Review of the working group 'Social entrepreneurship in the MENA region'
Photo: VectorMine | Adobe Stock
Social entrepreneurship enables achieving equitable growth, poverty reduction, and sustainable economic growth. Embarking on a recovery path, municipalities in the MENA region should rethink their modes of operation and act as incubators for social enterprise. To support these efforts, Connective Cities has established the working group “Social entrepreneurship in the MENA region” that aims at enhancing the cooperation between municipalities and social enterprises particularly in the field of recycling and circular economy.
Members of the working group have benefited from peer learning and capacity building on the topics of circular economy and plastic recycling. A needs assessment of the resources and challenges in the respective municipalities was the point of departure for an incremental and progressive learning process that also included technical training on developing business models, proposal writing, and public private partnerships.
Impressions from the project workshop of the working group | Photo: Connective Cities
Peer learning was enabled via the demonstration of good practice examples from Hebron- Palestine on the role of municipality in promoting social entrepreneurship, as well as from Jerash- Jordan as a model for promoting municipal circular economy. Furthermore, the good practice from Bikfaya - Lebanon has revealed how the digital solution developed by a social enterprise has resolved waste management challenges in the municipality. To capitalise on the dissemination of good practices and successful urban solutions among the working group’s members, a 3-days projects workshop was held to support the development of innovative and applicable project ideas by the municipalities and their partner social enterprises. At the end of the workshop, three project ideas were formulated by these teams based on the Theory of Change and including a vision for a business model. These teams have received further support after the workshop to develop fully-fledged proposals that will be presented to donors. .
The proposals are:
Plastijerash by Jerash municipality and their partner start-up ‘Plasticity’ that aims at increasing community engagement and awareness raising on recycling plastic. Other objectives of the proposed project include job creation, contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as upcycling of plastic waste for urban furniture.
Recycling for a better Hebron by Hebron municipality and Greenworld, which aims at establishing a plastic recycling strategy in the municipality, raising awareness amongst the citizens regarding plastic waste, as well as upcycling and marketing of recycled plastic products.
An Integrated Approach for Circular Economy in Ras El Maten and Neighboring Villages by the municipality of Ras el Maten and Green Mount Recycling. The objectives of the proposed project include upgrading the recycling plant’s capacity, conducting awareness campaigns and creating a secure and theft-free work process by the induction of eco-police and surveillance.
Recordings of Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 of the projects workshop.
Video about the workshop: Social Entrepreneurship in the MENA-region - Insights
Connective Cities' event to promote municipal recovery to the COVID 19 pandemic in the MENA region. Watch Video at YouTube: https://youtu.be/_FGutXAR74Q
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