Social Entrepreneurship in Belarus: Viable Models and Secrets of Success

Organisers: 
Office for a Democratic Belarus

When: 
Friday, March 27, 2015 - 09:30 to 18:30

Where: 
Minsk, Belarus

A seminar "Social Entrepreneurship in Belarus: Viable Models and Secrets of Success" will be held in Minsk as part of the "Clearing House" programme.
Organisations interested in social entrepreneurship and opening social enterprises in future are invited to take part.

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.

Guests of the seminar include:
• Elena Kuvichka (Sukhumi, Georgia), fundraising expert, Board Member of "Inva-Sodeystvie" Association
• Dzianis Kandratovich (Belarus), co-founder of MaeSens and StartIdea projects,
• Maria Cherakova (Netherlands), UNDP Belarus Innovation Consultant, co-founder of OutBox and SocStarter Belarus projects,
• Halina Matsiushenka (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.

Topics of the seminar:
•    Experience of creating and operating a social enterprise: Abkhazia case study
•    Successful models of social entrepreneurship: global experience
•    Estonia's experience of developing social entrepreneurship
•    Social interests of the business, or best and worst social projects from a business perspective

Each participant of the seminar will receive a package of legal documents that regulate establishment and management of a social enterprise. 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 maksim@odb-office.eu no later than March 23, 2015. The number of participants is limited. (The venue will be disclosed to participants after the registration.)

If you have any additional questions, please contact "Clearing House" coordinator Maxim Padbiarozkin, cell phone: (044) 761 31 51 (Velcom), (029) 560 30 50 (MTS), or by email: maksim@odb-office.eu.