We have just finished running workshops on social entrepreneurship in Oman for the Muscat Youth Summit. Using Maslaha as an example of how to set up and develop a social enterprise, we worked with 34 young people from a number of different countries including Holland, Yemen, Lebanon, Oman, the UK, the US, Pakistan, Italy, France, and India.
Areas we covered included on how to deliver a good pitch- being passionate, concise, and persuasive enough to convince people to follow you in putting your vision into action. We also looked at developing a certain attitude of mind which would enable you to address social issues through practical and creative means.
These young people were not only hungry to learn new skills that would allow them to be more entrepreneurial but they were also deeply committed to tackling certain social issues including drug addiction, projects that empowered women, and creating a greater understanding between the generations.
Any good entrepreneur should always be open to new forms of learning and these young people were certainly willing to take on board new ideas and new ways of thinking. There were no complaints and in fact a good deal of enthusiasm when we asked the class to run through some kung fu techniques as a way of beginning to understand how you tackle social issues.
There is immense support from Brand Oman to ensure that the potential of these young people is recognised. The organisation is actively looking to introduce new ideas that can help to develop a more entrepreneurial and creative ecosystem in Oman.
