Today in New York, the Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander, will launch the Global Business Call to Action Partnership. The BCTA was launched in May 2008, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme. The new Partnership will take forward the BCTA internationally to facilitate private sector activities in developing countries in a sustainable way that boosts economic development. Growth accounts for 80% of the poverty reduction achieved since 1980. Douglas Alexander said: “I am pleased that companies like Yara, Map International and Ericsson have joined the Business Call to Action. Business has a vital role to play in reducing poverty and the involvement of these companies in the Business Call to Action will help accelerate progress towards increasing growth in developing countries and meeting the MDGs by 2015. This is a crucial year for businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations, faith groups and citizens. The time has come to step up activity to meet the MDGs and ensure a safer, developed and more prosperous world.”

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25 September 2008
© Department For International Development (National)

Social Enterprise Magazine reporters attended the Social Enterprise World Forum in Edinburgh from 2-5 September 2008. Here, Social Enterprise Magazine bring you the key messages from top social entrepreneurs around the world, the issues raised in breakout sessions, case studies of some of Scotland’s most successful social enterprises and news from behind the scenes.

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24 September 2008
© Social Enterprise Magazine

Charities should focus their efforts on preventing starvation rather than treating it once it has already happened, Care International has said. The aid agency believes targeting the causes of starvation rather than treating the situation when it has already arisen would save billions of pounds. It would also help the 220 million people living “on the edge of emergency” to live more stable lives, Care International stated. Geoffrey Dennis, chief executive of Care International UK, said a failure to solve underlying issues had left millions of people in food poverty. In a report, Living on the edge of emergency: Paying the price of inaction, Care International described aid as being “too late and too short term”.

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19 September 2008
© CAF

Recently highlighted by Nonprofit Online News: a political role-playing framework the Global Justice Game, intended as a training tool for global justice activists and for undergraduate courses on globalisation issues. There are seven scenarios, with complete material for both coordinators and participants available online at http://www.globaljusticegame.mrap.info

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15 September 2008
© VoluntaryNews

New development rules which will cut the red tape for home improvements, combat the effects of climate change and protect World Heritage sites have been introduced today by Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint. New planning regulations being laid in Parliament today will mean that from October the majority of homeowners will no longer need to get planning permission when extending their existing homes. The changes will allow people to build both up and out for the first time without needing to pay to up to £1000 to be granted specific planning permission. As a result, a quarter of all householder applications (80,000) will be removed from the planning system each year, potentially saving the nation up to £50m.

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10 September 2008
© Communities and Local Government (National)

Computer Aid International has announced it is to launch a fundraising expedition for IT enthusiasts into the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia next year. Each member of the team will raise enough money to provide a suite of 20 personal computers for 1,000 children - giving them access to the internet and increased educational opportunities. Lasting nine days, from February 28th to March 8th 2009, the trip will include trekking and sight-seeing opportunities. Those taking part will also be able to see Computer Aid’s work in action, visiting a school which has already benefited from the project. Potential IT enthusiasts wishing to take part in the trip will need to pay £199, plus a minimum amount of sponsorship to cover flights and expenses. Chief executive officer of Computer Aid International Louise Richards described IT as “vital” to addressing poverty. “By joining our Ethiopia adventure the IT industry can actively help Computer Aid provide Ethiopian schools with the hardware, training and support that we all take for granted in the UK,” she added. In related news, One Laptop Per Child has teamed up with Amazon to provide free computers to disadvantaged children in developing countries.

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9 September 2008
© CAF

The National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF), in partnership with World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), has launched a new international designation in its popular Development Education (DE) program. The new program, first announced at WOCCU’s World Credit Union Conference in Hong Kong, will certify its first class at WOCCU’s 2009 World Credit Union Conference, scheduled for July 26-29 in Barcelona, Spain. Charles Sim, a director with Scotwest Credit Union in Glasgow, Scotland, plans to be among the first to receive this designation. The retired firefighter and longtime credit union volunteer views the new program as a way to promote and enhance global credit union development, as well as further extend the DE program’s reach to other countries. “After seeing WOCCU’s field work ‘at coal face,’ as we say in Scotland, I value the importance of WOCCU’s programs to the developing world,” said Sim. “I am looking forward to being in the first group to receive this certification and I’ve already begun work on my independent study project.” The DE program, which links U.S. credit union advocates with the movement’s philosophical roots through interactive group presentations and experiential learning, has always supported credit unions’ global initiatives through volunteer projects and international exchanges. Now by formally expanding the U.S. DE program to include international opportunities, the partnership with WOCCU will build on the program’s foundation of cooperative values as U.S. DE participants gain more exposure to fellow students and credit union movements from other countries.

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11 September 2008
© WOCCU/National Credit Union Foundation

Social Actions is proud to announce the launch of a revolutionary widget that recommends to readers of your blog or website related ways to take action. The widget automatically identifies the keywords on any page and lists social change campaigns related to the stuff you’re writing about. These campaigns are gathered from social action platforms like Kiva, DonorsChoose, Change.org, GlobalGiving, Care2, Idealist.org, and fourteen others. Find out what actions would be listed for your blog (or any website). Because the new widget pulls actions from 20 social action platforms, it can recommend actions based on a wide variety of content. Whether you’re writing about your local community, pop culture, or green living - you can expect to surprise your readers with related ways to make a difference.

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7 September 2008
© Social Actions Blog

The Social Enterprise World Forum emerged from national social enterprise support agencies seeking a means to collaborate to advance social enterprise development throughout the world. After consultation with a range of partners, CEiS has been encouraged and supported to organise the inaugural Social Enterprise World Forum in Edinburgh, Scotland from September 2nd to 5th 2008. The event is being delivered in partnership with The Scottish Government, The Social Enterprise Alliance (USA), Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Social Ventures Australia, Scottish Enterprise, The Social Enterprise Coalition, Office of the Third Sector (UK), Enterprising Non-Profits (Canada), the Department for International Development, Social Investment Scotland and a range of international and local partners, sponsors and supporters. The Forum will be the first international gathering of practitioners and support agencies dealing exclusively with social enterprise and will bring together social enterprise leaders and champions from all continents to collaborate, share best practice and plan future developments. This collaboration will raise awareness of social enterprise as an expanding global mechanism for social change and will explore the merit of ongoing collaboration for key stakeholders.

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13 August 2008
© Social Enterprise World Forum

The Vodafone Group Foundation and its network of local foundations today reported that it invested £36.6m in charitable projects over the past financial year. In the first online annual review of its activities, published today at www.vodafonefoundation.org the Foundation has set out the extent of the activity that it undertakes across the world through its network of 23 foundations. The Foundation invested £18.5m in Vodafone’s 23 local foundations and their chosen charities; £1m to projects in disaster relief and preparedness; £4m to fund new sport and music programmes; and £0.5m to its small grants programme. The report itself is available online and features several videos that illustrate the work of the Foundation across the world as well as further contributions from those involved in the projects which it supports.

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01 August 2008
© Vodafone Group Foundation