But the policy-makers should also understand the social thinking and the importance of social entrepreneurship and they should draft policies to support this new form of economy and not do the opposite.

Safet Gërxhaliu

The world will not be the same as it was before the pandemic of Covid-19. A new economic order awaits us all. A way through which various solutions of social issues are developed and funded is social entrepreneurship, which is considered a growing trend and by each day there is a bigger attention of the businesses in the activities regarding this type of entrepreneurship.

One such case is Raiffeisen Bank, which even though it is a commercial company, continually was engaged in helping and identifying the organizations and companies which have social impact and which had a special development in the last years in Kosovo. This is the main aspect in which this bank is dedicated in the sense of developing the social entrepreneurship. It is necessary to support the businesses that help in solving the social issues, in a way to increase awareness among businesses and this activity to have even higher impact in the society.

The company Gjirafa also has activities regarding social entrepreneurship, and in the last years its main focus is education. It is believed that social responsibility it is a culture that comes from inside and that should be integrated in the cores of every company. Also, it is important that social entrepreneurship is being developed in Kosovo and the businesses that support these activities or causes that are beneficial for whole society should be encouraged. It is obviously that Gjirafa is always ready to cooperate with initiatives that come from various entrepreneurship or other actors that contribute in developing entrepreneurship.

In the small business act strategy of EU one of the main pillars of developing economy are micro-enterprise and women in business and I believe that these categories should be supported in order to promote and realize this new approach of thinking and acting regarding social entrepreneurship.

Women in business in Kosovo are a good model of social entrepreneurship, organized in forms of NGOs whether in production, trade, handcrafts or services where the social thinking is the strongest weapon.

There are many examples like this, whether in Krushë e Madhe, Ferizaj, Barilevë, Rahovec or in many other parts of Kosovo where the results of social entrepreneurship are measurable and sustained.

Also, the youth is an unused potential for using and promoting the social entrepreneurship through their creativity, flexibility, motivation and IT skills.

Another special category of the thinking of social entrepreneurship are those with certain health issues, such as people with Down syndrome or other similar cases that do not want to be a burden of the society, but instead to contribute for building the society.

But the policy-makers should also understand the social thinking and the importance of social entrepreneurship and they should draft policies to support this new form of economy and not do the opposite.

The public-private dialogue is without an alternative for supporting and promoting the thinking about social entrepreneurship, as a thinking of the future which except its own interest, it also has ethics, morals and social thinking regardless of race or gender and regardless of color of humanity.

As soon as possible we understand the importance of social entrepreneurship – the future will be brighter for all of us.

 

Safet Gërxhaliu was the President of the Kosova Chamber of Commerce for two terms and also within The Berlin Process served as Secretary General