Who Cares

"We are not guests here, we're creators, we create our own life, we create our own world. (…) We must imagine what kind of world we want to create, and start doing that." – Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank (Bangladesh), Ashoka’s Global Academy Member, and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

This is one of the quotes found in the documentary "Who cares", an inspiring collection of stories of social entrepreneurs who are making the world a better place. The Brazilian director, Mara Mourão, was touched by the work of Ashoka Fellows ¬– one of them is her husband, Wellington Nogueira ¬– and decided to produce a movie showcasing the stories and impact of Ashoka Fellows, and the importance of enabling more Changemakers in the world.

As part of stimulating people to explore their potential to help others, the documentary defines the concept "social entrepreneur", and explains to the general public that this is a viable profession (and a special mission).

"What defines the [social] entrepreneur is: they have seen where society has to go, they care about it deeply, and they are going to make that happen. And they are betting their lives that they are going to do it, they'll spend as long as it's necessary," says Bill Drayton, founder and CEO of Ashoka.

In the spirit of Ashoka's motto Everyone a Changemaker, social entrepreneurs share their beliefs and ideas on camera, and show that anyone can contribute to social change. "Anybody can be a social entrepreneur. It's not some divine blessing. You don't take a pill to become a social entrepreneur. You simply become aware of your own power of transformation," says Dener Giovanini, Ashoka Fellow.

The Brazilian premiere will be this Friday, April 13th, in Sao Paulo, and next week, on April 20th, in Rio de Janeiro. Here in Canada, we will have to wait a little longer. The trailer in English is available on Youtube, as well as teasers with each social entrepreneur, including one with Bill Drayton, and another with Canadian Fellow Mary Gordon.

Interested in buying the DVD, downloading online or hosting a screening, visit the official website: http://whocaresthefilm.socialimpactmovement.org