Isaura Daniel*
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
São Paulo – Brazilian consultants helped implement an international entrepreneurship program in Palestine and Jordan. Professionals connected to the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) operated in the creation, in the two Arab countries, of the Empretec, a United Nations (UN) businessman training program. The Sebrae is the organizations responsible for developing the Empretec in Brazil, and made its consultants available for operation in the Middle East.
Jordan started implementing the program at the end of 2002 and Palestine halfway through last year, according to Renato Santos, a Sebrae consultant who operated in both countries and is also a consultant for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), the UN organization that is responsible for the program. The activities in Palestine were interrupted after the last local presidential elections, but the Jordanians are still developing the Empretec and still count on the assistance of the Brazilians.
Empretec was developed by the UN after a research in which the main characteristics of successful entrepreneurs were detected. Based on this information, a seminar was established focussing on developing these characteristics, among them planning and self-confidence in entrepreneurs. According to Sebrae consultant Clarice Veras, the seminar simulates daily life business situations. After that the possible learning due to the experience is discussed.
Brazil ended up becoming a global reference in the implementation of Empretec. "Brazil is a country with a great number of entrepreneurs and with great dimensions. It is where the Empretec takes place most," stated Clarice. According to Santos, Brazil has 80% of those trained by the program in the world. This is due, according to Santos, to the work of the Sebrae, which became responsible for the project in the country in 1993. Before that, from 1989 to then, the program was in the hands of the Rio Grande do Sul State Bank (Banrisul).
The Empretec was established by the UN in 1988. The Brazilian consultants have already helped implement the Empretec in various countries like Venezuela, Guiana, Chile, Angola, Romania, as well as Jordan and Palestine. In Brazil there are, according to Santos, 700 editions of the Empretec per year. In Jordan and Palestine, what the Brazilian consultants did was to train instructors, professionals responsible for organising the training and for selecting the participants.
In total, four Sebrae professionals worked in both Arab countries. In Jordan and Palestine there is no organisation or institution like the Sebrae that develops or developed the program. In both countries Empretec centres were created, with the help of the local governments and of the Unctad. The UN program, which began in Argentina, is currently in 27 countries.
*Translated by Mark Ament
