Newsletter

Social enterprises, partnering with business and asylum seekers good for the economy

Posted on 24 July 2018

+ How much do our members love us?
+ CID opens the door to social enterprise

A huge CID welcome to our new member, The Ākina Foundation.  Ākina is well known to many of us, as New Zealand's principal intermediary for social enterprise.  They have been named the strategic partner to Government in the development of the Social Enterprise sector. With a vision for a sustainable, prosperous, inclusive New Zealand and world, they fit right into the CID family. Ākina exists to harness the power of enterprise for positive social and environmental progress, through:
  • Supporting, growing, and empowering the social enterprise sector
  • Influencing and enabling impact across the country
It's very exciting to have them join us as a member.  

Here's Ākina on the relationship between NGOs and social enterprises:

“Social enterprise is business for good – it’s a purpose-driven organisation that trades to deliver social or environmental impact."

Is social enterprise a silver bullet for the NGO sector?

"Fundraising – the bane of the charity world. Sausage sizzles, cake stalls, complicated grant applications and hitting up long-serving members to give again and again – not often a highlight for people working in the not-for-profit space." Social enterprise may be new, but the concept has been around for a long time. In Canterbury, Kilmarnock Enterprises is an example of a long-standing, highly successful social enterprise, operating since 1958.

“If you’re interested in exploring social enterprise, it doesn’t have to mean changing your whole model – you might commercialise only part of your services, or you might set up a separate business like the Laura Fergusson Trust has with Can Do Catering in Christchurch.”

"We need both social enterprises and NGOs to make the world a better place." (Here's a video definition of 'social enterprise').

And for a New Zealand perspective, here's Dr Jacqueline Parisi on her social enterprise experiences. 

Our sister organisation in the UK -  Bond, asks "is social enterprise a new tool for NGOs?" or perhaps it's not new at all. NGOs can learn a lot about funding models, argues Bond. And social enterprises can learn from NGOs.
+ Fresh ideas to achieve SDGs in new book

Homi Kharas, interim vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development program, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala discuss some of the innovative approaches for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals proposed in a new book, “From Summits to Solutions,” published by the Brookings Institution Press.

Have a listen to the podcast here.

Homi gives a great definition of "sustainable growth". We need to re-couple development with improvement in peoples lives, he says. "GDP growth has to translate into improving the material conditions of the people in the economy."

That means it has to deliver increases in median wages and improve the average conditions for families.

"And second we need a model of development that looks after the planet. That means decoupling economic growth from planetary degradation."

Enric Sala talks about the importance of targeting the oceans in the SDGs. Plastic isn't going away, it's just being thrown in the sea, he says. "80% of the water samples we have tested across the world, contained microplastics. We are reaching the limits, the time for action was yesterday."

Only 2% of the world's oceans are protected from fishing. "We need to give the ocean more space to recover".
+ How to make your partnerships work  

Belinda Gorman from Partnership Brokers Association gave a fantastic CID talk last week in Auckland, on how to get your partnerships with other NGOs, government, or business to work well.

You can watch the talk here (apologies to those who missed out on watching it live. We had a technical problem!)

No partnerships are the same. But most share a desire to shift from a "transactional relationship to a collaborative one".

Belinda highlighted some of the key elements to successful partnerships:
  • Common purpose
  • Share risks and benefits
  • Build relationships - people make partnerships, not organisations!
  • Make sure those relationships are layered throughout your organisation  - not just the at the top
  • Mutual accountability
  • Have courage 
  • Be prepared to try new things - innovate!
  • Start small. Agree to do an activity together and see how that goes.
Always ask yourself:
  • Is it good enough?
  • Is it fit for purpose
  • Does it add value?
If you can't answer 'yes' to all these, then maybe you don't need a partnership, because partnerships are time-consuming and hard work. Don't embark on them if you don't think they'll add value. And don't try and have too many. Less is best. Identify which partnerships can help you make the most change, and put your energy into these.

