European observatory of innovative social enterprise
Initiatives and practices made for/by young people that create positive change, innovation and fresh economic development.
Focus and objectives
The European Network (TEN) is an initiative launched by Forum d’Action Modernités together with other European members of the Clinton Global Initiative [2]. It aims to build new relations between business and society in Europe. To respond to the European crisis, TEN members have recently agreed to focus their efforts on youth and the future of Europe.
TEN plans to tackle the issue through a series of measures connecting innovative social entrepreneurs with large and medium companies and philanthropists in Europe.
Businesses of a new kind are emerging throughout the world, pushed by new consumption practices, new social and environmental configurations, strong desire to build a more positive relationship between economy and society. In the search of new lifestyles and new jobs, young people play a major role in the rise and development of this positive economy, tuned with globalization, based on cooperation, articulating social and technological innovation.
In the meantime, there is an emergency with youth unemployment, and the actual disconnection between Europe and its Youth cannot be ignored. Markets are getting further and further away from young people, as customers, as employees, as leaders and this distance has direct consequences on their potential for innovation and transformation. This is true for corporations, and also for public institutions, political parties and other key bodies of our society. We need to reconnect with Youth to stay tuned, to keep innovating and to reopen Europe’s future.
TEN will contribute to this reconnection by organizing dialogue and cooperation between Youth, innovative social entrepreneurs, companies and other European institutions:
1/ Starting with concrete examples to value existing actions and make a case for exemplarity
- a European database of innovative social entrepreneurs
2/ Encouraging collaborative thinking and dialogue to better understand undergoing transformations and levers to create positive change and economic dynamism: What are innovative social businesses? How do they innovate (objectives, skills, methods, relation to society)? How can they create new jobs? Develop new collaborations and solidarities? Open new markets?
- Collaborative questionnaire, discussions and debates (locally, Europe-wide), publications, etc.
3/ Focusing on Youth and involving them, because they are at the forefront of change and innovation.
- Youth trends (consumption, lifestyle, etc.), new talents and skills, etc.
4/ Building bridges between actors within The European Network: connect new talents and innovations to companies, at national and European levels; develop common visions and vocabulary; learn from one another, ultimately transform one another.
- A platform for collective action, to find ideas, allies, resources and skills, etc.
5/ Creating a European momentum on these issues.
- Public events focused on innovative social enterprise and new development levers for Europe: showcasing solutions and new opportunities for innovation and positive change, adapting CGI methods to nourish a collective dynamics.
