Systems Change? How hard will it be to live sustainably?

Onur Ekinci, NSW Assitant Director for the Oaktree Foundation and attendee of the first SIBSYD gives us his perspective into system change, poverty how we can live sustainably:

Most of my current time is served as the NSW Assistant Director for The Oaktree Foundation. Underlying a lot of my work with Oaktree is the belief that poverty is a by-product of poor systems and that mindset change and education is the solution to end poverty. Facilitating transformational change with two management consultant companies has been a key access point to systems thinking and systems change. My corporate background in the resource and manufacturing industries have provided insight into the need for balance between the spiritual and physical worlds. I am deeply passionate about continuous improvement and see evolution as a natural notion at both an individual and universal level.

1. Can we continue to support minor amendments to “business as usual” or must we now embark on radical transformation?
Minor amendments could have been possible if we had been working towards sustainable practices since the birth of the industrial era. Since we haven’t, we are now faced with the challenge to create radical change as we race against a stopwatch that is measuring the amount of irreversible damage we are doing.

2. What is the feasibility of implementing such transformative change?

Humans are extremely adaptive creatures, coupled with the fact that we live in exponential times, transformative change is a lot closer to reality than one may initially think.

3. What are the strategies that will generate system change?
To recognize that we are beyond the ‘what’ and now need to address the ‘how’- to generate system change. Strategy on the ‘how’ will need to be developed through a diverse group of people, including a gender and age balance. A top-down, bottom-up, multi-sector, multi-industry approach that will prioritise on identifying the power supplies that feed the system/s and empower the public to switch these off.

4. What is involved in shifting the national mindset?
Education and awareness to heighten public consciousness through a participatory-based, self- realized approach. The exchange of content needs to be values-based as it will help us access our blind-spots that can reveal a new way of thinking.

Values-based marketing through various mediums of media that reach the wider public on a regular basis.

5. What incentives will lead mainstream opinion leaders to change direction?
Rather than looking at it as incentives, I would rather see it as what will influence them. In which case, proof that non-mainstream opinion leaders, the true innovators and leaders (2.5% to 3.5% of the population) back a changed direction that is clearly painted, along with evidence of wide public support. This will hopefully lead to the birth of new policies and laws, which will accelerate the rate of change.

6. How do the values reflected in the present Transform Australia Manifesto support or conflict with the current values of mainstream Australia?
Mainstream Australia has a more individual and shorter-term serving values system.

Thanks Onur.

 

Sustainability in the corporate world? AMP’s Green Wiki

Sustainability in the corporate world? Do they have time for that? Do they care?

Recently I met Ryan Tracey who created a Green Wiki for his company, AMP.

AMP employees are now using wiki software to share tips on how to reduce their carbon footprint in the workplace, collaboratively making our company a better corporate citizen.

I wanted to did a little deeper so I asked Ryan a few questions about the wiki and if it was still being used.

1. What inspired you to create this wiki?

I’m an environmentalist at heart and, after many years of working in an office environment, I was acutely aware of our bad practices – such as wasting paper and leaving computers on overnight. I don’t think anyone does anything like that on purpose, so I wanted to do something new to raise awareness. After initially considering writing a blog, I instead chose to launch a wiki so that everyone across the company can share their ideas on how we can reduce our environmental footprint.

2. How are people using the wiki?

The Green Wiki is used by AMP employees to provide every day tips’n'tricks that we can adopt to help the environment. A couple of examples are the optimum printer settings you can select to minimise the amount of paper you use, and instructions for using virtual conferencing technology to avoid travelling between offices. We also use the wiki to promote broader initiatives in which AMP is involved (eg Earth Hour), to link to external websites (eg Rainforest Alliance), and to raise awareness of informal activities (eg car pooling).

3. Is the momentum still continuing?

Like a lot of social media activity, it goes through peaks and troughs. We have a core group of employees who participate avidly, but the stats show that vastly more people read the wiki than contribute to it. This is not unexpected given the culture shift that is required in a typical organisation for social media to gain traction. I see the Green Wiki as an early step on that journey.

4. Do you spend any time managing?

Not at all. I was very particular to position the Green Wiki as a completely voluntary, self-managed resource. I subscribe to updates to keep a handle on what’s going on, but everyone who contributes content clearly “gets” it. I’m very pleased with community spirit that it enjoys.

Ryan’s post on the wiki and how he sees it here

some sage insight from @johnquiggin: Why do social networks work?

Here are some thoughts from back in 2006, when Facebook was still the province of early adopters, from Professor John Quiggin. This piece was originally published on Crooked Timber, reproduced here with kind permission from Prof. Quiggin.

He raises some interesting questions about why people participate in the creation of goods by means of social production and the implications of this for business and government. It is still worth thinking about this today, especially in the context of social innovation.

Why do social networks work?

by JOHN QUIGGIN on MAY 30, 2006

Yochai Benkler’s The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production transforms Markets and Freedom is full of interesting things to discuss, but the point that interests me most is the question of why people contribute to social production and what economic and political implications it has, for states as well as for markets and freedom. Benkler previously discussed the same question in Sharing Nicely, and I’ll talk a bit about this as well.

Creating Social Value: social innovation driving social change – Oct 27th

Just a reminder that next week my colleague James Dellow will be presenting at a special seminar hosted by the University of Wollongong’s Social Innovation Network (SInet):

The Social Innovation Network (SInet) brings together researchers from many discipline to investigate the development of new concepts, strategies and tools that empower individuals, communities, profit and non-profit organisations and the government to improve quality of life where quality of life means material standard of living as well as personal well-being in terms of health and environment and social harmony.

