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Fund Objectives

What is Social Capital (SC)?

social capital

According to the World Bank, research findings and the experience of CIIF funded-projects, social capital refers to the institutions, relationships and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society's social interactions. Social capital includes social norms (personal attitudes and social values), networks and institutions.

Specifically, funded projects should base on six core social capital dimensions, namely (1) social networks; (2) trust and solidarity; (3) mutual-help and reciprocity; (4) social cohesion and inclusion; (5) social participation; and (6) information and communication, to foster community empowerment and promote social capital development.



Fund Objectives

(a)

To strengthen social solidarity: to enhance social cohesion and strengthen the sense of belonging to the community;

(b)

To enhance social inclusion: to integrate people from different social strata, sectors or groups, leading to a more caring and harmonious society;

(c)

To encourage and increase self-help and mutual help capabilities: to strengthen community support networks for their self-sustaining operation, and to increase an individual’s capacity to contribute to the welfare and benefits of the community; and

(d)

To promote positive culture and values: to promote values, such as mutual assistance, self-empowerment and resilience against adversity that will facilitate communication and co-operation among individuals or groups, which will, in turn, result in positive social capital.


Means to Accomplish the Objectives

(a)

CIIF will accomplish these objectives by encouraging bottom-up solutions that seek to promote the development of social capital, and by supporting local or territory-wide community projects initiated by the community itself.

(b)

CIIF will also promote the concept of social capital in the community through actively encouraging and facilitating the participation of different sectors.

We hope that through the concerted efforts of different stakeholders in society, more social capital will be accumulated, which is conducive to strengthening social cohesion and promoting social development.