Singapore hosted an ASEAN Forum on Social Entrepreneurship on 30 October 2014. Over 80 policy makers and representatives from non-profit organisations from ASEAN Member States discussed the role of social entrepreneurship and shared good practices and views on developing social enterprises.

There is increasing recognition that social entrepreneurship can be a potential source of solutions to address societal needs, alongside efforts by the government, private and charity sectors.  Addressing delegates at the Forum, Minister for Social and Family Development, Chan Chun Sing said, “There are many ideas among ASEAN countries on how we can better encourage and support the growth of social enterprises to help the vulnerable and disadvantaged. We should share our knowledge and good practices so as to achieve greater social impact in each of our countries. In doing so, we also help build a caring and sharing ASEAN community.”

At the Forum, participants shared on developments, policies, challenges and best practices in their countries. The Forum also featured panel sessions led by experts, researchers, practitioners and stakeholders to discuss the importance of private-public-people partnerships and necessary support for the growth of social entrepreneurship. 

Delegates of the Forum will also attend the Social Collab on 31 October 2014. The Social Collab is an annual flagship conference organised by the Social Enterprise Association of Singapore. This year, the theme of the event is “Leveraging on Corporate and Venture Philanthropy”. It will examine how resources, expertise and experience can level up the capacity of social enterprises. 

Ministry of Social and Family Development
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) aims to bring a sharper focus on enhancing social safety nets for the needy, improving the delivery of social services, and further strengthening families. Our mission is to nurture resilient individuals, strong families and a caring society. At MSF, we are professionals with passion for people. We develop the “heartware” for Singapore through our policies, community infrastructure, programmes and services. Through these efforts, we hope to nurture resilient individuals and families, and play a part in helping our citizens achieve their hopes and aspirations for themselves and their families.

Social Enterprise Association 
The Social Enterprise Association is an umbrella organisation tasked with the role of promoting social entrepreneurship and social enterprise in Singapore, so as to bring about positive social impact and an inclusive community among Singaporeans. It focuses on supporting peer-learning within the social enterprise community, providing capacity-building programmes and business services, and fostering synergistic partnerships among key stakeholders, namely government, businesses and people sector to build up individual enterprises and the sector at large. 

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ANNEX

List of speakers at the ASEAN Forum for Social Entrepreneurship