Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and British Council organised a policy dialogue bringing together policy-makers and social enterprise experts from 25 countries across Asia and Europe in Berlin, Germany. The dialogue explored ideas to create a better policy environment for social enterprises in the two regions.
Through the discussions participants agreed on the need for sustainable models of investment, access to finance and to contracts. They also highlighted that the lack of a definition of a social enterprise has left the sector open to non-social operators and might deter social investors.
Participants found plenty of ways in which experience could flow from east to west, as well as from west to east. As Ms Kristin SCHREIBER, Deputy Chef de Cabinet to Michel BARNIER, European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, suggested: “Social entrepreneurial experiences in Korea, Japan and even China can be extremely interesting for decision-makers in Europe. Similarly, the way some countries in Europe developed local ecosystems for social enterprises can serve as a good toolkit for many stakeholders in Asia.”
The Berlin policy dialogue underlined the importance of inter-regional dialogue on social entrepreneurship. Although the context is different in Asia and Europe, and specific policies and programmes may not be transplanted, the constant dialogue can serve as a unique space that allows cross-border exchange and learning.
Read the discussion highglights here
See the video highlights here