Over 70,000 deaths have been confirmed and some estimates put that number as high as 200,000.

Over 3,000,000 people have been left homeless.

The international response to the people of Haiti has been incredible.

Out of this tragedy comes an enormous opportunity to redress the historical iniquity that has burdened the Haitian since their inspired slave revolt that expelled the French colonial government and set in motion the freeing from colonial power much of Latin America.

As a result of the revolt the Haitian people were saddled with an enormous and onerous debt to be paid to the French government in the amount of 150,000,000 French francs. Or in current dollars $21,000,000,000.

Under the brutal and ruthless dictatorship of the Duvalier family, lasting some thirty years, Haiti’s debt increased some 45%.

The Opportunity

• 47% of Haiti’s population lives in urban settings
• 75% live in abject poverty
• 56% live below the extreme poverty level of $1USD/day
• Median age is 20.2 and is approximately 50/50 male/female
• Only 21% get a secondary education
• 1% university
• UN estimates show that it is the 4^th most undernourished country on the planet (June to August are known as ‘the hungry months’)

Cancel Haiti’s Debt:

This frees the Haitians from servitude to the international community.

Stop International ‘Lending’ and instead provide grants.

Doing these two things are the most significant things that can be done for the Haitian people. While it is true that the Paris Club and other lenders have eliminated much of Haiti’s debt there is still much more to go.

As we move forward, it is essential, that the Haitian people, in conjunction with the United Nations and countries that are willing, define and design a realistic plan to rebuild the infrastructure that we all take for granted.

Haiti, the United Nations and French speaking countries should develop a series of steering committees and working groups with technical expertise that address the following issues:

1)   Infrastructure: Roads, Sewage, Electricity, Telecommunications, Hospitals, Education, Agriculture, etc.

2)   Housing: Develop a housing plan that allows Haitians to live safely; standardize codes for building, introduce modern methods for design and build including green technologies

3)   MDG’s: Find innovative and creative ways to address the MDG’s in Haiti especially as relates to nutrition, education and infant mortality

These three areas are vast in scope and in meaning to the Haitian people themselves. By addressing these not only will the international community best serve the Haitian people by modernizing the country we will also be providing knowledge, expertise and most importantly lasting JOBS and opportunity – thus HOPE – for the Haitian people.

In the National Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy paper (G-PRSP) of March 2008 a plan was put together to aid Haiti. At that time it was estimated that $3,864,000,000 was what was needed to implement the first 3 year phase of the plan.

There is no quick fix in Haiti. Our efforts must be measured, practical and support the overall goal of modernizing a country that has long been ravaged by environmental, social and political strife. However, we, as the international community have an opportunity to redress the past and help modernize Haiti in a meaningful way.

“Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Thomas Edison

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Enterprising Non-Profits

http://www.enterprisingnonprofits.ca/

Canadian Social Enterprise Forum

Moderated by Andy Horsnell and Ethel Cote. This is the official listserv for the Social Enterprise Council of Canada. Send a blank email to: mailto:CSE-ESC-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Social Enterprise Alliance

http://www.se-alliance.org/

The Insitutute for Social Entrpreneurs

www.socialent.org

SiG@ MaRS

http://sigeneration.ca/

Social Finance Canada

http://socialfinance.ca/

Centre for Social Innovation

http://socialinnovation.ca/

There is also a great Wiki

http://socialenterprise.wik.is

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Canada is a great nation of innovators. As a nation we have contributed to the fields of science, technology, arts, business and more. Social Enterprise is an area that Canada has the ability to demonstrate for the changing world how to make it work and to expand its reach and ability to do good work according to their social missions.

To do this it is imperative that Social Enterprise in Canada, working collaboratively, adopt a definition of exactly what social enterprise is. Currently social enterprise means a lot of things to a lot of people. By adopting a single definition some of the fog that currently surrounds social enterprise in this country may be lifted.

This single definition would be central to beginning to tell the story of social enterprise in Canada. It needs to be constructed to ensure the widest possible understanding across multiple domains and in the general public. Social enterprise needs to be demystified if it is going to be broadly understood. That broad understanding is critical to the success of social enterprise.

It is also necessary for social enterprise to find a unified voice. That voice needs to be an organization that is capable of speaking on behalf of social enterprise from coast to coast.

