Ashoka (organization)

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Ashoka
legal form 501 (c) organization
founding 1980
founder Bill Drayton
Seat Headquarters in Arlington , Virginia, USA
motto Germany: home of the changemakers
sales $ 19,943,688 (2016)
Members 3000
Website www.ashoka.org

Ashoka is an American non-profit organization promoting social entrepreneurship based in Arlington County .

The organization seeks and supports social entrepreneurs ( Ashoka Fellows ) in around 70 countries . The scholarship holders receive financial support, advice and connection to networks in the social sector as well as in business and science so that they can disseminate their projects.

etymology

The name of the organization ( Sanskrit for: carefree ) goes back to the Indian prince Ashoka , who in the 3rd century BC after years of warlike rule on the Indian subcontinent campaigned for reconciliation, tolerance, freedom and economic prosperity.

history

The organization was founded in 1980 by Bill Drayton in Washington, DC .

The organization believes that Ashoka Fellows are budding social entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas and the potential to solve societal problems. They share the following characteristics: They have a concept for solving a social problem, they are entrepreneurial and creative in terms of goal setting and target achievement and they want to spread their project. Your approach has the potential to reach many people, directly (e.g. through educational reform) or indirectly (e.g. through environmental protection measures).

Since 1980 Ashoka has selected and sponsored around 3,000 budding social entrepreneurs in more than 93 countries as Fellows. Some of them develop their projects into profitable ventures over time, but reinvest their profits again in order to pursue the social goal. Others remain dependent on donations and grants because they work in fields where their work does not generate any financial income on the free market - e.g. B. in the fight against child prostitution or xenophobia.

The best-known Ashoka Fellow and at the same time founding member of the Ashoka Global Academy is Muhammad Yunus . He and the Grameen Bank he founded were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for their micro-credit program .

Another well-known fellow is Jimmy Wales .

Funded projects

For example, Ashoka supports:

  • Education (334 “Fellows”): The development of new teaching and learning methods as well as new pedagogical approaches are to be supported. The aim is to develop new school types, curricula and programs that help children solve problems , make decisions, take responsibility , and promote teamwork and creativity .
  • Citizens' initiatives (375 "Fellows"): The opinions of individual citizens should be heard and a culture of sympathy and mutual support promoted.
  • Health (311 "Fellows"): The standard of health is to be increased by supporting the health system, this is to be done through better access to basic medical care and through partnerships between public and private institutions.
  • Human rights (422 “Fellows”): Innovations are to be promoted which ensure the full preservation of civil, political and social rights.
  • Environment (258 "Fellows"): Solutions should be found that protect the environment and at the same time address the underlying social problems.
  • Economic development (411 “Fellows”): By expanding economic opportunities, increasing the level of assertiveness in collective bargaining and developing new markets for the poorer population, all people should be able to achieve economic independence.

Number of “Fellows” by continent

In 2017, support was distributed across the following regions:

continent Fellows %
South & Central America 960 approx. 31%
Asia & Australia 892 approx. 29%
Europe 459 approx. 15%
Africa 422 approx. 14%
North America 268 approx. 9%
Middle East & North Africa 108 approx. 3%
Worldwide 3.109 100%

The Ashoka Youth Venture

"Youth Venture" pursues the goal of social activation of young people in the areas of participation , entrepreneurship and personal development. According to their own statements, the most effective way of improving the living conditions of young people is to enable them to become agents of social change themselves and to change the world at least on a small scale. The young people can experience that they can positively influence their environment and become the engine of their own development. In this way, they playfully learn important skills for the future of their lives (e.g. communication, leadership, teaming, project management, etc.). These experiences will help them in the future to understand difficult situations not as hopeless problems, but as challenges and to act actively instead of reacting passively.

The organization supports around 3,000 small, social ventures by young people in 17 countries. The young changemakers are networked with peers around the world via the international online community.

Germany

As an Ashoka youth initiative , the Youth Venture program in Germany is structured on two levels:

  • encouraging young people to start their own social projects, e.g. B. in Stuttgart , Friedrichshafen and Berlin
    • the training of young people (18-25 years) as volunteer trainers
    • the support of young people (12-20 years) in the context of workshops, individual coaching and the allocation of start-up financing for the establishment of social projects
    • Conducting thematic and open online competitions
  • Changing the framework for social change with and through young people with the Leading Changemaker project


Web links

Individual evidence

  1. What we do. . Ashoka Germany. Archived from the original on April 5, 2009. Retrieved on August 7, 2009.
  2. Ashoka on firstname.com
  3. ashoka.org ( Memento August 4, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) History. Accessed August 7, 2009.
  4. a b Our effect. In: ashoka.org. August 29, 2017, accessed on February 23, 2019 (German).
  5. germany.ashoka.org Ashoka Fellows. Accessed August 7, 2009.
  6. nobelpeaceprize.org ( Memento of October 12, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Nobel Peace Prize 2006. Accessed on August 7, 2009.
  7. http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/jimmy-wales
  8. About Ashoka. In: ashoka.org. June 19, 2018, accessed February 7, 2019 .
  9. Ashoka Youth Initiative. ( Memento of the original from January 10, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed January 14, 2009. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ashoka-jugendinitiative.de
  10. Young people in responsibility. In: ashoka.org. June 19, 2018, accessed February 7, 2019 .