Why social entrepreneurship is critical for MENA
The case for social enterprise as the answer to education, citizenship and opportunity, rather than charity in a new suit.
Activists in the Middle East and North Africa who identify challenges in their communities must step up and create social enterprises that allow the region's youth to address those needs in a constructive and creative manner.
Potential solutions must do three things. They should address an outdated educational system (critical thinking skills, encouraging creativity, developing hobbies and interpersonal skills), encourage moderate and proactive citizenship that is not swayed by political or religious agendas, and they must tackle poverty and unemployment from the ground up.
The last few years have been notable for the rise in civic engagement in the region, whether social or political. Many credit social media for acting as a catalyst for revolutions and calls for reform in many Arab countries.