Members of the Lithuanian Social Business Association (LiSBA) delegation had the opportunity to get acquainted with all of them when they spent several weeks visiting them and looking for new contacts.
According to Viktorija Bražiūnaitė, the head of the association, the association took part in the „Bilateral Practical Learning Mobility for the Development of Social Business Ecosystems: Lithuania and Iceland“ programme in Iceland. „Participation in this programme will provide us with long-term opportunities not only to deepen our knowledge, but also to build new partnerships and strengthen existing ones with organisations dedicated to social entrepreneurship. I am delighted with this opportunity to gain experience, improve competencies and learn from best practice,“ says Ms Bražiūnaitė.
The international programme that LiSBA representatives are participating in consists of three parts: visiting local social businesses, followed by the strengthening of personal and professional competencies and the institutional capacity of the organisation, and finally, generating joint project ideas together with a partner from Iceland.
Partner – Step by Step, the well-known Icelandic organisation
The partner for this activity is the internationally renowned Icelandic organisation Step by Step (SbS) – a small, robust and innovative adult non-formal education organisation founded in 1987. SbS is a leader in developing innovative teaching methods in the field of adult education.
„Our main strength is our long-term and productive involvement in projects, using our expertise in adult learning, equality and social inclusion. We participate in research, development and training activities at the international level. Our organisation has a strong professional network and extensive experience, and has been working with adults and social businesses (small and medium-sized enterprises, NGOs) for a decade to find the right approach to success in the ever-changing market,“ said mentor Hansina Bjarnfridur Einarsdottir, who is also a project partner and the head of SbS.
The uniqueness of Iceland
Ms Bražiūnaitė says that Iceland, which is rich in in social business model, particularly fascinating because it has been preserving its nature, history, heritage, people, culture and everything that is Icelandic
since its very first inhabitants settled there. „It is full of all kinds of challenges that we Lithuanians have a hard time wrapping our head around – volcanic eruptions and lava flows, strong storms, fog, heavy rains. This poses a great danger to locals and tourists. These two groups must be distinguished, as they are two different worlds in Iceland. As I said before, the locals respect their culture, nature, history, people, heritage and traditions, while some tourists, unfortunately, not always,“ says the head of LiSBA about her impressions.
According to Ms Bražiūnaitė, there is an amazing attitude in Iceland that if there is a catastrophe or disaster, you have to pitch in. This means that if something happens, everyone has to help in whatever way they can – for example, by providing food and blankets, searching for missing people, clearing snow, or taking people in for the night.
„Iceland has the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR); in my opinion, this is like a community that will help whenever there is an emergency. The most interesting thing is that no one owes anyone anything for the time and help provided, and no one pays anyone for it. Icelanders see it as a universal duty,“ says the head of LiSBA.
Ms Bražiūnaitė was impressed that communities across Iceland are very united, working together with other communities, businesses or initiatives.
„It’s incredible; their greatest strength is that they constantly consult with each other on how to solve the situation at hand. It’s never one person’s say – it’s always a joint decision,“ she says.
She says that Iceland knows how to survive in difficult conditions because it is community-oriented, supports the businesses created by its locals, protects its citizens and visitors, and loves nature and historical heritage.
„They value themselves and their goods because Icelandic prices are much higher than elsewhere in Europe. That is why this country has created so many different social businesses, which can be a great source of inspiration for us as well,“ says the head of LiSBA of her impressions.
A diversity of social businesses
Iceland’s top priorities are reflected by many of the social businesses visited by the guests from Lithuania. For example, during their visit to Hólar Farm, the LiSBA delegation learned that the safety of the animals is of utmost importance to the owner of the shelter. They also met Krumi; a talking raven who became world-famous after being featured in the Netflix series Katla.
Eyþór Jóvinsson, the manager of The Old Bookstore, a small-town bookshop that preserves old books and Icelandic legends, said that „their main mission is to nurture centuries-old traditions and preserve the legacy of Icelandic books and sagas for future generations.“ History is also preserved and disseminated by modern technologies at the Settlement Centre, where it is presented in theatrical narratives. Tjörusið, a fish restaurant that upholds old fishing traditions, supports local fishermen, and local fishermen support the restaurant, the community and the ancient traditions of this fishing town.
Sólheimar is a sustainable community centre that impressed the LiSBA delegation with its concern for socially excluded people with disabilities; income for the community is generated by shops, art galleries, cafés and guesthouses. The Icelandic branch of the Salvation Army has a range of social business activities, including a dignified place for peoples in need to eat that look more like a restaurant. The kitchen also prepares and delivers food to local schools, and operates the Kastalakaffi café, which serves excellent coffee with locally produced desserts, which are very popular and baked regularly. This generates income to feed the poor and carry out other activities.
When they arrived at Friðheimar, the LiSBA team members were pleasantly surprised by how much can be done with tomatoes. The huge business that is like a tomato kingdom and only needs a single vegetable to grow uses its profits to fund local community initiatives, sports clubs and equestrian sports.
Kompan is a company that not only gives things a second life, but also takes care of young people. The Kompan team welcomes young people without asking them who they are or why they are here. They teach them how to work and how to be entrepreneurial when they can, even if it is just for a couple of hours a day.
The founder of Bergíð, a support and counselling centre for young people, moved the guests with a personal story about how she lost her son, who did not receive psychological help in time because he did not meet certain formal criteria. This is why she set up the centre – so young people under the age of 25 would have somewhere to come and seek help.
„This activity is financed in 2014–202 with funds from the implementation of the „Bilateral Practical Learning Mobility for Social Enterprise Ecosystem Development: Lithuania and Iceland“ (No. DPM-015) project of the Active Citizens Fund program of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism“
