Involvement of the Lebanese diaspora in the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Lebanon -

Abstract

Diasporas worldwide play a significant role in modernizing their ancestral countries. Traditionally, diasporas contributed through financial resources, by sending remittances to families back home. Recently, there has been a growing interest in determining ways in which the Lebanese diaspora could invest in the social development Lebanon, and specifically in the social entrepreneurship ecosystem. The project first analyzes the weight of the diaspora in the global and local economies, and identifies the initiatives taken to engage the diaspora in its home country, specifically in Lebanon, as well as the challenges hindering that engagement. Second, the project studies the role of the diaspora in the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in foreign countries. A series of interviews with organizations operating in the Lebanese social entrepreneurship sphere is conducted to understand the role of the Lebanese diaspora within that ecosystem. In conclusion, recommendations based on an already established framework is given to better engage the Lebanese diaspora given the findings from the literature review and the interviews.