The focus of conversation is Changemakers.net, the first and only website devoted to global social entrepreneurship. It is an initiative of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, an international non-profit organisation that invests substantially in social entrepreneurs or those who are devoted to a social cause that they pursue with as much vigour as a business venture, expecting social good as the prime return. A capacity to answer a call with courage and devote time without looking for money is what distinguishes these social entrepreneurs from those who are driven solely by business or professional concerns.

For a website that is more than two years old (the publication went online in June 1998), the best form of self-assessment is its connectivity, or how far it has been able to build bridges. For social entrepreneurs only have the philanthropic drive; making the business connections to help these people is the whole purpose of the website. How far has it succeeded in doing this? Changemakers.net claims a modest success. When it was launched and consistently visited by people the world over (in fact, there were more visitors from abroad), what struck its organisers was that a live discussion session would be the most useful device to bring together people from all over the world on different topics. And what more interesting than a discussion on `Bridging the Business and Social Sectors'? So, Changemakers started a live discussion session beginning July 2000 that spanned through August 2000.

Browsing through Changemakers.net makes one want to do more. Small wonder then that a lively e-mail conference opened up a most vibrant and candid discussion on how corporate and social entrepreneurs can work together, and how much the corporate sector has done in the social sector.

"The crucial point to remember is that our website is about connectivity between far-flung people. But even then, we were pleasantly surprised to see the kind of response we got on opening up this discussion session," says Ms Kaul.

Why was this discussion so successful? "Possibly because Changemakers.net does not just look at people's successes, we also encourage candid admissions of failure," she explains.

The best illustration of this is an open critique of corporate philanthropy by Ravi Venkatesan, CEO of diesel engine maker Tata Cummins, and a participant in the discussion. Venkatesan assesses the company's philanthropic funding thus: "At the risk of sounding somewhat cynical, when we looked at all the things that we fund and participate in, it seemed to us-particularly, perhaps, to me-that there are a number of reasons why we try to do the things we do. Certainly, there are needs-worthy needs. But in part, sometimes we do things because it promotes our interest, and is good for the company's name, reputation, and because it does somebody a favour.

Quite often, we are also human beings as managers-even though we are in it for the profits. And we like to feel good and sound good. So there have been a variety of reasons for why we have done the things we have done... When we take a look at how we spent our money and our resources, there is no focus."One point that both Ms Ghosh and Ms Kaul insist on is that the web has only a particular kind of interactivity. Well aware that a noble mission like providing "inspiration, resources and opportunities for those interested in social change throughout the world", is enormously difficult to achieve, the note of hope they have is that they are rated as a "hot site" by USA Today Online, which again is visited by various strata of people all over the world. Through sites like USA Today Online, they have been able to successfully reach out and interconnect with a wide cross-section of people.

"We have been able to connect non-profits (NGOs), who are the real workers at the grassroots level, when they have sought diverse kinds of help-whether it is for money, or it is in-kind benefits, or if they want to help a particular target group. That is one area where we have definitely scored." Ms Ghosh is also candid enough to admit that connectivity within India is quite constrained and restricted only to those who can afford individual or group access to the Net. "I must admit that within India, our reach is not as wide as it is outside the country. This is because abroad, people have much better access to the Internet. We have a number of Changemakers in India, but honestly, it will take more time before our website connects up with more of them."