On Thursday, 15 October, everyone interested is invited to watch the conference “Social Economy in Latvia: From Good Intentions to Meaningful Change” online. The conference will be the main event of Social Entrepreneurship Week, bringing together experts from various fields and social economy practitioners to share their experiences of how economic activity and public participation can create opportunities for people and improve living conditions for everyone.
The conference will be livestreamed on the Ministry of Welfare’s Facebook page from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with sign language interpretation provided.
The first part of the conference will feature Imants Lipskis, Director of the Labour Market Policy Department at the Ministry of Welfare, who will present the latest developments in Latvia’s social economy. Alda Sebre, Director of the Social Inclusion and Innovation Department at the Society Integration Foundation, will discuss opportunities for funding, support and participation. Liene Ločmele, a lecturer in communication and public speaking at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, will explain how to combine personal stories and data to effectively communicate the value created by an organisation to clients, funders and partners.
Dzidra Kalniņa, head of the company “LABIE KOKI” and the social enterprise “Annas koku skola”, will provide a practical example of how entrepreneurship can serve as a foundation for public education and community building. Izabella Džeriņa, Volunteer Coordinator at the “Liepāja 2027” Foundation, will share her experience of attracting volunteers, fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging people to get involved repeatedly.
The event will also feature the presentation of the report “The Role of Volunteering in the Activities of Social Enterprises”, including its practical recommendations.
The afternoon sessions will highlight the contribution of the social economy across four stages of life: childhood, youth, adulthood and older age. Liene Dambiņa, Chair of the Board of the social enterprise “Bērnu un pusaudžu resursu centrs”, will discuss how to assess the impact created by an organisation. Madara Mickeviča, founder and head of the social enterprise “CENTRS SEVII”, will focus on identifying and evaluating changes in young people’s emotional intelligence, self-confidence and interpersonal relationships. Rasa Buša will present the experience of “BEZVESTS.LV” in attracting volunteers and its journey towards establishing a social enterprise, while Līga Uzulniece, head of “Eņģeļa pasts”, will discuss reducing loneliness among older people and encouraging community involvement.
The conference will conclude with a panel discussion entitled “Social Economy in Latvia: How Can We Achieve Change That Works?”. The event will be moderated by Linda Curika, Director of the Social Entrepreneurship Association of Latvia.
As previously announced, Social Entrepreneurship Week will take place from 12 to 16 October for the eighth consecutive year. The initiative aims to raise awareness of social entrepreneurship, provide practical knowledge and inspire the development of new initiatives.
The conference is organised with financial support from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) project “Support for Social Entrepreneurship”.
