The Centre for Social Initiatives Promotion (CSIP) and the Viet Nam Club for Management and Start-up on July 14 launched a programme in HCM City dubbed En Xanh 2017 to honour social business initiatives.
En Xanh (Green Swallow) seeks to promote people and social enterprises who have innovative and sustainable business solutions to solve social and environmental issues.
Organised on a national scale, it aims to be a long-term programme to gather and promote social business initiatives and through them foster a sustainable social initiative eco-system.
Pham Kieu Oanh, CSIP’s founder and director, said over the years Viet Nam has faced many environmental and social challenges that required innovative and effective solutions.
Many businesses, organisations and individuals have pioneered community initiatives to address social and environmental issues, but they are usually spontaneous and fragmented, she said.
Besides, there is no eco-system to support these social initiatives, limiting their spread as well benefit to the community, she said.
Environmental and social issues have become complex, requiring the co-operation of all enterprises, social organisations and State agencies, she said.
The launch of the programme is expected to create a foundation for every initiative, big or small, to spread and bring about more benefits to the community, she said.
Social enterprises, businesses with initiatives that benefit low-income people, initiatives to address social and environmental issues, start-ups with social initiatives and social organisations are encouraged to join the programme.
Registration will remain open until July 20 and a ceremony to honour outstanding entries will be held on August 19 in Ha Noi.
Yesterday’s event also featured a discussion on social business initiatives and their advantages and disadvantages.
Speakers agreed that social enterprises are vital to meeting the needs of a developing country like Viet Nam where businesses and government struggle to address the continuing problems of poverty, social inequality and environmental pressures. — VNS