Youth Business International (YBI) played a pivotal role in this year's Global Entrepreneurship Week, which ran from 15-21 November. Around the world the YBI network provided official Hosts in 10 countries, and organised events in several others - engaging thousands of people and encouraging more support for young entrepreneurs.

Here is just a sample of the activities held by the global YBI network:

Barbados

Official host: Barbados Youth Business Trust (BYBT)

BYBT held a breakfast meeting at the US embassy in Bridgetown, held several events to promote entrepreneurship to schoolchildren and also held a Barbados Entrepreneurship Conference attended by more than 500 people.

Belize

Official host: Youth Business Trust Belize (YBTB)

The Belize Youth Business Trust partnered with the University of Belize to offer an Entrepreneur Symposium on 16 November at the Belmopan campus. The purpose of the event was to offer a broad range of lectures on pertinent information and resources that are critical to starting a new business, and to motivate the students to work hard and develop innovative businesses for Belize’s economy. YBTB also partnered with the High Schools in Belize City to hold an Innovative Entrepreneur Contest which was judged on 17 November - the winner was a team who developed “The Flamp”, a battery operated tableside lamp-clock-fan to be marketed to Caribbean residents who frequently encounter power outages.

More at http://www.youthbusiness.bz

GEW CanadaCanada

Official host: Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF)

Last year’s Country of the Year hosts CYBF held even more activities to celebrate GEW in 2010. CYBF launched the week in the Canadian Parliament with an event featuring 10 entrepreneurs. CYBF ended GEW in Calgary at a press event held by Colin Davison, owner of Stealth Acoustical and Emission Control company, and featuring Minister Blackett who formally announced a CAN$1million dollar contribution to CYBF in Alberta.

One interesting campaign to highlight is called ‘Show Us Your Entrepreneur’. CYBF asked all Canadians to share their story of entrepreneurship to demonstrate personal stories and the definition of what makes an entrepreneur. Young entrepreneurs can send a standard or electronic postcard to CYBF, sharing triumphs, memories and milestones on their entrepreneurial experiences.

More at www.showusyourentrepreneur.com and www.cybf.ca/.

GEW 2010 DominicaDominica

Official host: Dominica Youth Business Trust (DYBT)

DYBT themed its week ‘Dismantling Barriers’ in a quest to continue dismantling barriers which hinder youth development. This included maintaining and obtaining the support of strategic partners such as banks, government councils and universities. DYBT held its seventh annual graduation and awards ceremony, recognising facilitators, mentors and entrepreneurs. The Week was launched by the Dominican Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Honorable Justina Charles. DYBT also staged an exhibition with 40 entrepreneurs and 21 business students of the Dominica State College.

DYBT also partnered with the Waitukubuli Entrepreneurs Le´ve´ (WEL) in conducting a one-week emerging entrepreneurs and mentors retreat with 21 emerging entrepreneurs and fifteen mentors.

During the whole week, GEW attracted tremendous attention from the television, radio and the print media. DYBT Entrepreneur Marcus Cuffy also represented DYBT at an entrepreneurs’ breakfast panel in Barbados hosted by BYBT and sponsored by the US embassy.

Guyana

Official host: Guyana Youth Business Trust

Guyana Youth Business Trust held a two-day national conference entitled Inspiration, Innovation, Imagination and Creativity. Experienced entrepreneurs shared their stories and conducted tours to their business sites, and participants from recently conducted training programmes received their certificates.

GEW India

Official host: Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST)

In Chennai, BYST teamed up with IBM for the ‘Sowing the Seeds of Entrepreneurship’ event inspiring young entrepreneurs at a local secondary school. The event brought together successful entrepreneurs and educators, as well as officials from both BYST and IBM. The children heard from Mr Prince Nehemiah of IBM, who told the children, “The goal of your studies should not be to get good marks and secure any job, but to explore your potential, explore your interest and serve your community by taking up entrepreneurship.”

In Hyderabad, Southern India, an awareness generation programme called Reaching Out was organised at the Central institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET). The focus of the initiative was support potential entrepreneurs in fine-tuning their business ideas. All participants took an oath to support one other person in engaging with entrepreneurship in the coming year.

More information at www.unleashingideas.org/blog/india-inspires-youth-gew

Paraguay

Official host: Fundacion Paraguaya

Fundación Paraguaya carried out a range activities from workshops directed at women entrepreneurs, seminars on understanding macro and micro economic-business decision making and business idea and best product competitions.

