Rules for a special social enterprise - Draft

Preamble:

Many good initiatives cannot grow and widely improve the state of the world because they are dominated by influential exponents, extremely rich donators, or both. These circumstances are present more often than we think and it turns out to be a serious problem which exists even then when these individuals do not want it at all - it even exist when these people in dominant positions are aware of their influence and try to minimise it in order to serve the purpose of the project or the community and not their own interest. Everybody involved in the project transports this problem - consciously or unconsciously, willingly or unwillingly. It is the nature of the beast. Therefore, the elimination of this factor is crucial. That is why a real change can only start up in a working environment where this factor is eliminated - in protected cells**. Only then real change and real quality will result.

** I will use the terms protectet cell and protected team until this type of project or team is commonly defined and named aiming at international recognition.

1. Members work together in teams of common aims using the process of consent and target agreements.
2. Projects involving several teams may elect members to a board of project managers.
3. Some projects might require controlling by external organisations or specialists. Big business requiring a board of directors will not be in our responsibility - except the board happens to consist of members. Nobody and no organisation from outside can change the right of the members to elect their managers.
4. To become member of this exclusive, prestigious social enterprise, applicants have to let go of their “excessive power”.
5. The working environment and the management is protected against any attempt to takeover or unduly influence "ChangeTheCourse".
6. All copyrights are owned by "ChangeTheCourse". Only the creator(s) plus a majority of members can allow selling or giving away of copyright.

• 4) Members decide by consent or majority on legitimate limits to fortune, revenue and powerful positions for members. Applicants may enter a plan how they want to comply to this regulation by the joining date. In cases of excess fortune we hope a large part will be donated to social institutions, the state, or to social business start-ups like we are. "ChangeTheCourse" would accept such donations only up to 70% of each surplus fortune in question. (Limits are very useful to fight excesses)

These rules are of equal importance to the aims of this social enterprise. And living up to them will already be a first step on the new course.

As a legal status for Switzerland most probably a 'Genossenschaft' would be alright. To start up I guess the first members will all have to work 60 - 120% until everything is running fine.

To start up "ChangeTheCourse" in Switzerland a fund sufficient to pay the first team for a year plus expenses is necessary.

NEW on 8.5.2009: The Project for Social Quality has begun !
At the moment, german is the main language used within the project. But english could catch up immediately if new partners join us. The logo scetches are already © protected for german, english, french, italien, portugese and spanish. We encourage everybody interested to get in contact via comment of this post.

Have a look at Social Qaulity Web - the first short article on the Quality Label Project.

Close Cooperation with

• Sozialunternehmen (The Social Business Definer in German)
  

Aiming at Quality in definitions...

This blog was founded as a platform to work on high quality definitions of social business. We regard the definition as published by M. Yunus as the best and it should be followed strictly when we work on more detailled definitions here.