A crash course in changing the world.

All Blog Posts (25,133)

Act 1: Erik Hersman

I saw Erik Hersman speak a few months ago and was very impressed by what he had to say about the Ushahidi project. I just subscribed to his blog (http://whiteafrican.com/), the Ushahidi blog (http://blog.ushahidi.com/) and followed his twitter account (http://twitter.com/whiteafrican).

I'm very excited to learn more about where Ushahidi is going…

Continue

Added by Beth on March 3, 2010 at 4:30pm — 2 Comments

See and Do the Obvious

"Common things happen commonly. Uncommon things happen uncommonly. So when you hear the sound of hoofbeats, think horses-- not zebras." - unknown

It's Occam's Razor, but it's harder than it seems.

When a complex problem exists, the tendency is to assume a complex solution is required but it makes more sense to build from the bottom up. Lay a strong foundation that you know will hold before you…

Continue

Added by SJ Murphy on March 3, 2010 at 4:30pm — 2 Comments

Love in a elavetorrr

"Love in elavetooorrrr I' livin it up when i going down" that's what S.T use to sings many years ago. I love that "metafora" ,Expecially applied at the Market.

Sometimes i think that Capitalism it's like democracy..we think that is the better way, only because we don't know anoher " better way".

For the economic system it's the same! We need to come back, at the beginning ( Adam Smith, Ricardo..the classic economist) and return to create a link with the society, with the…

Continue

Added by Alberto Filippelli on March 3, 2010 at 4:27pm — 1 Comment

Knowledge is Power

Social innovators have regressed the new and current technologies, and have created cheap and affordable models of the same tech to sell and market to those in poor countries. Social innovation helps transform expensive equipment that can be only used by the experts who need them, to practical everyday items that a sub-average person can pick up and learn how to use them. In order to develop a nation, we need to be able to understand the culture they live in. As an American, I often overlook… Continue

Added by Andrew D Conner on March 3, 2010 at 4:24pm — 1 Comment

I have found an social innovator role model

It was the first person that came to my mind as I read the description of the second objective.

Seth Godin

I started following his blog around 3 years ago and have read many very interesting and mind opening things from him. He updates his blog on a daily basis.

You can find his blog at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/ . You should absolutely stop by there and read a few… Continue

Added by René Kerkdyk on March 3, 2010 at 4:24pm — 3 Comments

Skills, not technologies

The best point in there has to be that skills are more important than technologies. If the tractor breaks down, who fixes it? you can get a farmer into debt by selling him all sorts of machinery, but if he can't fix it or has no access to parts, it will be useless pretty soon.

Added by Ryan Ciccale on March 3, 2010 at 4:24pm — 2 Comments

Identity and Problem/Solution Blindness

I'm interested in the secret in Exhibit A that suggested we try living on 2 dollars a day for week.

In part, I realize that my interest in that secret lies in my own context, as someone living in southeast Ohio, in the United States. That is, I realize that the question was written to someone like me as an audience because I clearly am used to living on more than 2 dollars a day. I find this compelling to be a compelling secret because it makes transparent the ways our identities… Continue

Added by Paul Shovlin on March 3, 2010 at 4:23pm — 4 Comments

Be effective

One of the keys to my social innovation, is talking to the right people- the people who know where the problem is and what is causing it. While these same people may have ideas to fix or neutralize the problem, they lack the resources, innovation, or time to combat it. But that is why I'm here. because I have all those things. :)

Added by Ben Kaplan on March 3, 2010 at 4:22pm — 1 Comment

Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki is a person I've admired for a long time. He has very good advice for starting businesses that can not only apply to technology, but to any area of business at all. His approaches to overcoming frustration and being effective in creating a business are very helpful for anyone in any part of the world. People creating businesses need to deal with lot's of people, sometimes this dealings could get bad and discourage an entrepreneur, Guy Kawasaki's advice is key in helping an… Continue

Added by J.J on March 3, 2010 at 4:17pm — 3 Comments

How to loose your Virginity

I choose Sir Richard Branson as my social innovator Icon and role model , a man who needs no introduction at all , a legendary figure that changed the face of the worlds markets through sheer excellence and innovation , I choose Richard Branson as my icon becuase he is one of the greatest entrepreneur's that ever walked the face of earth. Richard Branson started off from nothing , he used his creativity and flare to accomplish his early reputation , his innovation brought him to the four… Continue

Added by Aamir Suleman on March 3, 2010 at 4:15pm — 2 Comments

My favourite secret...

is Provide skills, not just finished technologies.

