Gawad Kalinga’s Social Business Summit October 2-4

The text below is a press release from Gawad Kalinga 

MANILA, Philippines – This is an invitation to the 2nd Social Business Summit on October 2-4, 2014 at the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan, Philippines. The theme for this year is “Economic Innovation for Inclusive Wealth Creation” to highlight the need for a pioneering spirit in creating optimum profit that support the greater good and nurture our shared humanity.

Last year’s event, which brought together 500 social entrepreneurs and innovators from 24 countries, affirmed the growth of social entrepreneurship and the opening of many career and business opportunities in the emerging economies of Asia. This year, the event becomes even more urgent and highly relevant in the light of the Haiyan (Yolanda) tragedy which hit the Philippines a month after last year’s Summit.

The aftermath of the strongest typhoon in the world to hit landfall in recent history was widespread destruction and immeasurable suffering, but it also provided an opportunity for our country to witness the overwhelming generosity and solidarity of the global community in our moment of greatest need. At the same time, it also allowed the world to witness the heroism and resiliency of the Filipino. Among the many local and international efforts in response to the massive need was the Bayani Challenge from April 9 to June 12, 2014, which mobilized over 1 million volunteers who helped build boats and houses (total target is 30,000 homes), repaired schools, cleaned up waterways, planted trees and mangroves, conducted medical missions, cared for children and many more heroic acts of kindness.

This Summit will have the Haiyan drama as backdrop, for us to talk about sustainability issues in the intentional communities that we will build as well as the recurring concern about climate change vulnerability, food insecurity and extreme poverty.

Another important issue that will be addressed is the need for social entrepreneurs to help bridge the wide social gap despite the rapid growth in emerging economies like the Philippines (still hitting a high 6 GDP despite the destruction of crops and infrastructure by Haiyan), since the slow top down approach will not arrest the deepening poverty of rural farmers and urban informal settlers. 

This makes the GK Enchanted Farm (built with the help of Singaporean architects and French interns and social entrepreneurs) a relevant and dramatic venue for this event as global and national leaders willco-mingle with former informal settlers and subsistence farmers who are now homeowners andagri-entrepreneurs.

Speakers will be strategic partners from business, academia, government and successful social entrepreneurs and innovators from different parts of the globe. The accommodations for 3 days will be at the conference site at the 34-hectare GK Enchanted Farm, natural and organic food harvested in the farm will be served at our Culinary Center with nightly cocktails with entertainment.

Participants will be served by students of our School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED Philippines); they are bright graduates of nearby public high schools who have no means for a college education and are now part of the first school for social entrepreneurs in Asia in partnership with TESDA, Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education (CHED). This will develop the entrepreneurial spirit in the next generation of Filipinos who will be producers, not just consumers; business owners, not job seekers.

We need your active participation and support in building Social Business Hubs for inclusive wealth creation and massive job generation throughout the Philippines and other parts of the world. Your ideas and desire to build a positive economy anchored on solid values of honesty and hard work, love for family, country and humanity will give hope to young entrepreneurs and innovators, rich and poor alike, especially in the Philippines where our present leadership has shown political will in purging corruption out of our government institutions, creating a more attractive and stable investment environment.

We expect participants from different parts of the world who are interested in doing good and doing well in business in a Southeast Asian setting where countries are just starting to grow their economy and where new opportunities abound. Our goal is to raise a new generation of inclusive wealth creators, with focus on the development of human and natural resources in the countryside to mitigate urban migration and create quality of life for families that we relocate out of our cities. Let us discover with them the gold in the land by going to sustainable farming and hearing success stories in various agri-based industries, while tasting and seeing their products.

We hope it will be an authentic and inspiring experience for everyone in this pioneering Social Business Hub in Asia, where the best of the poor are the centerpiece of a global summit to eradicate poverty. We hope you can join us in celebrating and building a kinder, fairer, better and safer world that we can build together.

For more information about the 2nd Social Business Summit, please contact the Summit Head Ms. Cherrie D. Atilano at 0917-550-0489 or Jerick Limoanco at 0917-564-5545 or email at sbsummit@gkenchantedfarm.com. – Rappler.com