[The weekly wrap] The top social entrepreneurship stories from the week that went by
Every week we bring you the best social entrepreneurship stories from around the world. This week we have stories about the new CSR rules, a social enterprise started by a visually impaired German woman and 19 inspirational quotes by Nelson Mandela.
In this Forbes interview Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, director general and CEO of Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, who led the framing of the rules Section 135 of Companies Act 2013 explains the new CSR rules.
This is the remarkable story of Kanthari, an eco-friendly institute in Thiruvananthapuram that trains young people with special needs, was started by Sabriye Tenberken, a visually impaired German woman to be agents of social change.
3) In India, One Village’s Silver Linings Playbook:
Rainwater for Humanity (R4H) provides affordable rainwater harvesting tanks to the people of Kuttanad, in southern India that encompasses the village of Achinakom. Students from Brown University run the social enterprise, in partnership with the School of Environmental Sciences, at Mahatma Gandhi University.
4) 19 Inspirational Quotes From Nelson Mandela:
Madiba or Nelson Mandela is known for his freedom struggle and his fight against apartheid. Here are 19 inspirational quotes that will provide a shot in the arm.
A 13-year-old social enterprise, run by survivors of trafficking, addiction and prostitution – Thistle Farms – increased sales by 100 percent this quarter. Thistle Farms is an all-natural manufacturing company that sells body care products.
6) Tax boost for social investment will unlock £500m: In the UK, because investors will handed tax relief from next April if they invest in social enterprises or social impact bonds, about £500m is expected to be invested in charities and social enterprises in the next five years.
7) From Famed Fashion Photographer To Social Entrepreneur: The Unlikely Story Of Russell James:
Fashion photographer, Russell James’ Nomad Two Worlds (N2W) uses photography and film to convey the three stages of culture clash: innocence, inhibition and discovery.
8) China’s landscape is fertile for social enterprises: In China, the best massages you can get is from a blind person and they are often the cheapest as well.
In 1997 China Disabled Person Federation (CDPF), started a campaign to train visually impaired people in therapeutic massage, so far it has trained 96,000 blind masseurs who work at 13,735 massage parlors.
9) Not just Paul Walker: 10 celebrities who launched social ventures to use their popularity for social good:
Paul Walker, the star of the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise was on his way to a fund-raiser to raise money for the victims of typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, through Reach Out Worldwide, when he died from a car accident. Walker’s foundation Reach Out Worldwide, which he founded in 2010, helps disaster victims of struck globally through a network of professionals with first responder skills: that include doctors, firefighters, paramedics, heavy equipment operators, and other disaster-survival specialists. We profile 10 other celebrities who started their own social ventures to support various causes.
10) Discover the 10 traits of highly successful social entrepreneurs:
While social entrepreneurs are a disparate lot and are all different in their own right. There are some common characteristics that define successful social entrepreneurs. Here are 10 on them.