The class prep for Social Enterprise and the Arc Initiative has arguably been the most thought-provoking and inspiring. I gained a new perspective on the importance of Social Enterprise, and how it may be more effective than the United Nations.
Social Enterprise has become more appealing to me is because unlike the UN, it is not surrounded by politics, procedures and policies. The UN is such a powerful organization that it’s sometimes inefficient. Decisions take an extensive amount of time, because everyone has their own agenda. For example, it took 30 years for the UN to directly intervene in the Bosnian War. It’s difficult to wait that long to take action, when the issues we see today need to be dealt with now.
This is where Social Enterprise is different. Everyday people can be involved directly in the issues they are passionate about without needing a two-thirds vote. Programs like the Arc Initiative provide a hands-on experience and allow people to witness first-hand the immediate impact of their actions. Most people will never be involved in the UN, but it’s in everyone’s capacity to create social change. Arc and Social Enterprise encourage this way of thinking.
The thing that resonated most with me in the video was that social entrepreneurs don’t have to see to believe. They believe, and then they see. We need Social Enterprise and Arc because of their contagious vision of what the world can be.
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