[Press Release] SEWF 2014 Ends on October 16 with Release of Seoul Declaration

In addition to presenting a new vision and models of social enterprises in Korea,

SEWF 2014 helped to shape a consensus on the roles and the development of social enterprises.

 

The Korean Steering Committee for Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) 2014 announced that the international event drew to a close on October 16, with the release of the Seoul Declaration and a closing ceremony. The SEWF, held for the seventh time this year in Seoul, drew over 1,300 participants from social enterprises, government organizations, and other expert associations in almost 50 countries worldwide. Hosting serious debates and international exchange on the present and the future of social enterprises, this year’s SEWF has significantly raised the profile of Korean social enterprises on the world stage.

 

South Korea has been the most active of the countries in Asia to foster and support social enterprises, with the enactment of the Social Enterprise Fostering Act in 2007 and a host of other policy support measures following since. It was thanks to this policy environment that Korea was able to become the first Asian host of the SEWF, inviting experts from all around the globe.

 

The SEWF in Seoul is already being praised for a number of contributions it has made to the progress of social economy in Korea and elsewhere. Thanks to the SEWF, participants were able to share their respective national and local agendas for the development of social enterprises; explore new ways to enhance the autonomy of the actors of social economy; search for ways to reinforce productive solidarity among the actors of social economy; discuss and identify more cooperative forms of governance; enlist the public consensus on the roles and development of social enterprises; and engage in various activities of international exchange and friendship.

 

In particular, on the last day of the event, on October 16, a press roundtable was held, featuring Professor Ahn Sang-hun from Seoul National University, Peter Holbrooke the Chairman of the World SEWF Steering Committee, Dr. George Friedman from the United States, Lee Jong-su the Leader of the SEWF 2014 Youth Camp, and Choi Jong-tae the Chairman of the SEWF 2014 Steering Committee in Korea. The discussants held in-depth debates on the three topics of social innovation, social inclusion, and social investment, and what roles the government, corporations, the civil society, and social entrepreneurs should respectively play to promote these values. The program officially ended with the closing speech from Matthew Roberts, Head of Sustainability at Landmarc Support Services Limited, entitled: “The British Experience of Developing Sustainable Development Systems with Social Enterprises.”

 

The closing ceremony opened with a speech from Dr. Kim Chang-jun, a member of the Fair Trade Subcommittee under the National Economic Advisory Council, on “A Step Toward Positive Social Change through Social Enterprises.” Choi Jong-tae, Chairman of the SEWF 2014 Steering Committee in Korea, read out loud Seoul Declaration 2014 on Social Change through Social Enterprises. Elena Casolari and Francesca Agnello, both from Italy that will be hosting the 8thSEWF,

stood up to the podiumand gave a brief explanation of their or ganization and the theme for then ext SEWF, “Growing a New Economy and a Nurturing Ecosystem.” The three-day event finally came to a close with the closing declaration from Song Wol-joo, Chairman of the SEWF2014.

In his closing remark, Song expressed his wish that this year’s SEWF would pave the ground for growing interest and participation in social enterprises in Korea. He finished his declaration by thanking all the participants who attended the SEWF 2014 programs, as well as the Korean Ministry of Labor, SK, and other sponsors and partner organizations that provided full support.

 

 

Attachment: SEWF Seoul Declaration 2014.