Social Enterprise Chat on Twitter

Ashoka is an organization that supports social entrepreneurs globally with funding and technical assistance.

They will be hosting a discussion on Twitter on the first Wednesday of every month concerning a different set of questions in the field of social entrepreneurship. The discussions will take place from 4-6pm EST, under the hashtag "#SocEntChat".

Vijana FM was online with Ashoka and a host of entrepreneurs and supports of the social entrepreneurship process. The transcript from last week has just been published here, but in summary, here were the four questions that were debated:

1. Why is innovation important in the fields of peace-building and conflict resolution?

2. What is the role of social entrepreneurship in peace-building?

3. What is (or should be) the role of business in peace-building?

4. What are the most innovative ideas and solutions you've seen to building peace, tolerance and empathy around the world?

Some great ideas were thrown around, and Vijana FM made some new friends in the process! Some quotes from the discussion as a whole:

@roshpaul:
The peacebuilding field, esp in USA, is a little stuck b/c of lack of ideas for how to effectively support local peacebuilders #SocEntChat

@Verilliance:
Innovation energizes people, often leads to collaboration, and keeps everything alive. #SocEntChat

@pxpmolly:
#SocEntChat Agreed. Peace is not something left to governments, or even nonprofits. Every person, and every institution can have a role.

@jeffersar:
we should identify those businesses who can lead this mindset shift, who have invested interest in keeping peace. who are they? #SocEntChat

@peaceplayers:
#SocEntChat Good point re: Chicken and egg. What kinds of businesses r most likely to take on the risks?

@boppenheimchan:
Interesting question about art and peace - I think there's a strong connection there and know some NGO's doing good things #SocEntChat

@simonsema:
@peaceplayers i love that what we essentially agreed on is that peace is for risk takers. #SocEntChat

@vijanafm:
#SocEntChat Peace is a product of engaging in political, economic and social frameworks. Innovation happens and is necessary for all three.

Check out the rest of the Tweets on the full transcript.

Twitter serves as an additional kind of platform to collaboratively build ideas, though it is tapping into a different kind of audience. On Twitter, with the use of "@" or "#", people as well as topics of discussion can be tagged and searched by the world.

If you're on Twitter, join Vijana FM at the next discussion on March 3rd, 2010!

Read more:
Ashoka #SocEntChat description
#SocEntChat current search results on Twitter
#SocEntChat transcript from February 3rd, 2010
Ashoka homepage
Vijana FM on Twitter