Call for participants: A seminar on social entrepreneurship in Belarus

Office for a Democratic Belarus invites all organisations interested in social entrepreneurship and opening social enterprises to the seminar called “Viable Models and Secrets of Success”.

On Friday, March 27, 2015 the Office for a Democratic Belarus organizes a seminar "Social Entrepreneurship in Belarus: Viable Models and Secrets of Success" in Minsk. The event will be held in Minsk as part of the "Clearing House" programme.

The seminar will provide a platform to discuss whether it is possible for a non-commercial organisation to create a social enterprise: use part of the proceeds from such enterprise to support the civil organisation, to employ members of vulnerable groups, etc.

The participants of the seminar will have a chance to meet Elena Kuvichka from Sukhumi, Georgia, fundraising expert, Board Member of "Inva-Sodeystvie" Association; Dzianis Kandratovich from Belarus, co-founder of MaeSens and StartIdea projects; Maria Cherakova from Netherlands, UNDP Belarus Innovation Consultant, co-founder of OutBox and SocStarter Belarus projects, and Halina Matsiushenka from Belarus, "Experience Exchange in the Sphere of Social Entrepreneurship and Development of Enterprise of Youth in Cooperation of Development of Estonia and Belarus" Project Coordinator.

The seminar will cover such topics as experience of creating and operating a social enterprise on the Abkhazia case study; successful models of social entrepreneurship; Estonia's experience of developing social entrepreneurship; social interests of the business, or best and worst social projects from a business perspective.

A qualified lawyer will be present at the event to provide information on legal issues and aspects faced by a non-commercial organisation that wishes to set up a commercial enterprise. 
The seminar will also include a discussion to identify viable models of social entrepreneurship in Belarus.
If you want to take part in the seminar, please send your application form to [email protected] no later than March 23, 2015. The number of participants is limited. (The venue will be disclosed to participants after the registration.)

For additional information please visit the page of the Office for a democratic Belarus.