Social Entrepreneurship

Pondering my potential retirement from the military and trying to discern what God would have me do with two decades of relatively diverse experience, I've recently become fascinated with the idea of "social entrepreneurship." This term, which, I've come to find out, has been around at least since the '80s, encompasses quite well what I thought I was dreaming up on my own as a novel idea! Well all the better that this wonderful concept didn't wait around for me.

Some key organizations: The Skoll Foundation and Ashoka.

Most of these endeavors involves unique cooperative endeavors between public and private actors. Rick Warren points out that "public-private cooperation" was a huge topic at the Davos summit a few years back (no wonder its all over now).

But he takes it a step further pointing out that a stool with only two legs will tip over. What is really needed is Public-Private-Church cooperation. The Church is the ultimate logistics organization, on the ground in ever village in the world with a deep understanding of local culture, need and capability. His interview with Krista Tippett describes his awakening to the plight (existence) of the globe's underprivileged.


A recent cover story in Time describes the opening steps his "PEACE plan, a bid to turn every single Christian church on earth into a provider of local health care, literacy and economic development, leadership training and spiritual growth."