Social enterprises and their applications in lagged behind societies

Abstract

A social enterprise is situated in the context of business ventures that lead to sustainable human development. It is sustainable because it encourages the constant and increasing activity of domestic and communitarian economy, in harmony with the environment. From this point of view, the proposed strategy for microcredits, managed by Quinuapata commune, can be understood as a social enterprise. Additionally, this type of business venture is protected under the Ecuadorian Political Constitution and the Republic’s Legal framework. Quinuapata commune is a prototype of social-communitarian development, evidenced by its microcredit, payment collection and credit assignment strategies. In order for this to work, it is required that people know each other, that their word is trusted over signed documents, that there exists an environment conductive of mutual support, and that achievements are shared with neighbors. These demands are based upon the ancestral teaching: ama llulla, ama quilla y ama shua. [Quichua for to not lie, to not be lazy, to not steal]. The self-improvement technique devised by the residents, in itself, is a criticism to the worldwide capitalist system, for which the capital must be prioritized over human beings and the planet’s destruction is a tolerable mean to reach an ultimate end (capital accumulation).