The most important point that came out of the conference is that social enterprise needs to focus on ‘enterprise.’ Without the business the social mission cannot be worked on.

Accepting that this is the most important point it is paramount that social enterprise identify management and employees that have the ability to navigate the business, governmental and social sector worlds.

Moreover it is important that social enterprise in Canada start to work with the institutions in this country that can help it most. As such social enterprise should be approaching Universities and Colleges so that Canada can start addressing the skill needs of the sector.

In accepting this it is also important for social enterprise to start working with the private sector. Adopting best practices, next practices, management techniques, business acumen, etc. social enterprise will be able to deal with the very real challenges that face Canada in the coming decade and better address the needs of their social missions.

Social enterprise is an important sector in this country. Through their various missions social enterprises make a difference everyday in the lives of Canadians.

Over the coming decade there are certain to be challenges the social sector is going to become ever more important in light of shrinking government budgets. As such the time is now for social enterprise in Canada to address its needs so it can best deal with the needs of Canadians going forward. Canada can further demonstrate for the world we are a nation of innovators that always rise to meet the challenges of the world in which we live head on.

Lester B. Pearson once said: “As we enter our centennial year we are still a young nation, very much in the formative stages. Our national condition is still flexible enough that we can make almost anything we wish of our nation. No other country is in a better position than Canada to go ahead with the evolution of a national purpose devoted to all that is good and noble and excellent in the human spirit.”

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“Liam Black is co-creator of Wavelength Companies Ltd, which collides the best of the world’s private sector with pioneering social entrepreneurs.

Until recently, he was the CEO of Fifteen. Created by Jamie Oliver in 2002 that he grew into a successful and profitable global brand: Fifteen Amsterdam was opened in 2004,Cornwall and Melbourne launched in 2006, and there are plans for more.

Liam has held several high profile social enterprise leadership positions including at Liverpool’s FRC Group, widely seen as one of the UK’s pioneering social businesses, where he was CEO from 1997 to 2004. During his time in the city, Liam led in the founding of businesses such as Bulky Bob’s and Create, which have provided livelihoods for hundreds of formerly unemployed people. FRC and Liam received many awards for the growth and diversification of the business and its commitment to a values-based culture.”

Mr. Black stated that he loves building business and he is very passionate about doing it where opportunities exist to do good – and he has been doing so for the past 13 years.

His mother says that he is in the “work of inspiring genius.”

Mr. Black outlined a clear case for social enterprise that made sense on multiple levels and requires deeper discussion here in Canada. He expressed plainly that social enterprise should never be about the “pity purchase” and instead should represent best value.

He briefly spoke about the various social enterprises that he has been involved in and in no way was self aggrandizing or preachy. Instead, he was outlining a case for social enterprise that was based on “enterprise.”

At Fifteen, while the ultimate social mission was to transform lives, Mr. Black explained it was absolutely necessary to ensure that the diners had a great meal, in a great environment and that subsequently the diners themselves were able to feel good about the value added in transforming lives. In so doing, for these troubled youth, Jamie Oliver and he were able to create an inclusive culture that allowed these youth to live in the present tense as a chef. Further, that for these youth, that was all that mattered – hope and purpose.

However, Mr. Black suggested, that there were many that would ultimately want to see them fail at that mission. As a result they were hounded and continually ambushed by journalists trying to discredit the important work they were engaged in.

Yet he explained, that by providing that inclusive atmosphere, by demonstrating daily to the troubled youth and the diners that they could change the world, they actually were doing it on micro and macro levels.

Switching gears Mr. Black spoke about Wavelength (http://www.thesamewavelength.com) and some of their work which started in earnest when they asked the question: “What happens when great companies and inspiring social entrepreneurs collide?  Waves will be made.”

Poignantly Mr. Black identified some of the challenges that face social entrepreneurs. First he said that social entrepreneurs have a moral obligation to engage in “social reporting” and further that they have to do it well. This is also of critical importance in Canada at present.

Further he warned that social enterprise needed to be “very careful of government – kiss but no tongue.”

He ended with a brilliantly evocative slide:

“And finally it’s all horribly simple: Eliminate poverty and save the planet, we have fifty years if we are lucky. What’re we waiting for?”

The next post is a summation of the Policy Forum and a few key points that require further insight.

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There were two schools of thought – 1) The tools already exist and 2) new tools need to be developed.

