SPRn4485 Social Enterprises and Poverty Alleviation Lecture 01-Introduction to the Course Susantha Kumara Rasnayake PhD. Student (MUNI) Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociology University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka WhatsApp 0713888753 Objectives of today’s lecture •To introduce •the course, it’s scope, aims and objectives •Method of teaching/lecturing •Evaluation etc. • • • Introduction •Poverty is a universal cause of social exclusion •Poverty eradication as a key field in social policy and social work •Special emphasis is given to developing and least developed world •First priority in the global development agendas MDGs (1990-2015)and SDGs (2015-2030) NCDs and the Millennium Development Goals | NCD Alliance •10% of the world's population still live on less than $2 a day. •Situation will be further escalated due to the COVID-19 pandemic •EAPN-CR (2020) (European Anti-Poverty Network) says •16% of the inhabitants in the European Union live in poverty, which is about 78 million people. In the Czech Republic lives more than 10% of people in poverty, which is about 1 million inhabitants. The percentage of children at risk of poverty under 17 is 19%. It is a little higher percentage than for people over 65. About 33% of households with one parent and underage children are at risk of poverty Conventional efforts for eradicating poverty •This situation challenges the conventional efforts to poverty eradication actions •Providing subsidies •Financial supports •Welfare programmes •Tax reliefs •Social enterprise model gains recognition as an innovative method of poverty alleviation and socio-economic value creator in both developed and developing economies. Social enterprise model as an innovative solution Kids in slum Why entrepreneurship alone can't alleviate poverty | World Economic Forum Dimensions of social entrepreneurship | Download Scientific Diagram Joseph Schumpeter’s concept -‘Creative Destruction’ The Social Enterprise Coalition defines •"using commercial means to achieve social goals". •Social enterprises, through their innovative business plans, aim to solve social problems and improve public welfare. •Social enterprises exist in many economic sectors. •In Europe they are active in a wide spectrum of activities and in many different fields ranging from social and welfare services, poverty alleviation, education, housing, health, renewable energies, utilities, environment, culture and tourism. •Thus, social enterprises do not pursue purely for their own profit maximization purposes. So, unlike traditional business enterprises, social enterprises are proven to play an important role in addressing social, economic and environmental challenges, fostering inclusive growth, increasing social cohesion, nurturing local social capital, supporting democratic participation and delivering good quality services. In this background, •this course is designed with the purpose that students will use social entrepreneurship model to address society’s most pressing social problems including poverty and unemployment. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs): •The students should be able to: •Demonstrate a clear understanding of the concept of poverty •Critically evaluate the conventional strategies of poverty alleviation •Describe the change agent role of social enterprises in creating innovative responses to poverty alleviation •Learn business and entrepreneurship skills that will help build a sustainable business model that addresses a societal problem. •Explain the existing challenges, constraints in sustaining a social enterprise •Conceptualize and develop a social enterprise model to alleviate poverty in a given context. Course content/Course description: •Concept of poverty, •conventional strategies of poverty alleviation, •Introduction to social innovation/entrepreneurship and change making, •identification and developing a social enterprise, •mainstream capital funding and poor, •role of micro credits and managing credits, •empowering women and youth social entrepreneurship, •networking poor for creation of social enterprises, •managing social enterprises, •cross-sector partnerships (public, private, and/or non-profit institutions) and value creation for socio-economic change, •Case studies of success stories; Grameen Bank and BRAC Course assessment method •In-course 50% (active participation in class-20%, •social change group project-30%) •End Semester examination- 50% • •Grading A (85-100%) B (75-84%) C (65-74%) D (55-64%) E (Below 55%)