Global Entrepreneurship Week helps spread the spark of entrepreneurship to people and places where the option might not have been considered before. It is also a good time to reflect on CIPE’s efforts throughout the year to promote entrepreneurship around the world.

Sometimes the spark catches the imagination where one least expects it. In Afghanistan, 6,000 high school students have graduated from the full three-year Tashabos course on entrepreneurship. Of them, 1,362 have set up their own small business, 204 have revived a family business, and 350 have helped expand an existing family business. In total, the students have created 7,336 jobs!

In Peru, Instituto Invertir’s EmprendeAhora program has extended entrepreneurship and civic education to rural youth. EmprendeAhora not only has trained over 430 students, it has multiplied itself to reach 12,000 other students through workshops organized by the young participants themselves. It’s a model program, which earned first place in the 2011 CIPE Leading Practices contest.

Back in May, Fundación Paraguaya and the Paraguayan Ministry of Education signed an agreement to promote entrepreneurship in the Paraguayan public school system. This accord aims to strengthen educational institutions, capacities, and make resources available to improve the quality of training programs in these institutions and to contribute to sustainable development in the schools’ communities.

Chambers of commerce can get involved in stimulating entrepreneurship too. The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry opened its new entrepreneurship development center this past summer, funded under a CIPE small grant. This is the first such facility established by a Pakistani chamber.

Let’s not forget women entrepreneurs! In June, CIPE put the focus on women’s empowerment—especially economic empowerment through entrepreneurship–at Democracy That Delivers for Women. If women’s entrepreneurship is your thing, join us in the Community of Women Entrepreneurs.

Even as we work hard to inspire new entrepreneurs, keep in mind we must also build an environment in which they can succeed, or they will be trapped and frustrated. CIPE places priority on reforms that clear the path for entrepreneurs, as Dr. Aleksandr Shkolnikov writes: “Through institutional reform it is possible to empower entrepreneurs to transition from micro-enterprises to small and medium-sized business that can create jobs, innovate, take advantage of economies of scale, and increase productivity.”

Have a great Global Entrepreneurship Week!

Kim Bettcher
CIPE

Share your Global Entrepreneurship Week news: partners@cipe.org