visionforchange2012

The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger

The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger

by Wilkinson and Pickett

It is well established that in rich societies the poor have shorter lives and suffer more from almost every social problem. Now a groundbreaking book, based on thirty years’ research, takes an important step past this idea. The Spirit Level shows that there is one common factor that links the healthiest and happiest societies: the degree of equality among their members. Not wealth; not resources; not culture, climate, diet, or system of government. Furthermore, more-unequal societies are bad for almost everyone within them—the well-off as well as the poor.

The remarkable data assembled in The Spirit Level reveals striking differences, not only among the nations of the first world but even within America’s fifty states. Almost every modern social problem—ill-health, violence, lack of community life, teen pregnancy, mental illness—is more likely to occur in a less-equal society. This is why America, by most measures the richest country on earth, has per capita shorter average lifespan, more cases of mental illness, more obesity, and more of its citizens in prison than any other developed nation.

Wilkinson and Pickett lay bare the contradiction between material success and social failure in today’s world, but they do not simply provide a diagnosis of our woes. They offer readers a way toward a new political outlook, shifting from self-interested consumerism to a friendlier, more sustainable society. The Spirit Level is pioneering in its research, powerful in its revelations, and inspiring in its conclusion: Armed with this new understanding of why communities prosper, we have the tools to revitalize our politics and help all our fellow citizens, from the bottom of the ladder to the top.

review from Publishers Weekly

Disruptive Social Change – Design for Social Change

Disruptive Social Change – Design for Social Change

In the social sector, too much attention is devoted to providing more of the same to narrow populations that are already served. It’s time for a fundamentally different approach.by Clayton M. Christensen, Heiner Baumann, Rudy Ruggles, and Thomas M. Sadtler

impact.sva.edu/…/hbr-disruptive-innovation-for-social-change.pdf

Countries, organizations, and individuals around the globe spend aggressively to solve social problems, but these efforts often fail to deliver. Misdirected investment is the primary reason for that failure. Most of the money earmarked for social initiatives goes to organizations that are structured to support specific groups of recipients, often with sophisticated solutions. Such organizations rarely reach the broader populations that could be served by simpler alternatives. There is, however, an effective way to get to those underserved populations. The authors call it “catalytic innovation.” Based on Clayton Christensen’s disruptive-innovation model, catalytic innovations challenge organizational incumbents by offering simpler, good-enough solutions aimed at underserved groups.

Unlike disruptive innovations, though, catalytic innovations are focused on creating social change. Catalytic innovators are defined by five distinct qualities.

• First, they create social change through scaling and replication.
• Second, they meet a need that is either overserved (that is, the existing solution is more complex than necessary for many people) or not served at all.
• Third, the products and services they offer are simpler and cheaper than alternatives, but recipients view them as good enough.
• Fourth, they bring in resources in ways that initially seem unattractive to incumbents.
• And fifth, they are often ignored, put down, or even discouraged by existing organizations, which don’t see the catalytic innovators’ solutions as viable. As the authors show through examples in health care, education, and economic development, both nonprofit and for-profit groups are finding ways to create catalytic innovation that drives social change.

The HBR Spotlight on Making a Real Difference explores a pair of vexing questions: How should executives think about corporate social responsibility? and Why is it that the billions of dollars invested in social sector institutions haven’t begun to solve our basic problems? Both articles have smart, original things to say about how business leaders can make a real difference. A company that aligns its strategy with its CSR to invest in disruptive social sector innovations might change the world.

This article includes a one-page preview that quickly summarizes the key ideas and provides an overview of how the concepts work in practice along with suggestions for further reading.

Vision for Change 2010 – Register Today!

African-American women are underrepresented at virtually every level of elected office

We’re ready for a change – are you?

The Training Institute for LeadershipEnrichment (TILE), a non-profit organization supported by Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA), is excited to announce its newest initiative: Vision for Change.

We are looking for highly motivated, mid-career African-American women who are authentically interested in and ready to take the next step towards pursuing local, state, and federal elected and appointed offices.

Build your confidence and your knowledge of political mechanics.  Gain the necessary tools and acumen to navigate Bay Area politics.  Put together a winning campaign team.  Speak knowledgeably and passionately about your personal vision for change.

Participants need not be experts in all policy areas.  Vision for Change will identify gaps in participants’ knowledge of community and policy issues and work with participants to achieve maximum proficiency for campaigning and governance through mentorship sessions active forums and one-on-one coaching.

Vision for Change will collaborate with a coalition of leaders from the public, private,and non-profit sectors to recruit, mobilize, train, and mentor African-American women across the country.  It will provide resources and inspirational guidance so they may harness the confident leader within, hone necessary skills, and win elections and appointments one candidate at a time.

With a goal of creating a defined pathway to public leadership, Vision for Change will beginin California’s Bay Area, then replicate its collaborative initiative throughout the region, state, and nation.

What would our communities look like if everyone worked together for a shared vision?

TILE invites you to join the movement to create a world in which African-American women are formally engaged in the political process, where they can craft policy for social change that will benefit communities of color.   By minimizing the notion of “us versus them,” our commonalities become greater than our differences.  We are all made better when we have a shared stake in the discussions, solutions, and visioning of the future.

Why Now?

Although there are a host of women’s leadership development programs on the market, Vision for Change presents adistinct alternative by addressing cultural realities and skills development designed by African-American women for African-American women.

Women, and particularly African-American women, remain underrepresented at virtually every level of elected office.

As our nation’s demographics continue to shift, Vision for Change understands the pressing need to identify, select,and develop the next generation of African-American women elected/appointed officials.

Because African-American women come from a history of marginalization based on race, ethnicity, and gender, they are uniquely situated to represent the vanguard for increasing common understanding between diverse communities.

These women will carry the knowledge and needs of their communities into the halls of power.  In so doing, they will play a critical role in transforming in effective policies into policies that benefit urban communities.

Vision for Change is a call to action for all African-American, mid-career women considering elected/appointed office. This is the initiative you have been searching for, and it will provide individualized assistance and mentorship to make your public service dreams a reality.

Register today http://www.v4c2012cohort.eventbrite.comfor more information and an application tobecome a Vision for Change 2012 cohort.