Real partnerships are rare, and sometimes what we think is a partnership isn't. It might be a funding arrangement or a network. And that's fine. You shouldn't waste time trying to fit a perfectly functional relationship into a 'partnership' model.

For a summary of these key points from Partnership Brokers, have a look here.
+ More funding for humanitarian work

The government has approved $5.2 million in humanitarian funding to address significant humanitarian needs in South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

It will be delivered through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in South Sudan and Somalia, and the UN World Food Programme in Ethiopia.
+ Pacific reset  - moving beyond aid

CID's Director Josie Pagani writes in the latest issue of the defence force's "Line of Defence".  

The Pacific Reset must have New Zealand's Pacific diaspora voices at the table to make it work, she says.

"We know it’s time to move beyond a welfare model of aid where donors (New Zealand) "do" development to beneficiaries (Pacific communities). People in the Pacific want economic independence rather than dependence on aid, and the New Zealand public want to move beyond an aid framework (because otherwise, why not deal with poverty at home first if it’s just about handing over money?)"

"Ultimately, we may see a Pacific Union, modelled on Europe, where labour and capital move more easily from country to country. In the spirit of reciprocity, Pacific states could commit to standards, just as countries wanting to join the European Union have to prove their commitment to democratic institutions.

"What better way to promote our values of human rights, freedom of expression, and democratic institutions, gender equality, workplace standards and access to health and education for every child?"
+ Peace deal between Eritrea and Ethiopia a huge win for human rights

Eritrea and Ethiopia resumed diplomatic and commercial ties after a 20-year-standoff last week. The countries’ leaders signed a declaration that “[a] new era of peace and friendship has . . . opened.”

Last weekend’s joint visit between Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed Abiy and Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki did not raise any key human rights issues. Hopefully, the end of the stand-off will lead to meaningful reforms that will address human rights abuses in both countries.

The end of hostilities between Ethiopia and Eritrea has been met with relief in the region as well as globally. But what does it mean for Eritrea, which has been dubbed the North Korea of Africa?

"With hostilities apparently resolved, life in the Horn can resume as normal. The Eritrean ports of Massawa and Assab will hum with life once more, as Ethiopian trade flows through them. And the potash deposits on their border can be developed. Since Ethiopia is currently Africa’s fastest growing economy this could ease bottlenecks such as international investment in Eritrea which will no longer be viewed as a war-risk. And instead of competing to fund and support rebel movements in each other’s countries, Ethiopia and Eritrea can combine to tackle the real enemy: poverty."

Will refugees that have risked everything to reach safety remain in camps in Ethiopia, or further afield, return home?  The outcome of the dramatic changes need to be assessed and both prosperity and freedom need to become established facts for them to do so, and for the refugee outflow to end. 
+ Referendum - New Caledonia

New Caledonia will hold its independence referendum on November 4, and already the campaigns are heating up.

New Caledonian independence from France was inevitable and a “question of dignity” for the nation’s indigenous Kanak people, said Daniel Goa, spokesperson for the independence movement Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS), in the UK Guardian.

“For us, it’s just a question of time, and you know that time in Oceania is measured differently,” Goa said in a speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney last week.
+ Thai cave rescue highlights the 'stateless'

Erin Harris of the Lowy Institute focuses on the three boys in the spectacular Thai cave rescue who are stateless.

"Officially, statelessness is defined by not being considered a national of any state under operation of its law. UNHCR estimates that at least 440,000 people are stateless in Thailand, yet the actual figure is thought to be around 3 million. Due to the very nature of statelessness – a lack of registration and documentation – actual figures are difficult to determine."

"Of the stateless Wild Boars, the most background information is known about the coach Ekkapol Chantawong, who is a member of the ethnic Shan minority. Born in Myanmar and orphaned at a young age, he entered the monkhood in Thailand for nearly a decade, a common option for orphans without financial support."
+ Refugees trapped by Australia for 5 years

Five years ago, then-Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that any asylum seeker who arrives in Australia by boat will have “no chance of being settled in Australia as refugees.” Soon thereafter, Australian signed agreements to resettle people on PNG and Nauru.

