The Guardian om SHE i Sverige

The Guardian 24/8 2012

The public sector should support social innovation, not seek to define it

Sweden is exploring how forms of social innovation can solve persistent social problems

A squirrel, not a cowWhile cows are slow and dependent, squirrels are adaptable and independent making them a strong metaphor for successful social entrepreneurship. Photograph: Rodrigo Arangua/AFP/Getty Images

In Sweden, the trend towards supporting more social entrepreneurs and greater social innovation has visibly gained pace during recent years. Due in part to a shift in public perception, this form of entrepreneurship with societal benefits is fast gaining recognition as an important constituent in the development of a sustainable society – in ecological, social and financial terms.

There has, of course, always been a presence of organisations with good purposes and enthusiasts with good hearts. But developments in information technology and the digitalisation of media have created new possibilities for these enthusiasts, at the same time as climate threats, global injustices and financial crises have created the urgent need for new, creative solutions.

A Swedish example when it comes to injustices in our society is for instance Hopeful Staffing, the world’s first agency for homeless people. Fighting climate threats is for instance Adopt a bee – Honey for free.Solvatten (translated; ”Sunwater”), is a business who has invented a household water treatment unit, which saves lives.

In Sweden, social entrepreneurship is generally understood as an entrepreneurship whose core activity not only generates income for its owner and employees, but also in a visible and preferably accountable way provides a positive impact on individuals and society: locally, regionally or globally. As a result of the financial and administrative support which enables the establishment of different networks for social innovations, several interesting arenas have arisen.

Most platforms of this kind serve the purpose of supporting research, knowledge and competence within the growing areas of social innovation and social entrepreneurship, often consisting of concrete, mutual projects and new sustainable models of business where innovative products and services are developed. Ideas-driven and ruled by principles, the social entrepreneur in Sweden focuses on activity which allows for the possibility of enlargement from local to global level — activity that changes structures in its foundation and re-invests profit. These entrepreneurs are found in ”new business” — within sustainable technology, within the ”new public service” for people who are excluded, with the ”new NGOs” — where business logic is used to enhance effectiveness and benefit the activity.

An interesting Danish example of new business, also with focus on global injustice, can be found in Baisikeli, who focuses on expanding cycling culture in both Denmark and developing countries. Klädoteket(translated; ”Clothetique”), is a business which works as a library for funny and unique clothes.

Currently, Sweden is considering the balance between governmental/municipal control and governmental/municipal support — a relationship that may be most evident in a blog that is driven by the government (the ministry of enterprise, energy and communications), in which both officials and guest bloggers have the opportunity to contribute their thoughts and opinions on ”the way to the new innovation strategy in Sweden”. The new innovation strategy has yet to arrive in Sweden, — this much is made clear in the blog — but what does this say about the current policy? Politicians and officials assign themselves the authority to create a strategy that clearly would be best developed by social entrepreneurs. Social innovation in its true sense is initiative taken by social entrepreneurs in order to address something in society they believe needs to be changed or improved.

 

Läs hela här!

Internat 8-9 september

 

Program för internatet SHE steg 2

LÖRDAG 8/9
Tryckeriet, Rolfsgatan 7b

12:00 Välkomna!

Intro & presentation

13:00 Lunch
Vi bjuder på surdegsmackor med smoothie. Allergier eller vegan? Säg till!

14:30 Övning och reflektion

15:00 Modul-modellering
Tankesmidande kring kursinnehållet

16:30 Fika

16:45 Form-modellering
Tankesmidande kring kursformen

17:30 Promenad/Malmöintryck/Middag
Promenad in i Möllevångens myller – preliminärt till Folkets park där ABF firar 100 år med olika aktiviteter. Gemensam kvällsmat på restaurang.

21:30    För den som vill: Metaforbrottning på Moriskan; hetsig estradpoesi!

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SÖNDAG 9/9
Tryckeriet, Rolfsgatan 7b

9:00 Årsplanering
Recap från gårdagen & tankesmidande kring tidsupplägget

10:45 Kaffepaus + bokmässa
Snabb-presentation av intressant (kurs-)litteratur/film för inspiration.
Ta gärna med egna förslag!

11:15 Idéer i gruppen/projektbeskrivning med feedback

13:00 Besök på Skånes Konstförening och utställningarna »Uncertain Triolectics« och »A Very Short Introduction to Nothing«
”»Uncertain Triolectics« och »A Very Short Introduction to Nothing« är två utställningar som bygger på samma tema. Kuratorerna Hans Askheim och Per Brunskog skapat varsin utställning runt osäkerhet, förvirring och nonsens. Ett tema de gemensamt utarbetat för att nu belysa det på olika sätt genom sina val av konstnärer.”

14:00 För den som vill: Biovisning på Kanten, “The Skin I live in”, P. Almodovar (117 min)

27 augusti – Kursstart

Idag startar vi igång Steg 2, välkommen!

Vi spelade in en kort video där vi bland annat resonerar kring de frågor som vi undersökte i förra årets Steg 2-kurs.

Frågor i kursstarten:
Inför den gemensamma planeringen ber vi er att fundera på era förväntningar och ingångar till kursen. Som hjälp finns det ett frågebatteri att reflektera kring. Svaren läggs i forumet här på hemsidan senast den 31 augusti. Forumtråden hittar du i kursforumet (du behöver vara inloggad för att lägga in svar). Direktlänk.

Vi mailar ut en del praktisk info idag, den finns också inlagd här på plattformen under Kursinfo – > Praktisk info.

Läsning inför internatet:
Välj ett kapitel i antologin om kooperation som Sektor3 gav ut tidigare i somras. Det är dels perspektiv från politiker i den första delen, och berättelser från verksamheter i den andra. Välj ett kapitel att läsa så diskuterar vi kring antologin när vi ses på internatet! (Mer info om träffen i Malmö kommer senare idag, måndag)
Länk till pdf: Fördomar, form & framtid

Inspiration: Wind wagon
Just i dagarna har en windvagn seglat genom Nevadas öken och de har nu nått fram till sitt mål, Burning Man-festivalen.

Henrik Wallgren bloggar från resan. Här är en film som berättar lite mer om projektets bakgrund.

Sustainable Innovation Quest – 8-dagars workshop utanför Wien

Tips om ett europeiskt projekt som söker deltagare. Ansök senast 31 augusti:

Sustainable Innovation Quest. Empowerment for Changemakers & Social Entrepreneurs

”A unique event and opportunity for “Pioneers of Change” from all EU-countries!

October 5 -12, 2012 near Vienna

The Sustainable Innovation Quest opens eight days of creative space for you. The workshop offers expertise, support, feedback from others, encouragement and learning – enabling you to turn your intention and vision into a real project ready to effect real sustainable innovation.

The experiences in the 8 days shall empower you to actively engage within their surrounding, take responsibility and implement concrete projects (mostly on a regional scale). The workshop integrates know-how & tools, personality development as well as the development of visions and projects for a sustainable society. It supports the participants to become more aware of their ability of creation and action.

Key questions for the week will be:
• How can I achieve the highest possible sustainable impact?
• How do I want to grow personally, what do I want to learn?
• How can I act in such a way that it is sustainable for me personally, how to gain energy and not to burn out?

You will be supported and accompanied in your own process of development: that includes group-workshops, some presentations and a wide range of creative methods – from deep ecology to business modeling, best-practice examples, some coaching for implementation and free space to work in individual pace. And of course you will learn a lot from the other participants and also learn by supporting the others. And yes, it will be fun.

This opportunity is absolutely free, with board and lodging taken care of and travel costs refundable!”

Läs mer och ansök på http://pioneersofchange.at/quest/