CFFN Interaction Program - Invitation

Interaction with Bishnu Maya Pariyar

Youth in Social Entrepreneurship: Where is the Future?

Fri, April 09, 2010
Time: 7:00PM - 9:30PM

Admission: Free, donations accepted

T-Building, Room: 327 Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Avenue Ottawa
Ontario, Canada K2G 1V8
Invitation | Campus Map | Google Map | Info

Entrepreneurship is more usually understood as a success in economic terms. However, it is more than that. There are entrepreneurs, called social entrepreneurs, who apply innovations, finance and business acumen to organize, create, and manage enterprises for the purpose of spreading public good and positive social change. They focus on creating social capital and solving social problems.

CFFN has brought to you a young entrepreneur who has achieved measurable success in solving the problem of social marginalization and exclusion through the use of entrepreneurial principles. Her success story should be a matter of inspiration to youth, especially women, who aspire to be entrepreneurs. Our guest is Bishnu Maya Pariyar who brings much entrepreneurial knowledge and skills and is catalyzing visible socio-economic changes through her work amongst poor and marginalized people in rural Nepal. Her work has subsequently won her more than a dozen awards and scholarships of national and international stature.

Speaker:

Bishnu Maya Pariyar, M.A.

Founder, EDWON.org

Bishnu Maya Pariyar, Founder and President of "Empower Dalit Women of Nepal" (EDWON), is a prolific social entrepreneur and a most admired personality in Nepal's Dalits, the so called low-caste or untouchable people who are traditionally marginalized in the society. A bright student from her early school years, she beat many social and economic obstacles and exclusion she faced due to her caste, gender, and poor economic standings and emerged to become a award winning scholar and a social entrepreneur. Today, she has won more than a dozen scholarships and awards and became a rising youth leader in broader Nepalese community, not just Dalits. Having earned a Bachelor's degree in Social and Political Systems from Nepal and the USA and a Master's degree in International Development and Social Change from Clark University, she now works in the USA as an advocate and councellor on domestic violence, while dedicating the rest of her time in uplifting of Nepal's marginalized people.

Having realized that low caste women have no advocates and are not served well by established aid organizations, Ms. Pariyar founded EDWON with an exclusive objective of serving Dalit women and children of Nepal. She was only 20 at the time she founded EDWON. Today, she has made significant impact in the fields of human rights of women and Dalits as well as in bringing social change through development. And her contributions have not gone unnoticed. In recent times, she has lectured at Harvard University and other prestigious universities and colleges and has been panellist and speaker at national and international conferences. Added with these credence are awards including The Bridge Builder Award from the Harvard University, Perdita Hudson Human Rights Award by United Nations Association of USA, Dr. Ambedkar Award by Association of International Dalit Organizations, Margaret McNamara Memorial Award by World Bank Family Network, Pauline Tompkins Award, Women's Leadership Award and President Cup Award from Pine Manor College, and Social change Fellow from Clark University.

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