"Most of the people sent to Manus and Nauru have been found to be refugees.  That means they can't go home without fear of being persecuted."

"July 9, 2018 marked five years since the change in Australia’s refugee policy that has consigned innocent and vulnerable people to a limbo that for too many, still has no end.

More solutions are desperately needed. And with them opportunities not only for human beings who deserve a fresh chance but also for the countries who see them for who they really are – the survivors and heroes of Australia’s failed refugee system."
+ Asylum seekers good for economy

A study done by French economists between 1985 to 2015 showed that "the cliché that international migration is associated with economic 'burden' can be dispelled,"

Asylum seekers moving to Europe have raised their adopted nations' economic output, lowered unemployment and not placed a burden on public finances, scientists said on Wednesday.
+ Mandela's 100th Birthday

As if Nelson Mandela needs any introduction... last Wednesday, 18th July would have marked the 100th birthday of this Nobel-prize winning individual whose challenge against racial segregation and discrimination made him a global symbol for human rights.

To mark his 100th birthday, USA Today published "100th facts about Nelson Mandela...". The Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture series invites prominent people to speak on issues of social justice. On the occasion of Mandela's 100th birthday, Obama addressed the audience about how to achieve a better future and the importance of youth in carrying out Mandela's legacy.  The full text of Obama’s speech is available here. 
+ Sport for Development and Peace next steps

The Football World Cup brought sport into billions of peoples lives this month and reminds us of the growing contribution of sport to the realisation of development and peace (SDP).  

A critical mass of SDP research has emerged, pointing to the possibilities of achieving positive and sustainable development through sport.  Providing sport-based programmes and opportunities for physical activity can, therefore, make a considerable difference in the lives of the world’s most marginalized people, particularly youth and girls.  

The growing and increasingly institutionalized field of Sport for Development and Peace suggest significant opportunities for the world of sport to make positive contributions to overcoming the most pressing social and environmental challenges of our time. Research in the social sciences, however, shows that positive results are far from guaranteed.

Therefore, the time is right to move beyond the question of whether to use sport for international development and think more about how to do so in the most equitable and sustainable manner.
+ Climate Displacement Recognised in Migration Compact

PIANGO joined government and non-government representatives in the United Nations (UN) Trusteeship Chambers at the UN headquarters to applaud the end of the final round of intergovernmental negotiations on the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) which concluded last week.

PIANGO executive director, Emele Duituturaga, expressed satisfaction that the plight of Pacific Small Island states had been included in the compact, following her appeal to UN negotiators earlier last week to avoid any weakening of protections for victims of natural disasters and climate change.

UN Deputy Secretary General Ms. Amina Mohammed referred to the Global Compact as a beacon of hope in our ability to come together for the people of the world, our humanity.  
+ Member of the Moment: The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ 

The Fred Hollows Foundation is a global organisation that works in more than 25 developing countries worldwide and has restored sight to more than two million people.

Earlier this year, The Foundation announced the $2.1 million upgrade and expansion of the Port Vila National Eye Centre in Vanuatu. The upgraded eye centre, combined with the upcoming return of a Foundation-trained eye doctor, will help to eventually increase Vanuatu’s eye surgery capacity from 200 to 800 per annum, which will meet the country’s needs as estimated by the World Health Organization.

Dr Kasso is training at the Pacific Eye Institute in Fiji. He will be the first permanent eye doctor in Vanuatu when he graduates this year. 

This upgrade will enable The Foundation to take a more integrated approach to treat diabetic eye disease, a devastating complication of diabetes and is the world’s leading cause of avoidable blindness in the working age population. 

Read more about The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ and our other fantastic Members of the Moment here. 

Tags:

Social Enterprise SDGs Humanitarian Pacific Islands Africa Partnerships