SEWF 2009

Following the successful two thousand and eight Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) that allowed those who attended to benefit from better social understanding of international networking and cooperation with raised self awareness of social enterprise’s potentially sustainable nature without boundaries, Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) two thousand and nine was held in Melbourne, Australia. Where the Scotland forum had been generally designed to raise awareness of social enterprise and develop it as a medium for social change, the second forum looked at sustainable employment for the disadvantaged, and the role that social enterprise can play in helping people who can benefit the most from the services social enterprise offers directly.

The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) 2009 took place over two days and was co-hosted by SVA and Social Traders, both of which are social enterprise businesses in Australia. Over five hundred individuals who practice, fund, and support social enterprise attended the forum. People came not only from Australia but from across the globe. The meeting of minds, like the 2008 conference, was another chance for those in the social enterprise sphere to network, learn from one another, and share their experiences and knowledge.

One of the subgoals of the two thousand and nine Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) was to support the Australian social enterprise movement as it was building steam. Another was to take a look at the roles of social enterprise in changing attitudes about social inclusion, toleration, and social mobility for those previously excluded from climbing the social ladder. Employment for these “undesirables” regardless of class, creed, origin, or other social reasons was only one way to encourage this inclusion and that fact too was a topic of discussion.

A great many speakers were invited to present at the two day forum, which took place between October sixth and October eighth of two-thousand-and-nine. Those speakers addressed a number of valid topics related to the economy and the socially disadvantaged while they collectively sought ways to make changes to address the issues being raised. The cost for those attending from a social enterprise or non-profit group was Six hundred and fifty five dollars, while corporate and government attendees paid nine hundred and eighty five dollars. Neither price included the annual dinner which was an additional one hundred and ten dollars and included an invitation to the October sixth opening ceremony for the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF).