The British Council and The Rooftop have agreed a new partnership to feature inspiring social enterprises from around the world.
With the Social Enterprise World Forum just four months away, a series of articles will build up to the excitement of the Forum taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The 2019 World Forum will be a historic occasion as it is the first time the event will be held in an emerging market economy.
More than 1,200 delegates from around the world are expected to attend in order to learn, share and network with each other.
Currently the preparations for the event are commencing and several partners including the Ethiopian Government, the Social Enterprise Ethiopia association, and several sponsors including SAP and Johnson & Johnson are working alongside the British Council to make this event a success.
The full programme for this year which blends African traditional social enterprise perspectives with future technological trends has been announced on the event website www.sewf2019.org.
Organisers have reassured delegates that following an attempted coup in the country, it is still business as usual.
Nebiyou Worku, Communications and Marketing Manager from the British Council and Marcomms lead for the SEWF 2019 event, commented:
There has been much positive change in Ethiopia in the last 15 months since a new Prime Minister came to power.
We have seen peace with Eritrea, 60,000 freed political prisoners, allowing previously banned opposition groups, a governing Cabinet made up of 50 per cent women, a pledge for free elections in 2020 and a prominent opposition activist appointed as head of the electoral commission.
There is much to celebrate in Ethiopia and despite some negative isolated incidents, the positive forces of change are prevailing in the country.
There are no major concerns that will affect the SEWF 2019 event. But, needless to say, there is a dedicated team that is scanning the situation so as to take appropriate action beforehand should there be the slightest of risks.
Simon Francis, Editor of The Rooftop, said:
Our partnership with the Social Enterprise World Forum 2019 will mean we can shine a spotlight on the amazing social enterprises from around the world.
Social Enterprise may seem a western concept, but the reality is very different. In Ethiopia alone an estimated 55,000 social enterprises exist and we look forward to featuring their stories over the coming months.
Delegates can sign up to attend the Social Enterprise World Forum at www.sewf2019.org.