In Lithuania, NGOs and active citizens, inspired by Nordic practices, play a key role in public awareness. Reach for Change, an international NGO, enhances social entrepreneurship and innovation among children and youth, and has built a strong network of social entrepreneurs and change leaders.
Project purpose and goals
The “100 Social Innovators for the Next Century” project aims to advance the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) by engaging civil society, businesses, and academia in conveying key aspects of Agenda 2030. This agenda highlights a shared challenge for Nordic countries: developing and contextualizing the SDGs.
Key Contributions:
- Children and Youth as Agents of Change: Highlighting young people’s involvement in policy formation related to their well-being.
- Stimulating Discussion and Cooperation: Raising awareness about children’s and youth rights, equality, and social inclusion through discussions, networking, and cooperation.
- Promoting Social Innovations: Showcasing best practices from Nordic countries and Lithuanian social entrepreneurs to inspire youth to address social problems.
- Raising SDG Awareness: Advocating for SDG implementation and social entrepreneurship as solutions to pressing societal issues, inspired by Nordic best practices.
Objectives:
The project seeks to harness social entrepreneurship and innovation to improve children’s lives. Recognizing that government efforts alone are often insufficient for achieving sustainable development goals, the project emphasizes the pivotal role of social entrepreneurs. Many individuals and organizations have innovative solutions for enhancing children’s lives but often lack the support needed to realize their ideas and expand their impact. By sharing best practices and tools among NGOs, the private sector, and local actors in the Nordic and Baltic regions, the project fosters a concrete area of Nordic cooperation: social entrepreneurship.
“100 Social Innovators for the Next Century” aims to increase public awareness and encourage active participation in creating social value for children and young people.
Project target groups
- Young people
- Children’s rights professionals
- Social entrepreneurs across Baltic-Nordic region
Partners
- Reach for Change network in Nordic countries
- TELE2, Lithuania
- TV3, Lithuania
- Social business association Arvo-Liitto, Finland
Key events and activities
The Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania, in collaboration with Reach for Change, will organize a conference to showcase social enterprises that innovate for SDG implementation and highlight successful collaborations between social entrepreneurs, public, and private sectors. The conference will feature discussions on SDGs specifically for a youth audience, actively involving young social innovators in network creation.
The project will initiate discussions on social entrepreneurship and SDG implementation, featuring interviews with social entrepreneurs that cover both success and failure stories.
A communication campaign in Lithuania will spotlight social entrepreneurs and innovations, inviting 15 participants for intensive training to develop their ideas. The top three ideas will join the Reach for Change incubator program, with one winner receiving a €20,000 grant.