In this seminar James will be presenting along side Cheryl Kernot (UNSW’s Centre for Social Impact) and Helen Hasan (University of Wollongong). The Centre for Social Impact were sponsors of Australia’s first Social Innovation Camp earlier in the year and Helen Hasan was also the project leader of one of the finalists at that camp.

The theme for this seminar is social innovation driving social change, with an emphasis on health care.

For more information, please download the event details (PDF).

4 Principles and 2 Laws of Social Innovation BarCamp

Social Innovation BarCamp is not a traditional conference. It is an unconference. In the case of Social Innovation BarCamp, the sessions are facilitated conversations. That is, there is no speaker at the front of a room that has an audience.

Instead there is a facilitator or session leader who frames and encourages a conversation about the topic that they have proposed. Participants come along ready to get involved and not just sit back as an audience.

Dave Winer outlines the process they use at the well-known BloggerCon and updates it here:

“…there is no audience, there are no speakers. There is a discussion leader, a person responsible for the flow of the discussion.”

We take a similar approach at Social Innovation BarCamp, and there is a reason for this. We think that the old conference model with experts out front and a passive audience is no longer sufficient to grapple with big ideas. The old conference model uses only a small fraction of the brainpower, passion and intelligence in the room. And Social Innovation BarCamp is about harnessing the passion, enthusiasm and energy of every participant.  Ultimately we want to change the world not just talk or think about action.

Four Principles

1. Whoever comes is [sic] the right people
2. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have
3. Whenever it starts is the right time
4. When it’s over it’s over

• The Law of Two Feet, which states simply, if at any time you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet and move to some place more to your liking. Such a place might be another group, or even outside into the sunshine. No matter what, don’t sit there feeling miserable.

Source: Harrison Owen

• The Law of No PowerPoint, which states simply, we know you’re used to the crutch of PowerPoint (or Keynote or Prezi, etc) but you need to leave it behind for the day. Instead use other forms of communication (perhaps draw a poster or write on a whiteboard?) to help get your message across.

Source: Kate Carruthers

On other thing to remember is that all conversations at Social Innovation BarCamp, whether to the entire room or one-to-one, unless otherwise stated, clearly and up front, are on the record and for attribution. You do not need to ask permission to quote something you hear at Social Innovation BarCamp. Of course you may ask for permission to quote, and you may choose not to quote things you hear.

You are welcome to bring your own recording equipment, cameras are allowed, basically the rules allow Grateful Dead/Phish style recording. Bring your microphone or camera and recording device, and record it and broadcast it any way you like. Be innovative. Have fun. Share. Be cool. (But please don’t interfere with the sessions.)

Brisbane folks BIG ART 2010 art auction to help The Big Issue @big_art_bris

The folks at Big Art 2010 asked us to let people know about …

BIG ART 2010 is an art auction in Brisbane raising funds for The Big Issue to help Australia’s homeless.

Please let any of your Brisbane art loving/collectors contacts know about this event.

There’s some great artists and celebrities involved. Author Nick Earls and musician Kate Miller-Heidke have both donated pieces. See the list of artists here.

Ticket price includes drinks, hors d’oeuvres, entertainment from The View from Madeleine’s Couch and the chance to win a dinner package and cookbook from Phillip Johnson’s e’cco bistro. And it’s helping a really great cause.

When: Thursday 14th October, 6-9pm
Where: Bleeding Heart Gallery Ann St, Brisbane QLD
Entry: $50
Order online: e-tickets, no need to collect/post
Big Art website
Facebook
Twitter @big_art_bris

VegPledge Keep’s It Wheel in Sydney on 10:10:10

This Sunday is the rounded date of 10:10:10 and many interested environmental groups are making it a global day of doing.

In Sydney, 2 groups are combining a day of bike riding with a picnic celebrating sustainable food choices.

The Keep it Wheel is organised by Digital Eskimo. It’s a party on wheels to show Sydney just how rocking cycling is  riders, the environment, the community and (especially) business owners along the new cycle ways.

Starting at Single Origin in Surry Hills, the bike teams will converge on Centennial Park for VegPledge/VegOut, a big picnic celebrating sustainable food choices.

Part of banding together as a community and getting to work on practical solutions to the climate crisis is celebrating our achievements. The VegOut picnic event on Sunday 10/10/10 at Centennial Park will be an opportunity for pledge participants and friends to relax in a beautiful environment, sharing VegPledge experiences and eating a yummy climate friendly picnic.

With an emphasis on sustainable food we welcome BYO organic, vegetarian, vegan, local and home made picnics.

Veg Pack lunch boxes are available for pre-purchase until the 8th of October. There are four savoury varieties and one sweet pack to choose from, prepared by four of Sydney’s wonderful sustainable food venues.

Please bring your own beverages in reusable or recyclable containers.

Both of these events have been gaining traction and notoriety on the usual social networking platforms, in the press and amongst the circles of those passionate about doing their bit.

See you Sunday.

Make sure you register for the Keep It Wheel here
You will find all the details for the VegPledge here

Next Social Innovation BarCamp

Click here to REGISTER NOW
When: Saturday 6 November 2010 Time: 9.30 am – 5.30 pm
Where: COFA Paddington, Cnr of Oxford St and Greens Rd, Paddington, NSW 2021 [map] Theme: Sustainable Design

What is a ‘social enterprise’?

An interesting definition of social enterprise from the UK government:

“businesses with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners.”
Source: UK Social Enterprise Coalition

Also some interesting discussion about social enterprise following:

Health secretary challenges ‘narrow’ definition of social enterprise

Numbers nightmare could jeopardise social enterprise