Social Entrepreneurs: Arts and Culture

Ariel Zylbersztejn had a crazy idea in mind when he screened Cinepop’s first movie a few years back: to confront society’s greatest challenges, by providing free access to family films for the urban and rural poor in Mexico. Little did Ariel realize the impact he was about to make.

Valdete Idrizi, founder and executive director of Community Building Mitrovica (CBM), was presented with the International Women of Courage Award by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, for her efforts to rebuild society in Mitrovica, Kosovo.

Shanthi Satchithanandam plants the seeds to strengthen women's rights and cultivate effective democracy in Sri Lanka. Her organisation, Viluthu, brings Muslim and Tamil women together to push for political participation and equal rights for women.

As a female clan leader of the Lango community, Margaret Akullo Elem leads the fight for women’s rights in Uganda.

A pioneer of the MJAFT! Movement in Albania, Besjan Pesha has inspired a new generation of active citizens, who are changing the Albanian political landscape towards achieving good governance.

Gyuri Baglyas and Manó Domján started Beyond Budapest to lure travellers off the typical tourist trail to the “other side”, taking them on a unique social-cultural walking tour to experience the real Budapest.

Andrej Nosov, founder of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, is promoting peace, justice and equality in the Balkans by connecting the post-war generations of Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Food#03 is a vegetarian café, an artwork and a social enterprise by Singaporean artist Woon Tien Wei. It explores the possibilities of combining food and art in creating of a sustainable social business that supports the community and the environment.

Rahmatullah Oryakhel is working with traditional Afghan craftsmen to restore the former glory of the medieval heart of Kabul, after years of war have left the neighborhood of Murad Khane in a state of ruin.

After 6 years working in international organizations in Tibet, Tsering Perlo now dedicates himself to inspiring a new generation of young Tibetans to rediscover and preserve the Tibetan cultural heritage.