According to the Social Progress Index (SPI), the SDGs will not be achieved until 2082. The COVID-19 pandemic has likely delayed SDG achievement by a further ten years. Catalyst 2030 members have identified three key challenges that are stalling progress:
1. Many global, regional and local institutions and governments do not have the means to address the complexity of societal problems at scale.
2. There is minimal coordination among social entrepreneurs and other social innovators who have the capability and freedom to influence system actors and build their capacities.
3. The pace of adoption of financial and funding models to advance systems change has not accelerated to match demand. The system in which we operate is one with severely unequal power dynamics and outdated practices.
In the face of global fragility, social inequality and (youth) unemployment, entrepreneurship could be key for sustainable socioeconomic empowerment. However, this is difficult to achieve without education that employs the proper methods, tools and objectives and equally targets all society segments. Entrepreneurship has the potential to reduce poverty, stimulate economic growth and boost innovation, in addition to enhancing social and environmental sustainability. In accordance with the human capital theory and previous empirical studies, it is assumed that entrepreneurship education and training (EET) directly correlate with positive entrepreneurial outcomes and therefore sustainable development.
Moderator:
Andreas Stefanidis, President of the Academy of Entrepreneurship & Educational Association of Athens HFAISTOS
Speakers:
Petros Kokkalis, MEP The Left group in the European Parliament-GUE/NGL -The skills we need to fight inequalities and climate collapse
Elin McCalum, Leading Bantani Education – all about #entrepreneurial #lifeskills for #socialimpact – Europe Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise 2021
Elena Romanini, Senior EU Project Manager, trainer, supervisor at T-HAP LTD, all about – Economy of wellbeing and SDGs: the role of entrepreneurial skills for people and communities