YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS IN MOZAMBIQUE
The Fortalezza is often used for small exhibitions, concerts and other public events. The sign says: Exhibition of young entrepreneurs “the idea to work”
A fundamental part of design is entrepreneurship. We have different conditions to deal with it, promote and support. My participation in Mozambique is somewhat similar to when I was (and when I work) in Reykjavik. Both places are building up a creative industry and very much of it depends on young people, designers, musicians artists and social entrepreneurs. The industries that are developing are different to the traditional ones of grand projects like power stations selling electricity to heavy industries, fisheries and agriculture. The grand projects are the pets of politicians looking at economic stability and participation in international trade. While these grand projects are happening there are young people (and also of course older ones like my age) trying to generate new things, entrepreneurial activity in some cases to be able to live of what they love to do: to create things, solutions, events. And often linking together new initiatives through their skills or dreams for change. My own perspective is always the same: The Triple Bottom line meaning that results should in some form generate profit for the tree fundamental things: People Planet Profit.
Here is a photo album from the exhibition
In Iceland we started very early in the Faculty of Design and Architecture in the Iceland Academy of Art running projects with the Reykjavik Business school, initiating new ways to address issues, for business or social change. This type of initiative I also introduced in my school in Norway, the Oslo National Academy of Art. There we also ran projects where students of design work with students from the business school BI to create business and social initiatives.
The Report first published by UNCTAD in 2008 and now in new edition (United Nations Creative Economy Report 2010) states results from extensive research that design, entrepreneurship and generally creative industries are the most effective sectors in society to support diversity and gender equality as well as economic prosperity. I suggest to anyone who is interested in this to download this report and at least browse through it. The diagrams and tables are very helpful.
It is great to see an exhibition of small initiatives where young people are creating objects and solutions for trade and social facilitation. I am encountering with increasing regularity small initiatives like this, people are all over setting up business, or designing products that hopefully come into production and give profit. Of course the new Design and Art Academy (ISArC) is a key factor in these changes and I hope I will have time to follow its growth into a fundamental part of Mozambican society.
Some of the work displayed in the exhibition. Here is a photo album from the exhibition.
May 2, 2011
Tags: academia, crafts, DESIGN, entrepreneurship, maputo, mozambique Posted in: AFRICA, DESIGN, ISAC - KHiO, MOZAMBIQUE