Despite these two schools it was agreed that the tax implications on social enterprise need to be considered.

To develop a detailed policy priority the SECC conducted a survey of participants. Of the approximately 155 people who participated in the conference this pillar had only 68 respondents.

For providing supportive infrastructure and legislative environment the following were the decided priorities:

• Change the Income Tax Act to allow more latitude for charities to operate businesses and foundations funding social enterprises
• Introduce a new legal structure that attracts investment, allows for hybrid ownership, and provides tax incentives, and
• Review the current framework – identify what is not working for whom, develop categories and needs of social enterprises.

This issue is also of critical importance to social enterprise and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. On subsequent blogs this issue will be addressed in more detail.

Benjamin Disraeli once said: “Without publicity there can be no public support, and without public support every nation must decay.”

The next post is going to explore Liam Black’s speech about social enterprise.

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To develop a detailed policy priority the SECC conducted a survey of participants. Of the approximately 155 people who participated in the conference this pillar had only 71 respondents.

For increasing awareness and demonstrating value it was decided that the following were priorities:

• Promote the role of social enterprises to different audiences – private and public sector, educators, investors and others
• Develop an inventory of existing approaches to measuring and demonstrating the value of social enterprise, and
• Engage the education sector along with other sectors in creating awareness and demonstrating value of social enterprise.

Pillar 5 also had 71 respondents.

For networking among stakeholders it was decided that the following were priorities:

• Create networking opportunities between social enterprise and traditional business
• Create an inclusive and loose network of networks that is flexible enough to pursue policy priorities, and
• Engage federal and provincial governments to recognize and support social enterprise and social innovation networks in the construction of public policy.

John Moody once said: “Yet the railroad speedily demonstrated its practical value; many of the first lines were extremely profitable, and the hostility with which they had been first received soon changed to an enthusiasm.”

Gandhi once said: “A policy is a temporary creed liable to be changed, but while it holds good it has got to be pursued with apostolic zeal.

The next post will address Pillar 6 or providing the supportive infrastructure and legislative environment.

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Mr. Draimin started with the beautiful Victor Hugo quote: “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”

He explained that currently a limited circulation of capital is available and that to date social enterprise has not really entered the public domain. He expressed the need for that to change. That there needs to be greater awareness around social enterprise and that in so doing more capital will become available. Further Mr. Draimin said that currently capital in social enterprise is in its embryonic stages.

He posited that there are participatory challenges at present and believes that to address this social enterprise needs to find: “the missing middle.” To do so he presented that we need to change the way that society thinks and acts.

Mr. Draimin further believes that this needs to be done through policy measures that enable it. In effect that the “missing middle” will become engaged through policy as catalyst.

He argued that the public benefits derived from social enterprise needs further empowered by private capital. Mr. Draimin believes that the three ways to do this are:

• Pioneering capital funds resultant from new structures for equity
• Figuring out what structures are needed – Hybrid, LLC, shares?
• Tax incentives that ensure involvement from SMEs.

Mr. Brown suggested that it is a concern for him that the capital instruments in place at present are not being adequately used. He argued that the networks of capital already exist but that the conversation hasn’t moved beyond the “embryonic” stage that Mr. Draimin suggested.

This needs to become a mainstream public conversation in order to address the capital requirements of social enterprise. He said by doing this that social enterprise can already work with what is out there from a legislative standpoint.

Banks presently are not really involved in the social enterprise agenda for a multitude of reasons not the least of which is demonstrating value. Yet he went on to say that public pressure translates to political will that can create an enabling environment for greater capital flows.

Mr. Brown also stated that current funding for NFPs is insufficient and that there needs to be additional sources of funding found to create more flow.

In the break out session it was identified that there are multiple types of social enterprises. Specifically, that each had a different purpose that made certain metrics difficult to make attractive to investment. Further that while there are different type of social enterprises there is no ‘one size fits all’ for capital injection.

Time and again the word sustainable came up. This is the central issue for social enterprise that needs to be identified and addressed. Where there is not a viable business it will never be sustainable.

To develop a detailed policy priority the SECC conducted a survey of participants. Of the approximately 155 people who participated in the conference this pillar had only 74 respondents.

