Are you prepared to be wrong?

"If you are not prepared to be wrong, you won't ever achieve anything original."
"The education systems throughout the world aim to produce university professors."

Who is not aware and convinced that the way we educate children has nothing to do with the development of human potential? Who doesn't know that education systems were created to suit the need of the industrial area?

Or just if you need a reminder, check out Ken Robinson's TED talk, on How school kills creativity.

US Businesses Not Walking their Talk - Time To Get Real

Picture this ---
You: Project Manager
Where: A major international development non-profit
Organizational values: Solidarity, social justice, sustainability.

However...

- No recycling in the building.
- No work-life balance strategy for the employees.
- No criteria for choosing suppliers or investment funds.

This situation, and I am sure you know what I am talking about, can be found in the non-profit world, as well as in businesses who developed a so-called Corporate Social Responsibility Department/Policy/Initiative. According to a survey published this week by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, while "60% of surveyed executives say corporate citizenship is part of their business strategy to a large or very great extent" only "39% report it is part of their business planning process, and only 25% have an individual or team responsible for citizenship issues." How lovely.

The full survey can be found at www.bcccc.net or at www.hitachifoundation.org.

You can also comment the results here, at the Social Innovation Hunter, or at the Center's blog at http://www.corporatecitizen07.com.

Filmmaking as a Powerful Tool for Social Change

Working Films is currently recruiting for its Content + Intent Documentary Institute, a Residency for filmmakers interested in fostering the social change potential of their projects. The program will be held at the MASS MoCA, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (North Adams, Massachusetts), from March 12 to 16.

"Participants will create an audience engagement plan for their films, identify community partners, and develop support materials, including effective timelines, budgets, and implementation strategies" says Alicia Young, from Working Films. If you can't make it to the Residency, you can use Working Films' free consultations to independent filmmakers, on using films for a social justice purpose.

Application Deadline: January 25, 2008

See you there, hopefully!

Working Film
www.workingfilms.org

Mass MoCa - Massachussetts Museum of Contemporary Art
www.massmoca.org

Wrap your groceries in style

Rosie, a.k.a. Rosiane Machabee, is a Montreal designer and artist, concerned about environmental issues. She creates and paints ecological grocery bags, all unique, hand-made and fair trade. Her style is fresh, naive: your mom, sister, and girlfriend will appreciate how thoughtful you are.

Believe me: you will definitely score some brownie points.

Petite Rosie
www.petiterosie.com
www.directionvert.com/rosie.htm

Rethos.com - Reach out to the Social Change Folks

The moment I registered to Facebook is a turning point in my life. OK, that's an overstatement, but honestly, I got back in touch with people I didn't even know still exist and got to share my work and ideas which brought me to meet like-minded people. That means compulsively post things on Ashoka or Idealist's wall.

What do DJ Hurricane (Beastie Boys) and Glenn Toby (world's famous financial adviser and philanthropist) have in common? They are part of the Rethos.com network, a new way to reach out to the social change folks!

Founded by Chris Advansun, Alex and Pablo Salzman, three fellow Canadians, this online platform was launched last September. By definition, rethos is a "a revision of fundamental beliefs or attitudes; a shift in focus and objective for a culture or era." That is precisely what Rethos.com aims to create: a worldwide network of like-minded individuals, organizations and businesses from all fields who won't buy into the status quo and who infuse social justice in all they do.

I just created my profile, to give you an idea of the possibilities:
www.rethos.com/socialinnovationhunter

And here is their video:

FACEBOOK - HOW TO USE THE $1 GIFTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

On Facebook, you can keep in touch with your friends by: offering them a beer, a flower, a pumpkin pie, or a martini.

On Facebook, for the same dollar, you can keep in touch with your friends by choosing from 1,000 meaningful gifts such as: to free jailed writers, support research on aging, or adopt a dolphin.

Nothing against the martinis. Just buy me a real one.

You can download the application, provided by ChangingThePresent.org, by visiting : www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2551062524

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CHRISTMAS - GIVE JUSTICE!

Some choose to boycott it, some choose to simply ignore it. Others will go for some organic/fair trade somethin' somethin' or to spend the night at a shelter. During Christmas season, most of us simply spend hundreds of dollars on gifts that are most likely to end up in the closet, or on a paper bag underneath the bed.


ChangingThePresent.com offers a new and innovative alternative: to allow your dear ones to contribute in a cause which is meaningful to them. For instance, for $50 gift, you can: feed a Brazilian child for a month; offer an American artist a one-hour session with a coach; buy a goat to a woman in Ethiopia who can then start her own business; or provide a literacy-kit for an elderly person to tutor a K-4 child.

ChangingThePresent.org
www.changingthepresent.org