OPINION: What Can Social Entrepreneurs Do for the Future of Indonesia?

Thursday, June 12, 2014

With the upcoming election the question of who we prefer to lead the country has become one of the most discussed topics in Indonesia. But putting aside political debate that we are being exposed to these days, it will be a lot more enlightening to evaluate another type of leader that may profoundly change Indonesia in the future.

These leaders come from the business world, and are known as entrepreneurs. Many people disregard the fact that entrepreneurship comes in many packages; sure there are some conventional ones who focus almost solely on making as much money as possible. But we often overlook the other kind of entrepreneurs, those whose desire is not to acquire more wealth for themselves but mainly to empower others through their business ventures. They offer long-term solutions by embracing others in their social business and offer much more than just temporary aid. These entrepreneurs, who utilize entrepreneurial principles for the benefit of society, are called ‘social entrepreneurs.’

In a developing country such as Indonesia, the existence of social entrepreneurs is crucial and their number has expanded in the last 10 years. Indonesia needs leaders who can not only help people but also teach them how to independently achieve a better economic and social standing. Leaders with these qualities will not only help the country in terms of economic growth, but they will also promote equality, social engagement and public participation.

It can even be argued that the activities of social entrepreneurs will decrease the potential of social turmoil, which is often caused by a widening gap between a country’s haves and have nots.

Source: The Jakarta Globe (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Impact Assessment
Tags
governance