As questions on the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion arise around the world, we maintain our commitment to advancing social justice by injecting financing and business opportunities into social enterprises impacting excluded communities in South America and Central and Eastern Europe.
In 2008, the International Labor Organization unanimously adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, constituting a compass for the promotion of a fair globalization based on decent work. Seventeen years later, there have been many advancements in global social justice, but we recognize there is still work to be done.
Photo: NESsT Racial Equity portfolio enterprise, Movimento Black Money
NESsT invests in social enterprises that are committed to supporting excluded communities through dignified jobs. Our portfolio of 94 enterprises have regular benchmarks to measure their own impact, such as the number of people impacted, their workers’ average income compared to minimum wages, and the equity of their management and leadership. And every two years, our portfolio enterprises participate in a survey measuring dignified employment with feedback from their workers about how they view their job security, safety, and growth opportunities.
To better understand the necessity of fair globalization and what social justice looks like in the regions in which NESsT operates, we asked our team the following questions:
What does advancing social justice look like to you?
Why is advancing social justice important in your country?
How does NESsT advance social justice in your country?
While there is still much to be done for us to achieve fair globalization of social justice, these answers highlight the real work being done each day to bring the communities we work with closer to equity.
What does advancing social justice look like to you?
Photo: NESsT portfolio enterprise Atelierul de Pânză
For me, advancing social justice means creating real opportunities for those who have been left behind—whether that’s Roma communities fighting discrimination, people with disabilities struggling to find decent work, or low-income families trying to break the cycle of poverty. – Ioana Samoil, Acceleration Lead in Romania
Currently, social development is very necessary because many people face gaps in various social dimensions, such as access to healthcare systems, quality education, and others. Every day, the gap for excluded people grows wider, making it essential to empower them with the capacity to build a better future. – Juan Carlos Castrillón, Portfolio Manager in Colombia
For me, social justice occurs when we do not have to fight for equality, because we know that women and men, regardless of ethnicity or social class, receive the same treatment and benefit from the same rights. – Berenice Brizuela, Portfolio Manager in Peru
Advancing social justice begins when people move beyond indifference and recognize how their action–or inaction– shape the world around them. This awareness promotes empathy and solidarity with others, inspiring all individuals to contribute to change in their own unique way. – Diego Santana, Portfolio Manager in Colombia
Photo: NESsT portfolio enterprise Amazóniko
For me, promoting social justice is closely related with reducing economic and social inequalities, in such a way that all people, regardless of their background, have equal opportunities to access dignified jobs, quality education, and fair living conditions. – Andrea Molestina, Portfolio Manager in Ecuador
Advancing social justice requires courage, authenticity, and the ability to touch deep fibers of our shared humanity. It means connecting with a profound sense of well-being, where benefits are not handed out effortlessly. It’s about becoming an advocate—empowering others with knowledge, resources, and opportunities to help transform their reality. – Margarita Martinez, Portfolio Manager in Colombia
For us it means to address the roots of what causes a lack of equal opportunities to achieve whatever every person, or an excluded group, their goals and dreams in life. Addressing the consequences of that lack of equal opportunities or lack of access to basic services can become urgent, however addressing the root causes is essential to produce a just society. – Gonzalo San Martín, Chile Country Director
Why is advancing social justice important in your country?
Brazil
Promoting social justice in Brazil means reducing structural inequalities, ensuring access to basic rights, and creating real opportunities for all people, regardless of their background. It is a commitment to building a country where economic growth and development are accessible to all, without exclusion. In this context, racial justice is a fundamental pillar. – Nayana Cambraia, Racial Equity Portfolio Manager in Brazil
Photo: NESsT portfolio enterprise Cooperativa Rewe
Chile
Chile has improved in many ways in the last 30 years, becoming top 1 in the UN Human Development Index in Latin America, with a strong and stable economy compared with other countries in the region, however the inequality remains as a challange, and particularly in groups such as the Mapuche people, a native group with high levels of poverty, which also suffers several types of discrimination, including economic discrimination (lack of access to credit and investment capital). – Gonzalo San Martín, Chile Country Director
Colombia
Through social justice it is possible to reach equitable futures that recognize the complexity and diversity of our territories and our communities, and allow us to enrich and protect our heritage and landscapes. – Margarita Martinez, Portfolio Manager in Colombia
Colombia has been improving in well-being and quality of life for the average population; however, some people, mainly the rural population, experience significant gaps compared to urban residents. For example, 50% of children and young people drop out of school at some stage of their lives. In addition, 85% of the workforce is informal, meaning they lack access to social security systems, including healthcare and pension schemes. – Juan Carlos Castrillón, Portfolio Manager in Colombia
Ecuador
Ecuador faces significant challenges in terms of economic inequality and access to dignified employment, especially for underrepresented populations such as women, youth, and rural communities. Promoting social justice in the country is essential to ensuring that economic growth benefits everyone. – Andrea Molestina, Portfolio Manager in Ecuador
Poland
Advancing social justice in Poland means working with like-minded entrepreneurs who are well-grounded in their communities and able to spot opportunities for closing ‘justice gaps' for people who struggle to find a fair place in the labor market. They are brilliant and creative in developing business-oriented solutions that give individuals the self-confidence, knowledge, and power to change their lives. – Filip Wadowski, CEE Director and Violet Fund Director
Photo: NESsT portfolio enterprise Olsztyn Food Bank
Meanwhile, the desire for social justice and solidarity/democracy has been with us since the dawn of time. In Poland, in the city of Gdansk where I live, Solidarity was born–a symbol of uniting the inhabitants in the fight for freedom, dignity, and justice. It was one of the most important social and political movements of the 20th century in Poland and Europe.
