The UN and Arc/social enterprise are both working toward the same goal: improve society fundamentally. Nevertheless, even if the UN is fully funded, we would still need Arc/social enterprise because the key to economic and social efficiency is deeply rooted in communities, in which UN needs private enterprises’ help to tackle the issues.

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United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) “recognizes that achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) depends on vibrant economic growth, driven by private enterprises that create jobs and provide goods and services for the poor, as well as generate tax revenues to finance essential social and economic infrastructure.” The UN realizes that in order to truly improve the living standard of society in developing nations, outside power is required to work along with its force. Just like sugar poured into a pot of water won’t dissolve on its own, the money and effort the UN puts into development programs also need private sector partners to become fully functional.

Arc or social enterprise is but a branch of private sectors; however, unlike most of other private enterprises, Arc/social enterprise create social and economic benefits in the communities they reach out to while creating values for their own. The initiatives started by the UN often is a unilateral aid, whereas Arc/social enterprise enjoys a two-way exchange in areas of economic profits and knowledge. If helping others in the community also generate gains (income, knowledge, etc.) for yourself, then what is there to keep you from not doing your business?

Image taken from here.

The UN seeks “private companies that share [their] commitment to change” the issues, and out of the private companies, social enterprises are the best ones to work with because of the mutually beneficial nature of their business model. Arc Initiative works toward improving business efficiency at the local level, which also creates values toward the fundamental goal. Therefore, even if the UN is fully funded, Arc/social enterprise would still be needed.

Works Cited

Hawley, Alex. “Alex Hawley’s Blog.” Alex Hawleys Blog. 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <https://blogs.ubc.ca/alexhawley/2012/11/>.

“Sauder School of Business.” The Arc Initiative. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/Global_Reach/ARC_Initiative>.

Sauvage, Jerome. “Our Perspective.” 2014. 4 Nov. 2014. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.

“What Is Social Entrepreneurship?” Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <http://skollworldforum.org/about/what-is-social-entrepreneurship/>.

“Business.un.org.” Business.un.org. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <http://business.un.org/en/entities/3>.