Community | SEWF Events

SEWF Social Enterprise Day: Collective action for people and planet

by Kasia Kotlarska / November 2024

Collaboration, knowledge, sharing expertise and lessons learned between the different players in the ecosystem, whether locally or globally, is very much needed. And this type of dialogue on this platform that is happening today is letting us find some common points. We really need to allow this type of knowledge sharing, best practices, policies and procedures to advance the sector. – Mohammad Makki, COSV (Lebanon)

As the SEWF Social Enterprise Day event unfolded on 21 November 2024, during People and Planet First Week, one message rang loud and clear: the future of the social enterprise movement depends on local efforts and global collaboration. 650+ participants from 85+ countries explored how we can navigate that reality while building a better future. With challenges ⏤ like economic inequality, political instability, climate change and digital transformation intensifying ⏤ partnerships and government engagement are crucial for creating an ecosystem that ensures social enterprises can thrive while addressing systemic issues.

With the world facing many uncertainties, the role of social enterprises has never been more critical. From creating green jobs and addressing the climate crisis to building resilient communities and conflict response, the global social enterprise movement is driving solutions that put people and planet first.  

Future-proofing the social enterprise movement

An image compilation of the SEWF Social Enterprise Day event speaker screenshot during the online sessionsAll discussions throughout the day emphasised the need for long-term, globally aligned strategies to ensure that social enterprises remain adaptable, innovative and impactful in the face of these changes.

A recurring theme was the importance of collective action—thinking not just in terms of short-term goals but designing a future that spans generations. Cooperation between multiple sectors, whether within the social enterprise ecosystem or with the public and private sectors, is essential for tackling critical issues, such as market access, resource-sharing and procurement  opportunities. A shared vision for the future, built on inclusive policies and equitable practices, could be the foundation of a resilient global movement. The idea of a “100-year plan” proposed by Selyna Peiris, Selyn (Sri Lanka) during the Putting people and planet first – spotlight on Asia and Oceania session resonated with many as a powerful idea.

“I don’t think as a movement we have future-proofed ourselves and that’s perhaps the largest challenge that social enterprises and charities around the world face and it’s something we need to think about seriously, especially in the light of the digital economy. I truly believe that there’s a necessity for all global organisations to champion this. We need to put aside our egos and sit down, come together and think of a 100-year plan which will outlive us. This is the way we can solve the problem of market access”. – Selyna Peiris, Selyn (Sri Lanka)

A global strategy must be ambitious yet adaptable, uniting diverse voices and expertise to ensure that the social enterprise movement can thrive for generations to come.

Collaboration over competition

The SEWF Social Enterprise Day event also underscored the necessity of a mindset shift within the sector itself. Unlike in many other sectors, collaboration, rather than competition, must drive the movement forward. The Biji-biji Initiative, a Malaysian social enterprise, exemplifies this ethos. Juliana Adam shared their philosophy stating that:

“At Biji-biji Initiative, we’ve always been advocates of collaboration. We never look at anyone as competitors—we see everyone as a potential collaborator.” – Juliana Adam, Biji-biji Initiative (Malaysia)

This spirit of partnership has allowed organisations like Biji-biji Initiative to expand their impact and influence while creating opportunities for others in the ecosystem. This approach must be expanded to the global social enterprise movement. Leadership organisations must come together to develop a shared strategy for growth and advocacy, ensuring the sector remains in public awareness in the face of global crises. Building that awareness is crucial—not only to amplify impact but also to sustain consumer trust and engagement in a rapidly changing world. 

