The Asian Solidarity Economy Forum (ASEF) is an initiative of advocates and practitioners that trumpets the call for an alternative and more compassionate economy. It seeks to draw and galvanize the support of national networks of social enterprises towards strengthening the macro and micro systems of solidarity economy.

The KL 2011 gathering provides a platform for advocates, practitioners, academics, policy makers, community and business leaders to interact, share experiences and draw upon our collective community innovations for the common good.

The theme for ASEF KL 2011 is Social Enterprise as a Vehicle for Socio-economic Transformation of Communities. We recognize that all over Asia and around the world, there are innovative ways in which the triple-bottom line (people, profits and planet) goals of development are being realized in contrast to the predominantly single-bottom-line goal of profit maximization.

ASEF KL 2011 defines social enterprises in solidarity economy as having the following minimum criteria: organized to benefit the community, undertake continuous production and/or trading activities, undertake environmental conservation initiatives and embody any of the following institutional features like Citizen Initiative, limited distribution of profit, a high level of autonomy, economic risk shared by members, minimum number of paid workers 'one member, one vote', or at least a voting power is not based on capital shares, participatory character and involving those affected by the activity of the enterprise.