How to change the world

Neo Chai Chin, Today Online 24 Oct 09;

Technology is changing the way individuals and companies give to social causes, and it is changing the way social enterprises reach out to beneficiaries and donors.

By holding a "run" on three-dimensional virtual world Second Life to mirror its real-life event, the Relay For Life, the American Cancer Society raised over US$270,000 ($376,000) this year. Various support groups in the United States also utilise Second Life to counsel members.

And on social giving platform ammado.com, companies are giving their employees virtual gift vouchers to donate to charities of their choice.

These were cited at an inaugural social innovation conference on Friday at the Singapore Management University, organised by the Lien Centre for Social Innovation.

Social iCon 2009 was the setting for more than 30 of the world's most impactful social entrepreneurs, including Tony Meloto, whose non-governmental organisation Gawad Kalinga builds sustainable communities for a slum-free Philippines, and Aussie David Bussau of Opportunity International, which helps train budding entrepreneurs and provides microfinance loans.

The participants also highlighted the issue of social financing, with experts calling for the business and social sector to engage in a two-way dialogue. Even in the wake of the economic crisis triggered by the collapse of financial institutions, stakeholders should not create a "false dichotomy of 'business bad, social good'", said Mr Rob John, co-founder of the Asia Venture Philanthropy Network.

There are business principles that social entrepreneurs would do well to adopt - and values like integrity that the latter can impart, he said.

What the social sector could do with is more venture philanthropists willing to sink their money into worthy enterprises.

Professor Mic Billet, chairman of non-profit organisation Apopo, told MediaCorp he would like to engage banks and government officials in Singapore to contribute to his cause of eliminating landmines - by training rats to detect them.

Such a move would be sound investment in the long term, in the form of economic development in a "safe world" free of the explosive devices, he said. NEO CHAI CHIN