Ashoka Fellows

*Do You Know Someone with a Powerful New Idea? *

Ashoka Philippines is launching its search for the *first batch of Filipino Ashoka Fellows! * Help us find the country's most promising social innovators.


*What is a Social Entrepreneur? *

Social entrepreneurs are individuals who have a unique insight into a social problem and find an innovative and effective way to address it. Often this means changing the existing system – testing, refining, and promoting an approach until it has become the new pattern across society. They are passionate and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new solutions for wide-scale change.

Social entrepreneurs are possessed by their ideas, committing their lives to changing the direction of their field. They are both visionaries and the ultimate realists, concerned with the practical implementation of their vision.

We are looking for the next Muhammad Yunus (Grameen Bank founder, Nobel Peace Prize Winner) and the next Bill Drayton (originator of the global carbon credit scheme and founder of Ashoka).

*The Global Ashoka Fellowship*

The Ashoka Fellowship is not a leadership award or academic program. We are not looking for well-established and recognized individuals. Rather, we are looking for social entrepreneurs in the launch stage of their work who need that extra push and support. Ashoka Fellows can come from any field of work – from health and human rights, to education and the environment.

Through a rigorous local and international selection process, we hope to identify Filipinos who meet the following criteria:

1) *A New Idea* to Solve a Social Problem;
2) *Creativity*
3) *Entrepreneurial Quality*
4) *Social Impact* of the Idea; and
5) *Ethical Fiber*

Once elected as an Ashoka Fellow, the person receives a three-year living stipend, professional support, and access to a powerful global network of their peers in more than 60 countries. Fellows benefit from this community for life.

*Ashoka: Innovators for the Public* is the global association of the world's leading social entrepreneurs— men and women with system-changing solutions for the most urgent social problems. Since 1981, we have built a community of over 1,800 Ashoka Fellows who inspire others through their innovations—demonstr ating to all citizens that they too can achieve positive change and transform their communities.

*Be the Crucial First Step*

We would like to invite you to be a member of our nominator network. Tell us where the exciting work is being done and who is most deserving of our support. The attached document contains detailed information on our criteria.

*If you have any questions or would like to nominate a Fellow, please write to: philippines@ ashoka.org

*To know more about Ashoka, please visit our website at http://www.ashoka.org