Global Links Initiative

Global Links Initiative is a non-profit organisation which aims to support positive and creative action on social inclusion and citizen empowerment, using information technology as an enabler to make practical links among socially entrepreneurial people around the world as well as promoting partnership with government and business.

Global Links Initiative (GLI) is a nonprofit organization which aims to support positive and creative action on social inclusion and citizen empowerment worldwide. GLI is registered as a charity in UK and has office and affiliated organization in Shanghai and Tokyo.

GLI has been promoting the concepts and practices of social entrepreneurs in China since 2004. GLI jointly launched the first social enterprise research workshop in Beijing in 2006 and in 2009 published the first bilingual booklet introducing the stories of social entrepreneurs in China. GLI’s Chinese website, a platform for the exchange of social innovation practices, is regarded as one of the most useful resources in China

GLI was created recently by a group of individuals who have experience of cross-cultural working in the nonprofit sector and business sector in the UK and East Asia. It sets out to promote international links between community-based organisations in the UK, Japan and China, and between the non-profit sector and the corporate community in those countries, in order to strengthen the problem-solving capacity of community organizations and expand public participation in governance and decision making. GLI is particularly interested in facilitating the growth of ‘social entrepreneurs’ – people who have original, workable ideas for bettering their communities – and also emphasises the potential of information technologies to enhance constructive exchange.GLI’s first project in China has been to arrange a UK-China exchange programme for NGOs and social entrepreneurs in 2004 on the theme of social inclusion and community regeneration in urban areas. This has begun with a visit to China by members of a UK charity called the Community Action Network, to meet Chinese counterparts in Shanghai and Beijing. It is hoped that a return visit to the UK will take place in 2005.

GLI is also exploring the possibility of China-Japan exchanges and linkages on the issue of NPO capacity building and legislative and tax frameworks for non-profit organisations.

In its first year of operations – from October 2003 to September 2004 -- GLI depended mainly on personal contributions of around USD 80,000 from its founding chairman. This covered about 85% of start-up costs. In future, GLI expects to cover around one third of its costs from grant support, one third from unrestricted donations, and one third from organisations that participate in its programmes.