Centre for Social Innovation - Where Change Happens!

SEE Change Magazine launches in Canada. It is great to start getting some coverage of social enterprise, social innovation and more. I was delighted to be invited to write about Trends in Social Innovation for SEE Change's inaugural issue... Check out the article on their site.  It's also posted below ... I would love your thoughts.

Some time ago, Doug Kerr wrote this great e-mail with a list web sites for social change... it has been sitting in my inbox waiting for something to happen... this  list is by no means complete, but it is pretty awesome... Thanks Doug...

This Friday October 16, over lunch, I will be launching the first in our Sandbox Series - Trends in Social Innovation. Here at CSI, we have been engaging, watching, dialoguing, catalyzing and pushing this concept of social innovation... but what does it look like? what do we really know about social innovation - the new buzz word and how can we get more of it?

Most importantly, what does it mean for your work? I hope that you can join us to be a part of the conversation as we explore, probe and experiment with new ideas that are changing the world.

The CSI Sandbox Series kicks off with three events at the Centre for Social Innovation through the fall of 2009. Each event is meant to provoke and engage, as we investigate what social innovation looks like. We have been doing, thinking, convening and collaborating around social innovation, but haven't had a lot of time for reflection and sharing... The Sandbox Series is our first foray into some of the ideas that are changing the world.

If you are interested/into social change, here are some readings you should check out.  You may want to start with this recent video: http://vimeo.com/5145617

Have any other good links to share? Post them below!
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What a delight to be a part of the Lisbon Social Innovation Exchange Summer School.  Over 130 social innovation thought leaders from 24 countries came together in Lisbon to explore the growing field of social innovation. The conversations were dazzling… truly the highlight were the people. For me it was deeply stimulating to be able to talk to people as driven to explore and push the boundaries in this field.

On July 16, in Lisbon, over 130 leaders in social innovation from 24 countries have come together to call for a new vision of our future. Fixing Out Future lays out a manifesto and sets out principles that should guide global recovery plans and policies that embody social innovation.

Here are the highlights... European focus but you get the point.

Clayton Christensen of the Harvard Business School, writes a fascinating article in the Huffington Post - The White House Office on Social Innovation: A New Paradigm for Solving Social Problems.  In the article he argues that the key to supporting social innovation is with a keen focus on metrics.

Toronto’s Centre for Social Innovation wins national City Innovation Award

For Immediate Release: May 21, 2009

Toronto, Ontario  –   When dozens of organizations dedicated to social change operate 150 innovative projects under one roof in Toronto, it draws the attention of people from around the world and garners the Canadian Urban Institute’s 2009 Universal City Award to be bestowed on the Centre for Social Innovation on June 5 at the Urban Leadership Awards in Toronto.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             May 5, 2009