Dear Readers,
We live in an ever expanding -- and yet, with technology -- ever shrinking global ecosystem in which civic engagement is of upmost importance. Now, more than ever, we need to unite the global social innovators to share their ideas with the knowledge that “good ideas inspire more good ideas.” Our global social sector innovators and entrepreneurs who are working to solve or “move the needle” on society’s problems are the catalysts that will propel society forward towards greater social good. These leaders represent a reminder that at the core of human life, we are here to ensure that all people not only have their basic needs met, but are able to thrive socially and economically, and through our collective advancements build socially-minded and civically-conscious communities of the future.
This edition focuses on the European Commission and represents the uniting synergies of three continents, North America, South America, and Europe. What we are learn through this edition is that our communities, cities, regions, states, and countries – although, operating under different circumstances -- all struggle with similar challenges in healthcare, education, social mobility, and human services and we are all working towards similar goals of ensuring human dignity and respect for all members of our respective societies. We are also learning that many of our social solutions are not unique and therefore there is an untapped potential in the sharing of ideas and their potential to improve societies across the globe.
We want to thank the European Commission for their foresight and leadership to host the European Social Innovation Competition and source Europe’s BEST innovations. We are excited to partner with them and help share their knowledge, tools, and innovations with you and others around the globe. As stated in this edition’s overview article, economic growth should not benefit the lucky few, but also provide opportunities for all members of society. We hope this edition and its articles, both in written and video format, will inspire business models that will enable everyone to equally seize the opportunities offered by technological change.
Please take the time to read and share these articles and videos which, ideally, will provide you with the inspiration, knowledge, and tools to become a civically-minded innovator to improve your local, regional, and/or national health, education, social mobility, and human services challenges and to ensure dignity and respect for everyone.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Torres
Tine Hansen-Turton
Co-FoundersThe Social Innovations Journal’s mission is to promote innovative ideas, incubate social innovation and thought leadership (i.e. teaching leaders “how” to think and not “what” to think) to spark a culture of innovation to create new models and systems change. The Social Innovations Journal (SIJ) takes a regional approach to sourcing social innovations and enterprises. Since 2008, SIJ has published hundreds of articles and convened thousands of people to discuss social innovations and social sector models at the local level. SIJ has a regional, national, and global following reaching millions of readers across the globe daily.
Issue 40 | European Edition
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