For access to capital it was decided that the following were priorities:

• Level the playing field to ensure that social enterprise has access to all the same benefits, incentives and funding that SMEs have access to
• Provide tax credits/incentives to funders to support investment into social enterprise, and
• Eliminate restrictions on charities from taking on social enterprise

Larry Summers once said: “In this age of electronic money, investors are no longer seduced by a financial ‘dance of a thousand veils.’ Only hard and accurate information on reserves, current accounts, and monetary and fiscal conditions will keep capital from fleeing precipitously at the first sign of trouble.”

The next post will demonstrate the results for increasing awareness and value.

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Ms. Chagnon and Commodus are actively operating each day in Quebec on developing this market capacity and awareness around that capacity.

Mr. LePage identified the many challenges that are currently present. He asked about sustainable purchasing and how we could find betters ways to do this. He also asked the question: “How do we market social enterprise?”

Mr. LePage pointed out that there are a number of lessons to be learned from, as an example, the environmental movement. When Earth Day started in 1970 it was a handful of people that all believed passionately in the idea. Today millions around the world celebrate it.

He also pointed out that 15 years ago you would not have found recycling in big businesses or in homes and now it is rare to go anywhere and not see the blue box.

Mr. LePage interestingly concluded by saying: “We have met the enemy and it is us.” He then suggested that social enterprise needs to help itself and pointed to ENP’s development of a social enterprise tool kit.

To develop a detailed policy priority the SECC conducted a survey of participants. Of the approximately 155 people who participated in the conference this pillar had only 74 respondents.

For developing markets it was decided that the following were priorities:

• Create an inventory of enterprises and supplies to increase awareness of goods and services available
• Build in tax credits or incentives for private sector to purchase from social enterprise, and
• Integrate social and environmental objectives to compliment financial objectives in all procurement policies, cross sectors, including individuals.

The next post will explore increasing access to capital for social enterprise.

Kofi Annan once said: “We must ensure that the global market is embedded in broadly shared values and practices that reflect global social needs, and that all the world’s people share the benefits of globalization”

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The stated goal of the policy forum was to develop a national policy agenda for the social enterprise sector. Working collaboratively during this forum various groups engaged in the social enterprise dialogue developed a detailed policy priority.

Marty Donkervoort of Inner City Development Inc and Bill Young of Social Capital Partners spoke eloquently about the urgent need to enhance enterprise skills. Both suggested that social enterprise has a unique set of skill requirements that represent a ‘blending’ of many different types of knowledge.

Mr. Young asked the question: “How do we do that?” He suggested that it was necessary for the social enterprise sector to start building those skills independently and with each other in the sector. Further while policy is useful as an institutional tool for action it does not address the urgency of that skills development.

He went on to say that we need to read more about successful social enterprise and magnify those successes to gain more insight into what makes them work. One such way to do this is to visit social enterprises and get a detailed primary information base. Understand the nuances of the business model and see how they can be used elsewhere.

Mr. Young said there is no shortage of ‘knowledge’ resources and that we need to better use those resources. Develop mentoring programs and other tools that can be broadly used in the application of social enterprises across Canada. He said that there is a need for ‘persistent education,’ as relates to skills development.

Finally, beautifully and succinctly Mr. Young expressed: “profit versus subsidy.”

Mr. Donkervoort emphasized the need for entry point education. That business schools need to be addressing the rising social sector and begin training the people that will inevitably run them. However, he stressed that you cannot teach passion and that passion is an essential element in the social enterprise sector.  Currently he is working with the University of Winnipeg to develop a case study to be used in schools around North America.

He also expressed, as so many have recently, that there has been a paradigm shift. With this shift there is an urgency to ensure that we are developing the skill sets necessary to build and sustain the social enterprise sector.

In the discussion document for the national policy framework the conference recognized that: “blending business operations and social outcomes in social enterprises require a particular set of governance and management skills.”

To address this need the conference put forward specific measures for the profit and non-profit sectors, the Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments as well as educational institutions.

To develop a detailed policy priority the SECC conducted a survey of participants. Of the approximately 155 people who participated in the conference 50% or 77 replied.

For enhancing social enterprise practitioners’ skills it was decided that the following were priorities:

• Skill development equivalence to that of for profit small business

• Go beyond mentorship to partnership with private sector for skills development and incubator opportunities

• Share experience and knowledge amongst social enterprise

The next post will address increasing access to capital for social enterprises.

Bruce Barton once said: “The five steps in teaching an employee new skills are preparation, explanation, showing, observation and supervision.”

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