Making Waves

Making Waves

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A Caribbean Social Innovation Guide

Government

01 . Understanding Social Innovation in the Caribbean

Governments create policies, laws and public programmes that shape the environment in which social innovation happens. They can provide funding, build public infrastructure and create the legal frameworks that help social enterprises and other social innovators grow. Caribbean Examples • The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy (Barbados) • The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM, Dominican Republic) • The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth & Information (MOEY, Jamaica) • The Ministry of Digital Transformation (Trinidad and Tobago)

Supportive policies and regulations can make it easier for social innovators to start, grow and create lasting impact.

Charities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)

Caribbean Examples • The Network of NGOs for the Advancement of Women (Trinidad and Tobago - national umbrella organisation improving the lives of women and families and working to fix gender imbalances) • Plan International (Dominican Republic - children’s rights and equality for girls) • The Erline Bradshaw Foundation (Barbados - education) Charities and NGOs work directly with communities, delivering programmes, advocating for change and responding to social and environmental needs. They are the operational core and primary delivery engine for local social safety nets and community support.

Many of the Caribbean’s social innovation initiatives begin with organisations that understand the needs of the communities they serve. Women carry many of the executive positions in this sector, meaning they carry the weight of frontline community care.