The 2015 Social Enterprise World Forum in Italy is the 8th edition of the Forum and its first time back to Europe after the launch in Edinburgh in 2008. The Forum will be held from the 1st to the 3rd of July, with the opening at the Auditorium of Milan EXPO 2015 (to be confirmed), and the following days at the IULM University which will also host a market place for social enterprises, a social enterprise speakers corner, and plenty of networking space. Before and after the event, field trips to discover Italian social enterprises will be organized.
In Italy and in Europe the widespread perception that the established models of development are no longer sustainable gave new energy to the debate on the role and the impact of social enterprises. The European Union declared the importance of the social enterprise launching in Strasbourg in February 2014 the Social Business Initiative, whose guidelines recognize the vitality and strength of these new models.
The edition of Social Enterprise World Forum that the Foundation ACRA-CCS will organize in Milan in July 2015, will be the expression of the most interesting and the most innovative experiences worked out in Italy, in Europe and in the world. This forum will give to social enterprises, policy makers, operators the opportunity to meet, confront and grow together.
During the SEWF there will be 10 plenary sessions and 35 parallel workshops on:
1. Nurturing ecosystem
2. Social Enterprises against poverty
3. Impact Investment
4. Feeding the planet
Cross cutting themes:
– Youth in social enterprises
– Social Enterprise – communication challenges
Social Enterprise field visits
The SEWF offers an intense pre and post-Forum program with visits the most exciting and innovative Italian social enterprises in the north, centre and south of Italy. The field visits will give delegates the opportunity to explore and interact with the rich world of the social enterprises in Italy.
Delegates are able to choose between 1 to 2 days tours, which include visits to the most inspiring social enterprises active in sustainable agriculture, in the productive use of confiscated land , in social housing design and much more! Field visits are organized in collaboration with relevant national networks such as CGM.