“We need to come together and draw the strategy of how we can grow together. Critical mass is crucial because, in the crisis situations that are incoming, there will be a point where the consumers won’t find us relevant anymore. We need to come together to understand how we can build a critical mass together.” – Selyna Peiris, Selyn (Sri Lanka)

Governments and private sector: Key allies for the social enterprise movement

The power of social enterprises lies in their ability to innovate and address pressing social and environmental challenges quicker and more effectively than government bodies. In the Putting people and planet first – spotlight on Africa, Asia and Europe session, participants heard about the crisis response efforts in Turkey and Lebanon. Duygu Vatan from Impact Hub Ankara (Turkey) – a People and Planet First Verified enterprise, spoke about the extensive network building in Turkey and how that allowed them to map and quickly support social enterprises across the country during earthquakes of 2023.  Mohammad Makki, representing a People and Planet First Network Partner COSV (Lebanon), shared how effective social enterprises have been recently in uplifting communities in Lebanon. The role of governments in amplifying this impact cannot be overstated. 

However, throughout the day participants highlighted how collaboration with governments remains a significant hurdle in many countries, where gaps in legal framework, recognition and support persist. For social enterprises to succeed on a broader scale, governments must become active partners. This means creating policies that encourage innovation, funding mechanisms that support growth and public procurement practices that prioritise enterprises with a social mission. Collective advocacy, education and partnership through global and regional networks will be crucial to bridging this gap—ensuring that policymakers, as well as the broader public, understand the value of social enterprises in building a more equitable and sustainable future.

“Whether it’s creating connections between social enterprises; or [between] social enterprises and intermediaries, governments and service providers, we all have a role in collaborating, a role in collaborating [to make] these connections [happen] so we can actually create access to the market and thereby amplify the impact of social enterprises”. – Megan Pepper, givvable (Australia)

Alongside the government, the private sector was often mentioned as one of the key allies to the social enterprise movement. Social procurement is a vital tool for advancing the work of social enterprises. By prioritising purchasing goods and services from social enterprises, governments and businesses can fund a sector uniquely equipped to drive systemic change and tackle global challenges.

For social procurement to thrive, collaboration must improve. Social enterprises often struggle to partner with the private sector, while businesses may overlook the strategic value they bring. Alexandra van der Ploeg from SAP (Germany) called for the private sector to invest in ecosystem-building efforts, not just accelerators and incubators. Adopting social procurement is a win-win, businesses and governments gain purpose-driven partners with high quality products and services aligned with sustainability goals and social enterprises secure the income needed to sustain their purpose and communities.

“It’s private organisations and corporations that are paving the way for other organisations to follow by putting [the] right funds in the right places and projects to scale the nations and the people”. – Juliana Adam, Biji-biji Initiative (Malaysia)

Learn more about how to create successful social enterprise-friendly policy in the SEWF Policy Forum Event Report and read our SEWF Policy Forum blog.

The path forward: Putting people and planet first

As Social Enterprise Day 2024 comes to a close, it leaves us with a clear call to action: we must come together—across sectors, regions and borders—to build a world where social enterprises can lead the way in creating a fairer, greener future. Governments must be integral to this ecosystem, with policies, partnerships and openness that reflect the movement’s transformative potential.

At its heart, the message of Social Enterprise Day aligns with that of People and Planet First Week. Both are rooted in the commitment to placing social and environmental wellbeing at the centre of decision-making. As a global collective under the stewardship of SEWF, People and Planet First operates as a network of networks, fostering collaboration, driving social procurement and advocating for policies that enable social enterprises to thrive. This interconnected approach strengthens the foundation for global partnerships and amplifies the movement’s capacity to drive systemic change.

The time to act is now. The social enterprise movement has the tools, the vision and the drive to shape the future—but only through collective action and unwavering commitment to collaboration will we truly put people and planet first.

People and Planet First: How to get involved

This event was part of the first-ever People and Planet First Week and shone a spotlight on People and Planet First verified enterprises, partners and supporters from across the world. The breakout discussions focused on “collective action for sustainable change”, which is essential if we are to work together to transform the economy. We encourage you to celebrate the social enterprise movement, its collective spirit as well as people and planet by getting involved. There are a number of ways you can do that:

 

 

 

Let’s continue the conversation. Share your insights from SEWF Social Enterprise Day event using #SEWFSocialEnterpriseDay and #PeopleAndPlanetFirstWeek.