I think it is absolutely crucial to enable people to help themselves, in ways that are suitable to their environment, their needs and the requirements of their specific situation.

There is never a "one-size-fits-all" solution to problems, but things work differently in different communities, regions, countries etc.

So the best way to improve… Continue

Added by Andrea Steinmetz on March 3, 2010 at 4:14pm — 1 Comment

Ah, yes. 2020.

In 10 years I will be married, have two kids (already have one), living in a house with a pretty nice paying job since I will have my degree and certificates by then. I will have quit smoking, be taking walks every morning with my beautiful wife and still have time to work and run my very own NPO.

Other than that I do not know what my life will be like because those are the only things that I want to happen over the next 10 years. Anything else is just an extra bonus, I… Continue

Added by Eric Trott on March 3, 2010 at 4:14pm — 3 Comments

"Infrastructure can beget infrastructure" and "Try living for a week on $2 a day."

Being raised a Catholic, I celebrated the yearly Lent fasting. On Friday's we'd not eat any meat but fish, and we'd try to eat less. Much of this custom developed into modern Protestant religions as well. While much of this was based in the idea of self-denial, a lot of this has developed into good as well. Ideally, the money people don't spend on eating will be spent on charity. The problem with this is that people will freely give of themselves, but it becomes an empty experience to give cash… Continue

Added by Brian J Rivera on March 3, 2010 at 4:13pm — 1 Comment

What innovation is to me

Using what u have,no matter how little it is...to find simple yet creative solutions2th problems of 2day...understanding the people you help is an innovation itself and offer your help@a cost that they cn afford or means they have access to...otherwise it aint really helping...

Added by Bhungane Grootboom on March 3, 2010 at 4:10pm — No Comments

What innovation is to me

Added by Bhungane Grootboom on March 3, 2010 at 4:10pm — No Comments

2020 working on crowdsourcing for property rights registration

I will be working and studying crowdsourcing and how feedback can make governments more transparent and efficient at delivering on their promises to their citizens.

Added by Nick Gogerty on March 3, 2010 at 4:09pm — No Comments

Think like a child.

It's not that I don't get the need to think like an adult, after all this is an adult's world, governed by adult rules, and most certainly beset by adult problems. When did we decide though that we needed to completely do away with childish thinking? After all we started setting the foundations for our thought processes when we were wee tykes, and then just built up. What sense would it make to go to the base of a sky scraper and knock out the supports? Children concern themselves less with the… Continue

Added by Felipe Santiago Martinez II on March 3, 2010 at 4:05pm — 1 Comment

A day, in 2020

On 2020, when Alchemy will call me I guess i will still living in my city, Genova, basically working as psychiatrist or Scholastic Director (it depends about how the Educational Politics about University will develop in my country in the next years). I guess I will have a family and that will be the first place where i will be trying to change the world and to teach to change the world. I think i wil be involved in many social volunteering associations and programs as I am now about equal…

Continue

Added by Nad on March 3, 2010 at 4:02pm — 1 Comment

A stepping stone

What you have matters more than what you lack (If you’ve got a bicycle, consider what you can build based on that, rather than worrying about not having a car, a truck, a metal shop.)

I agree with the saying that quotes "what you have matters more then what you lack" on the grounds that , in any dire circ***tance to overcome , to accomplish and to succeed we need to first look at what we have , be gratefull for what we have and use it as a platform to build an empire on ,…

Continue

Added by Aamir Suleman on March 3, 2010 at 4:01pm — 1 Comment

Who is my Hero - Playpower Foundation

If you read my last post then my reasons for choosing to follow "PlayPower" should come as no surprise.

"The Playpower Foundation was created in 2008 to foster development of affordable, effective and fun learning games for under-privileged

children around the world. Motivated by the availability of

ultra-low-cost computers, Playpower has cultivated a global network of

developers, designers, academics, NGOs and businesses to participate in

the research, development… Continue

Added by Eric Trott on March 3, 2010 at 4:00pm — 1 Comment