Social entrepreneurs at Davos and in the streets

In the current issue of Greater Good, Marc Ian Barasch, talks about the motivating force of social entrepreneurs like Zen roshi Bernie Glassman, who has integrated spiritual practice with compassionate social action. Sojourners Magazine recently posted a copy of Nicholas Kristof's New York Times Jan. 30th editorial, "Do-gooders with Spreadsheets" about social entrepreneurs, including Sojo's own Executive Director Jim Wallis, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland:

"the most remarkable people to attend aren’t the world leaders or other bigwigs. Rather, they are the social entrepreneurs. Davos, which has always been uncanny in peeking just ahead of the curve to reflect the zeitgeist of the moment, swarmed with them."

According to Kristof, social entrepreneurship is

"one of the most hopeful and helpful trends around. These folks aren’t famous, and they didn’t fly to Davos in first-class cabins or private jets, but they are showing that what it really takes to change the world isn’t so much wealth or power as creativity, determination and passion."

Other recent and upcoming North American convenings of social entrepreneurs were at the Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise in Vancouver BC at the end of January, and the Social Enterprise Alliance in Long Beach CA in April 2007.