Social justice is fundamental to sustainable development, especially as new generations confront interconnected challenges of financial instability, mass migration, climate change, and systemic poverty.
Our task is to create a future that embraces diversity and ensures equity for all. This means building inclusive institutions and implementing fair policies based on social and economic integrity. The Polish community is changing in an extremely fast way, that means that the law needs to adapt to new challenges, need to be more precise, more complex, more inclusive we need to include different minorities, marginalized group, cultures, religions, level of richness, people from poverty. – Nadia Belkessam-Felska, Violet Fund Portfolio Manager in Poland
Romania
Social injustice in Romania has been an ongoing situation for more than 30 years now. As a young adult, I can say that I lived through the most difficult era of social injustice in Romania. The wave of emigration was hitting its record high with more than 5 million Romanians living in the diaspora. In fact, in 2019, the Romanian diaspora was the fifth largest in the world, according to a report of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
With the end of the communist era (1989), Romania suffered greatly through the process of transition to democracy, and many young adults like myself, were forced to leave the country due to the lack of opportunities, decent wages, and social justice overall.
Photo: NESsT portfolio enterprise Jobful
As a Romanian woman who left my country due to this lack of opportunities, I faced discrimination and inequality while working abroad, yet I've learned that determination can help overcome social injustice. While Romania has made progress, we still face pressing challenges, particularly in regions where poverty prevents thousands of children from accessing basic education—but I remain hopeful as I see our society moving in the right direction. – Simona Spirache, Finance & Operations Associate in Romania
How does NESsT advance social justice in your country?
Brazil
Photo: NESsT Racial Equity portfolio enterprise Diaspora.Black
In my work as a portfolio manager at NESsT, we promote access to capital for Black entrepreneurs, strengthen initiatives that generate employment and income, and promote concrete solutions to reduce the historical barriers that impede the economic advancement of Black communities. Racial equity will only become a reality when opportunities are distributed fairly and intentionally. – Nayana Cambraia, Racial Equity Portfolio Manager in Brazil
Chile
We currently support three social enterprises linked to the Mapuche people, providing patient capital and business advice to help them grow and improve the income of small farmers. This way, we are contributing to break entrepreneurship exclusion and stereotypes, and set examples about how to advance social justice. – Gonzalo San Martín, Chile Country Director
Colombia
Colombia carries a long and complex history of violence, armed conflict, drug trafficking, political polarization, and corruption, which have eroded trust in values such as solidarity, equal opportunities, and equity. Through our work at NESsT, we aim to rebuild these foundations and inspire a collective commitment to social justice to break this cycle. – Juan Pablo Manrique, Andes Amazonia Portfolio Manager in Colombia
Empowering our entrepreneurs is the main objective of NESsT, making them feel part of the system, that their life projects can be better and better and that with their great ideas they can positively impact not only their own businesses but also society. – Dolly Torres, Finance & Operations Associate in Colombia
Photo: NESsT Amazonia portfolio enterprise Chunaky Baru
Supporting diverse companies in the portfolio and helping them amplify their voices and stories through the value of their products and services opens doors to showcase true greatness—proving it can emerge from any sector or region. – Margarita Martinez, Portfolio Manager in Colombia
NESsT supports the advancement of social justice in Colombia by playing a crucial role in the process. First, NESsT accelerates small businesses, which represent 95% of all companies in Colombia. These businesses are key drivers of development, and if they consolidate and create value, both their workers and owners will see an improvement in their quality of life. Additionally, one of the most important aspects is creating and developing good-quality jobs to help close the gap in informal labor in Colombia. – Juan Carlos Castrillón, Portfolio Manager in Colombia
Ecuador
At NESsT, we promote social justice by investing in social enterprises that create dignified jobs for underserved communities. Through funding, support, and capacity building, we help indigenous enterprises from the Ecuadorian amazon, to sustainably generate positive social and environmental impact, ensuring that opportunities reach those who need them most. – Andrea Molestina, Portfolio Manager in Ecuador
Peru
Photo: NESsT Amazonia portfolio enterprise Kemito Ene
In Peru, we have not yet reached the point of equity. But I am encouraged to know that, at NESsT, we do our part, as we encourage companies to increasingly strengthen their work in a fair and equitable manner, with suppliers, collaborators and clients. – Berenice Brizuela, Portfolio Manager in Peru
Romania
Through impact investing and supporting social enterprises, NESsT helps create meaningful jobs and economic opportunities for people who are too often excluded from the system. It’s proof that business can be a force for good when it puts people first. But there’s still so much to do. I truly believe that by pushing for inclusive policies, fair wages, and stronger social protections, we can bridge these gaps and build a Romania where everyone has a fair shot at a better future. – Ioana Samoil, Acceleration Lead in Romania