Not your average summer camp

At the Introductory Seminar we had a number of students who were interested in youth issues- please see below for an interesting initiative taking place this summer:

Since 2003, An-Najah National University has organized an annual summer work camp which has invited International Volunteers and Students to work with Palestinian students at the university, refugee camps, children and civil society organizations where they can truly experience the Palestinian community and the traditions.

At the same time, they encourage and support the local students and make them feel that they are a part of the larger global youth.

photo from Micky's photostream

One for One

In 2006 an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, was travelling in Argentina and noticed that children were lacking one simple thing that could improve their health: SHOES.

He decided to create a company (TOMS) that would give away a pair of shoes to a child in need, for every pair that he sold: "One for One"

Later the SAME year... Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.

Since 2006, TOMS has given over 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in need through the One for One model. TOMS plans to give over 300,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world in 2009.

Why shoes? Read THIS.




TOM's
More about their Movement

Get funding for your social enterprise!!

Last week I attended the Accelerating Social Entrpreneurship Conference co-hosted by The Phoenix Project and Corporation for National and Community Service.

The conference focused on the theme of opening doors to social innovation through technology, and convened a "who's who" of social enterprise in the United States. I was proud to share our experiences from Saudi Arabia.



One of the many wonderful people I met at the conference is Ian Fisk, head of the William James Foundation. The Foundation "supports entrepreneurs who are launching and running mission-driven businesses." They are best known for their premiere and effective model for Socially Responsible Business Plan Competitions. Theirs accepts plans from all over the world.

Their 2009 competition just ended, and entries for 2010 start in October, so keep your eyes peeled to their deadlines and your thoughts open to how your social enterprise might qualify to be the next big winner! Prizes include cash and in-kind donations from marketing, legal, financial, and business planning experts.

The first prize winner this year is PowerMundo, an organization that is committed to the triple bottom line: measuring returns in profit, environment, and social contribution.