I recalled a quote by Thomas L. Friedman when preparing for class 20, “[Social entrepreneur] is usually someone who burns with desire to make a positive social impact on the world, but believes that the best way of doing it is, as the saying goes, not by giving poor people a fish and feeding them for a day, but by teaching them to fish, in hopes of feeding them for a lifetime.” It’s pivotal to realize that in order to unlock people who are trapped in hopelessness, we need to pave paths for them, instead of offering them temporary fund and leave them sink again if the fund doesn’t work out.

Therefore, Arc or social enterprise has to be implemented in society even if the United Nations was fully funded. United Nations could only relief the pain transiently by giving out money. Sitting high up on the social hierarchy, UN outlooks the world in a much more general point of view. Who thinks UN would care or even know Ms. Tesfaye in Ethiopia risking of failing her restaurant? However, social enterprise will; Arc will. After attending the Arc Initiative workshop and inspired by other entrepreneurs in her country, Ms. Tesfaye successfully increased her profit not only for present, but also for future.

As a result, I truly believe that UN sets up a guideline for the world to generate social value and social change. However, I am sure that without these social enterprises’ dedicate work, people who are suffering in some corners of the world will never learn how to change their future using their own hands.

Reference:

Kroeker, Jeff. “In a Crowded Market, Entrepreneur Finds a Sweet Way to Stand out.” The Globe and Mail. The Globe And Mail, 11 Apr. 2014. Web. 08 Nov. 2014. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/going-global/in-a-crowded-market-ethiopian-entrepreneur-finds-a-sweet-way-to-stand-out/article17912688/>.

Todres, Mathew, and Patricia Lewis. “Http://www.isbe.org.uk/Why-Social-Entrepreneurship-Matters.” Why Social Entrepreneurship Matters. Institute For Small Business and Entrepreneurship, n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.isbe.org.uk%2FWhy-Social-Entrepreneurship-Matters>.

Pictures1: <http://mbanogmat.com/files/2014/05/socialEnt.jpg>.

Picture2: <http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/Global_Reach/ARC_Initiative>.