Tag: challenges

Sport for Change

Sport has long been recognised as having the potential to play a role in society with intrinsic benefits in terms of physical health and emotional well being, and the ability to contribute to issues such as crime prevention and increased educational attainment. Within the NGO sector, Sport for Change programmes have generally been delivered in […]

Running Across Borders

Malcolm Anderson is the Co-Founder of Running Across Borders, an inspiring organization that seeks to expand economic opportunities to East African youth through running. Malcolm truly is at the intersection of international development and athletics. He holds a Masters degree in African Studies (Oxford 2008) and a MA in International Relations (St Andrews 2006) and […]

Empowering Girls: International Inspiration using sport to tackle gender issues

One thing that gives me a buzz is that the significance of International Inspiration, London 2012’s international legacy programme, is not just about opening doors for children and young people to PE, sport and play. Of course this is important in its own right. But what is exciting is that International Inspiration is using sport […]

Interview: Olympic Medallist, Douglas Wakiihuri

Interview by Chris Markl, Founder, Kourage Athletics Douglas and I connected via mutual friends in the Kenyan running community. After exchanging calls and emails, I was on a plane to Las Vegas, Nevada where Douglas had recently relocated. We spent 15-hours together over a period of two-days. We ate incredible sushi together, which Douglas ordered […]

Creating Shared Value in the World’sToughest Places

Over the past few years, for-profit and non-profit partners have been experimenting with new ways of working together, creating what’s often now referred to as ‘shared value’. At its heart this concept is about bringing companies and NGOs together and leveraging the expertise of both, in order to achieve the greatest possible social and economic […]

Moving Capital- Are you investment ready?

Finding the right people and resources can be tough in a climate of austerity, especially if you are a social entrepreneur. However, there are great opportunities in the sector for those willing to put in the hard work. Andrew Stunell, Communities Minister, has recently announced that £30 million in grants will be available for local […]

Getting Google to Gaza: Creating shared value in the world’s toughest places

Over the past few years, for-profit and non-profit partners have been experimenting with new ways of working together, creating what’s often now referred to as ‘shared value’. At its heart this concept is about bringing companies and NGOs together and leveraging the expertise of both, in order to achieve the greatest possible social and economic […]

Kickstarting Youth Entrepreneurship: an answer to youth unemployment?

Youth unemployment is a global problem. A recent OECD report reveals that the average rate of youth unemployment in OECD countries is 16% while the troubled economies of Greece and Spain are struggling with youth jobless rates above 50 per cent. In Africa, an increasingly youthful population needs more opportunities to make a living, an […]

Shared Value Partnerships among the Private Sector, Civil Society and Government

FSG and Professor Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School have written extensively about the changing role of business in society under the banner of shared value. As much as we see new opportunities for the private sector to solve many of the world’s toughest problems, we realize that, even with great innovation, companies do […]

Igniting a Culture of Entrepreneurship – SAB Foundation

In 2010, the South African Breweries (SAB) implemented a black economic empowerment programme for the benefit of its employees, retailers and communities. SAB Zenzele was designed to be truly broad-based, distinctive and innovative, delivering real value to the three categories of beneficiaries, who play a significant part in the success of the organisation. In total […]

Making international supply chains work better for smallholder farmers

Making international supply chains work better for smallholder farmers is a potential ‘win-win’ for thousands of farmers and businesses. A new reportby the Fairtrade Foundation analyses six case studies from farmer groups producing tea, cocoa and nuts in Kenya, Cote D’Ivoire and Malawi asking them from their experience, what really makes trade fair? This report, […]

Investing in Africa’s Entrepreneurs

Jacana recently completed an investment in Reltex Tarpaulins Africa in Kenya, where workers manufacture emergency relief materials for the humanitarian sector There is no denying that Africa is enjoying a period of unprecedented growth. Its economies are developing faster than anywhere in the world, its population is set to double by 2050 and an emerging […]

Beyond advocacy – business needs to get its head in the game

South Africa has one of the worst youth-unemployment problems in the world. By some estimates, less than half the working-age population is employed, and the figures for those under 35 are even worse. The reasons for this crisis can be illustrated by an example, provided by our National Planning Commission, that involves a young girl […]

The Challenges of Achieving Greater Transparency

Voûte, Nestlé Vice President and Global Head of Public Affairs At Nestlé we believe that actions speak louder than words. We have to deliver what we promise. We have to be transparent if we are to persuade our stakeholders, our partners, and our critics, that we are building our business in a long-term, sustainable way. […]

Investing with Impact: Building Partnerships for a Better Tomorrow

Kris Balderston, US Special Representative for Global Partnerships, will hold a conversation with Kirsty Jenkinson, Director, Markets & Enterprise Program, World Resources Institute on “Investing with Impact: Building Partnerships for a Better Tomorrow.” The conversation will highlight how government and business are working together to promote lasting change and innovation around the globe. The discussion, […]

CARE Bangladesh’s Rural Sales Programme: Empowering Poor Women?

Base of the pyramid (BoP) approaches have been attracting a lot of attention in business and development circles lately. Although typically associated with highly publicised schemes such as Grameen’s “village phone ladies” and Hindustan Unilever’s “Project Shakti”, a number of BoP initiatives have sprung up across Africa and Asia to address a range of development […]

Global Entrepreneur Week

Youth Business International (YBI) is a global network helping aspiring entrepreneurs in 34 countries, so helping to promote a culture of entrepreneurship is a full time job for our hundreds of staff. Nevertheless the few months leading up to the end of each year are particularly hectic. In November 2011 we celebrated our International YBI […]

Winning with Purpose

Business has been a powerful force in improving the lives of millions of people on our planet – whether through product and service innovation, job creation or new opportunities for suppliers and distributors. Yet, I believe business can do so much more. As the Occupy movement has highlighted, huge inequalities remain – and companies such […]

UK Parliamentary Investigation into The Integration of Smallholder Farmers into Supply Chains: Call for Evidence

Co-ordinator, All Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Food for Development The All Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Food for Development (APPG) has recently launched a new UK Parliamentary Inquiry examining existing how smallholder producers can sustainably and equitably be integrated into supply chains. The APPG would welcome the views of Business Fights Poverty […]