What is Social Innovation?

 Social Innovation Reflections, Week 1

    The broad topic of social innovation is not so much a noun as it is a verb.  The act of social innovation is a catalyst for problem solving and change on a global scale.  Innovators are creative, energetic, thoughtful, and driven.  Upon observing a problem, they find they have a burning need to create solutions to solve the problem.  By conceptualizing and designing creative ways to approach a situation, then planning and implementing that approach, these innovators not only build a better world for their target population, they build an opportunity for themselves and others to generate income to support themselves and their families.  Everyone has seen the advertisements on television asking people to donate, to "adopt" a hungry child.  The charity known as "Save the Children" has been around for many years.  However, that worldwide organization began as an idea.  A social innovator asked "what if we simply ask people to help one child?".  
    In his TED Talk, "The New Front Lines," Jake Harriman describes the moment he knew he had to think outside the box, become a social innovator, and find a solution to the worldwide problem of extreme poverty.  After an experience in Iraq as a member of the Marine Corps, Mr. Harriman realized that the lack of choices created by extreme poverty was at the root of acts of terrorism, insurgency, and global instability.  Having experienced moderate poverty at times throughout my life, his talk resonated with me.  When my children were young we did not have much income.  My husband was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army, and I stayed home to raise the children.  At that time, in the early 1980s, military pay was very low.  The Army provided us with a home, but all other household expenses came out of his income.  Many times the lack of choices weighed heavily upon me.  As Mr. Harriman described "It wasn't fair that the GPS coordinates of a man's birthplace dictated what choices he had in this world." I thought of my children.  They were born in a wealthy country, but into a lower income class.  Had our lack of choices dictated by poverty affected their ability to grow and prosper?  I understood, on a much smaller scale, how extreme poverty and lack of choices could create an environment where a person could resort to extreme acts to ensure his family's safety.

    Just as Mr. Harriman was shaken by his experience in Iraq, and motivated to build a program to empower poverty-stricken communities to prosper, others have identified the root sources of global problems, addressed those sources and created innovative solutions that are changing the world.  As people recognize that society is unable to sustain itself under the current world climate, social innovators emerge from the population, driven by their desire to create a better world for future generations.  Additionally, stakeholders, investors and corporations have recognized that social innovation can be profitable, and are more willing to invest in programs that both benefit a target population and create business opportunities for them.  We are a society driven by profit, and while altruism is a desirable quality, the opportunity for profit is a motivating factor for those entities supplying the capital that funds and supports social programs.  The potential for either direct or indirect profit attracts investors who will support innovative social endeavors, enabling those with a passion to change the world to implement their creative ideas.  This has created growth in social innovation, both via those with altruistic goals and those with capitalistic goals.  Whatever the motivation, the population who is suffering ultimately benefits.

References

Harriman, J. (2014, April 29). Transcript: The new front lines: Jake Harriman at TEDxBYU. The New Front Lines: Jake Harriman at TEDxBYU. https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSuULQH7Gt1VyBgp-cGvPlWN4TlsIUDH3HYNE9kGSUE38CaL37dq1EPKtitN3I5ChRWFBWDBbVHIf7J/pub