Schwab Foundation and World Economic Forum recognise Ashraf Patel as a Social Innovator of the Year 2022
New Delhi: The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship along with the World Economic Forum (WEF) today announced 15 leaders in social innovation as the 2022 awardees. Ashraf Patel, Co-Founder of Pravah and ComMutiny- The Youth Collective (CYC), is the only Indian recipient of the Social Innovator of the Year award 2022. She was recognized for three decades of investment in building the youth development sector in India. A journey that started in 1993 with just a few friends has today gathered momentum to reach over 15 million lives through a vibrant, active ecosystem of organisations and individuals with youth centric approaches to development. Ashraf believes that this award recognizes the need to invest in ecosystems that not only impact society at scale but also to transform the inner being of each young person worked with. Pravah and ComMutiny- The Youth Collective’s experience has repeatedly shown that young people are not leaders of tomorrow, but are leaders of today. As the COVID-19 pandemic and the related crisis threw up challenge after challenge, these young people led from the front, investing time, money and heart in not just saving many lives but in also creating hope. Investing in youth leadership is not a saving to be reaped for the future, it’s an imperative for saving lives now.
In 2020, Ashraf won the Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) award instituted by the Schwab Foundation and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation for implementing innovative and sustainable solutions to tackle social issues in India. This year the Social Innovators award 2022 by Schwab Foundation recognizes and celebrates the incredible work happening around the world across 4 categories: Social Entrepreneurs, Corporate Social Entrepreneurs, Public Social Entrepreneurs and Social Innovation Thought Leaders. Receiving this award is a great honor for India and the youth development sector and Ashraf becomes a part of a community of 400 global social entrepreneurs that have impacted the lives of 722 million people in 190 countries.
Ashraf has been recognized as a flag bearer, pioneering youth work and giving youth development a language in India. Over the last 29 years her work in Pravah and ComMutiny has been to advocate for a psycho-social approach to youth development; investing in young people not just to impact society at scale but also to transform mindsets and attitudes. This change in lens to development has been instrumental in creating sustainable impact on issues ranging from social inclusion, active citizenship, youth leadership to gender-based violence, patriarchy and 21st century skill building. In addition to her roles at Pravah and ComMutiny, she is also bringing together vartaLeap, a cross-sectoral formulation that is working towards the mission ‘Every youth a Jagrik (Jagrik: a self-awakened, aware and active citizen), Every space nurturing Jagriks’. The coalition represents some of the leading practitioners, policymakers and stakeholders who are committed to building the narrative of youth-centric development and collective well-being.
“The Social Innovators of the Year 2022 represent a new ecosystem of leaders who are driving change and shifting organizations and systems towards a more just, inclusive, sustainable future,” said Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
“This year’s Schwab Foundation Awardees demonstrate that through values-based approaches centering on inclusivity, collaboration, relationships of trust and long-term sustainability, we have proven ways of changing institutions and mindsets, and disrupting traditional ways of working that hold systemic barriers in place,” said François Bonnici, Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
Commenting on the recognition, Ashraf Patel, Co-Founder of Pravah and ComMutiny Youth Collective (CYC), India said, “This award is a celebration of youth leadership. It recognizes the need to invest in collaboratives and ecosystems that not only impact society at scale but also transform the inner being of each young person they engage with. Young people are not leaders of tomorrow, but are leaders of today and investing in them must happen now.”