employment
Marketing strategies
Business and sustainability
WORKSHOP
Innovative spirit
Demands and supply
Location business
Business experience knowledge of the sector
WORKSHOP
Motivational factors
Availability, motivation for the idea, Level of advertisement
Commitment, Determination, personal energy
WORKSHOP
Creative potential, innovative approach spirit of enterprise
The ability of personal affirmation, definition and clarity of objectives
Sense of opportunity
Knowledge of risk management
EXTERNAL EXPERIENCES:
Visit other NGO
Testimony from individual and groups Sharing expertise
General discussion
After the project, we measure the level of success of our training mobility by looking into the goals and of the community and values to the youth worker for participating. The impacts include:
-Collaboration between partner’s organizations and their roles in realizing the project for a common interest.
Achieving a successful training for the participants by providing precious tools for development
-Gaining special skills and competences of social responsibility and social entrepreneurship.
-Understanding intercultural differences and a mutual basis of understanding in order to be able to carry out a successful social youth project -Working with other partners such as NGO in sharing experiences which impact to the young people influence their desire and build more competence.
-Good numbers of events have taken place in our different partners’ countries where the results of the training were shared with other members.
-We have successful produces social skills workers who are now acting as multipliers impacting the lives of other underprivileged persons in their communities.
The facilitators/trainers were extremely professionals with sound experience in their arts. Their approaches were more interactive involving the participants at all level of the training through group works, group presentations, questions and answers. This approach kept the young people busy and active making it easier to take them all along while impacting them with the needed knowledge of entrepreneurship.
In one of the sessions, participants were educated and exposed to the support training scheme of the Nordic Cultural Point especially for those with few opportunities in the host countries with the Nordic and the Baltic states. This information helpfully will help those who were having future plans to seek assistance for project implementation.
Our successful project ushered some new proposals during an evaluation meeting such as involving partners in the initial state of the project concept for contribution in developing the project were ideas will come from the different countries considering their needs and roles to avoid some potential difficulties. This suggestion was to make our next project event better and possibly best.
The teamwork was unique and worth appreciating to manage a diverse group with different ethnic background. This dynamic team with special communication and intercultural skills from the various members’ associations helped a lot for the success of the training. But above all the principal support from the Nordic cultural point assisted immensely!
It is unfortunate that the current climate, environmental, coronavirus pandemic and global economic meltdown arrived so soon after the subject project. However, even at the event’s closing “celebration ceremony”, involving additional lessons and the value of humankind working together in support of each other, there was a provision of hope and optimism for individual future successes. Each participant is similarly prepared and equipped to proceed with their individual initiatives. It is hoped that follow-up
networking and monitoring of each participant’s “start-up” will continue.
Partners:
-Nordic cultural point
– African Civil Society in Finland
-Olympic and Amager Kultur
– The organization of poverty alleviation – International youth Federation
Find in attach some photos of the project activities