The “Innovate for Social Impact” event held on June 27th, 2024, at the Saint Joseph University (USJ) Campus of Social Sciences was a pivotal gathering of minds and ideas, organised under the framework of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building project “Social Entrepreneurship in Time of crises” (SE.TC).
The event sought to explore and expand the role of social entrepreneurship, particularly within the challenging context of contemporary crises, especially in Lebanon’s north and south regions.
Prof. Fouad Zmokhol, Dean of the Business School at USJ, opened the event with an inspiring speech, followed by Prof. Aref Al Soufi, President of the Lebanese Association for Inter-University Cooperation and National Coordinator of Erasmus+ Programme in Lebanon, who underlined the importance of the project’s topic and its positive impact for Lebanese young people.
A confluence of insights: the roundtable discussion
The openings were followed by a roundtable discussion, moderated by Mrs Lynda Achkouty, project External Evaluator, that saw the participation of a group of Lebanese and International experts in social entrepreneurship:
- Mrs. Josephine Abou Abdo, co-founder of Nation Station, an initiative that emerged from the aftermath of the Beirut explosion;
- Mr. Samer Sfeir, co-founder of ProAbled and shareQ NGo;
- Mr. Georges Ghafary, a social entrepreneur and advocate for social change;
- Mr. Constantin Salameh, founder of CSTouch with extensive experience in governance and funding;
- Mrs. Silvia Marchionne, Project Manager at UNIMED and expert in youth-led social entrepreneurship;
The diversity of experiences and points of view allowed the participants and the experts themselves to have a multidimensional representation of how to foster social entrepreneurship in crisis situations, and what it is necessary in order to tackle and overcome the rising challenges.
Addressing important issues such as the switch of attitude towards social entrepreneurship, from charity approach to local empowerment, and the need of structural support in the terms of legislative reforms and financial sustainability, was extremely significant for the SE.TC project development.
Conclusion: fostering collaboration and exchange
The roundtable discussion culminated in a dynamic Q&A session, where attendees engaged deeply with the panelists’ insights. This was followed by a networking session, providing a platform for further interaction and exchange of ideas.
The event fostered a collaborative spirit among participants, encouraging the sharing of experiences and the forging of new partnerships. It highlighted the collective effort required to create impactful and sustainable social change, emphasizing that financial stability, structural support, robust governance, and youth engagement are all essential components of a thriving social enterprise ecosystem.
This convergence of ideas and experiences provided valuable guidance and inspiration for all those committed to driving social impact through entrepreneurship.
To know more
To deepend the knowledge of the SE.TC project you can check advancements here.
Leave a Reply