Saudi Arabia

Official host: The National Entrepreneurship Center (The Centennial Fund)

Saudi Arabia began its Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrations a week behind the global campaign, due to the Eid-al-Adha holiday. His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Centennial Fund, opened the Kingdom's participation in GEW and threw his weight behind the global campaign:

"We are all working through the guidance precious to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, which aims to sustain the development of this nation and people, especially young people. From this point of Grace of God Almighty, we open this week, the world initiative GEW, which aims to develop an entrepreneurial culture and encourage it as an option for a decent life and an alternative to the work of the job."

More at www.unleashingideas.org/blog/saudi-arabia-continues-global-attempt-entrepreneurship

Trinidad & Tobago

Official host: Youth Business & Tobago

Youth Business Trinidad & Tobago ran a series of lectures and workshops throughout the week on topics ranging from how to advertise your business and small business accounting to public speaking and mentoring skills. They also hosted a Youth Entrepreneurship Services Expo.

Ukraine

Official host: Youth Business Ukraine

Youth Business Ukraine (YBU) focused on social entrepreneurship by unveiling a newly created Social Entrepreneurship Centre and Training Programme for potential social enterprises. In addition, YBU strengthened its partnership with the media, conducting a press tour for journalists to meet with young entrepreneurs followed by a discussion of youth entrepreneurship issues in mass media. During this year YBU facilitated discussions on the need of continuous enterprise education from 5 till 18 and development of the corresponding educational programme, presented at GEW (for the first time in Ukraine).

Other activities around the network

Argentina

Fundación Impulsar hosted its national annual dinner in Buenos Aires, where the 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year was announced.

More at www.fundacionimpulsar.org.ar/2010/11/felicitamos-emprendedor-2010

Israel

Keren Shemesh held 10 activities to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week. Highlights included an entrepreneur conference in the Sami Shamon college in Be’er-Sheva, featuring a young entrepreneur panel with the participation of the Keren Shemesh general manager Rael Goodman; and hosting a delegation from Nigeria in the framework of an educational business entrepreneur development tour in cooperation with the Galilee college for assisting developing countries.

Russia

Youth Business Russia expanded into its third region, during a launch of the programme in Vladivostok, the far east of the country.

More at http://en.iblfrussia.org/news/detail.php?ID=416

Scotland

The Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust held nearly 40 events for GEW including business start-up workshops, lectures on entrepreneurship at colleges and universities and a cash-awarded business idea competition.

South Africa

The National Youth Development Agency used Global Entrepreneurship Week to host different sessions for young entrepreneurs. Aspiring young entrepreneurs as well as young people who are already in business got a chance to learn more on what the NYDA and other institutions have to offer during the different awareness sessions. Each session hosted no less than 200 young entrepreneurs with the aim to promote entrepreneurship among young South Africans, create awareness of what it takes to start a small business. They will also provide a network and collaboration platform for SMME practitioners as well as showcase the integrated service provided by NYDA. NYDA also offered aspiring entrepreneurs access to a group mentorship session.

More at http://www.nyda.gov.za

Syria

BIDAYA signed an MoU between with Shell LiveWIRE in order to support more youmg entrepreneurs. Shell LiveWIRE will provide ‘Start Your Own Business’ training and BIDAYA will provide financial support and mentoring services to approved trainees from the LiveWIRE programme. BIDAYA also organised a joint activity with Junior Chamber International where participants of the Chamber’s previous events including Best Business Plan Competition and Creative Young Entrepreneurs Award had the opportunity to network with BIDAYA and other possible financiers.

HRH The Prince of WalesUnited Kingdom

In London, HRH The Prince of Wales hosted an annual dinner for Youth Business International. The event was attended by 80 senior leaders from business, government and civil society and featured a keynote speech from Jacques Attali, founder of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and President of PlaNet Finance.

More at www.youthbusiness.org/media/news/ybi-event-the-prince-nov-2010.aspx

Network-wide activities

16,000 people voted in the YBI People’s Choice award, an online poll to find the general public’s favourite entrepreneur. The result was a tie, with Hitender Punyane from India and Fathuma Nisreen from Sri Lanka joint winners.

More at www.unleashingideas.org/ybi

YBI also ran an online discussion to promote the launch a new report, Beyond Collateral. The discussion featured commentary from experts from the International Labour Organization, the World Bank, Kauffman Foundation, Enterprise UK and Harvard. More at

www.youthbusiness.org/media/publications.aspx

tags: partner