In this section, we will update you with announcements from the ecosystem of inclusive business, pre-selected according to their relevance for inclusive business ventures.
First Thursdays is an one hour virtual monthly event launched by Nourishing Africa where entrepreneurs in the agriculture and food landscapes can connect directly with each other to share experiences, find new suppliers, customers and distributors, receive updates on opportunities in the sector, and co-create solutions. The event will focus on the East Africa region bringing together agri-food entrepreneurs and stakeholders in the region.
The creative industries have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Over the past months our International Council has provided us with insight into different challenges, experiences, and sources of inspiration found across the world in the creative sector during this time. How can investors help the creative economy to build back better post COVID-19?
How did the 2020 High-level Political Forum (HLPF), which met 7-17 July 2020 in virtual format, respond to these words from the ‘presiding officer’, the President of ECOSOC Mona Juul, who said in her concluding remarks: we “cannot revert to the old normal…normal was part of the problem–all of our discussions have underlined recovery presents a rare opportunity to shape the new normal”. Read here some of the voices heard at the 2020 HLPF, reverberating around the themes of building back better, leave no one behind, Covid-19, inequalities, data and accountability.
In June 2020, Afriwise launched a campaign to explore the potential for tech to revolutionise legal services on the continent, particularly in light of the recent pandemic. As part of this campaign, Afriwise launched a survey for in-house counsel. Take the survey until midnight on 31st July 2020.
Join Nourishing Africa the first Thursday of each month for a peer-to-peer exchange with other entrepreneurs in the agri-food landscape to gain industry updates and to discover funding opportunities and new solutions to challenges. The webinar takes place at the 6th August, 2020, 5pm-6pm WAT, 6pm-7pm CAT, 7pm-8pm EAT via Zoom.
Innovative businesses play an important role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Inclusive business entrepreneurs actively contribute to the SDGs by increasing access to basic services and creating employment opportunities for the poor. The Inclusive Business Action Network (iBAN) plays an active role in creating an enabling environment for inclusive business models by providing companies and governments in developing countries and emerging markets with capacity-building measures and practical insights.
The Gender Equality Scorecard (GES), launched by ESCAP and the Small Enterprise Assistance Funds (SEAF), is a tool to assess women’s economic empowerment and gender equality in growth-orientated small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The manual gives clear guidance to investment and gender professionals on assessing a company’s demonstrated commitment to gender equality by focusing on six performance criteria. The tool identifies areas for organizational improvement and supports the development of a gender improvement plan.
Join the webinar on Friday 7th August at 13-14 UK time (BST) to hear the lessons last mile distributors, such as Dharma Life and Danone Kiteiras, have learned from the Covid-19 crisis and how they can translate these into core business activities moving forwards. This will be an interactive session, with breakout groups available to deep-dive into the topic. The webinar is designed specifically for last mile distributors (LMDs).
In addition to projects within the develoPPP.de CLASSIC framework the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) currently supports initiatives by privately owned companies that mitigate the economic as well as the health-related impact of the corona pandemic in developing or emerging countries. The programme is open for German and European companies as well as companies from developing or emerging market countries. Proposals can be submitted between July 10 and August 10, 2020. Suitable projects can receive up to EUR 200,000 of funding.
iBAN, UNDP and BCtA are joining efforts to make inclusive business the ‘new normal’ that can help build more resilient and equitable societies. But how can inclusive business models be identified effectively by governments, investors, and companies? Over the past months, the Istanbul International Centre for Private Sector Development, Business Call to Action (BCtA) and the Inclusive Business Action Network (iBAN) have taken the initiative to address this issue.