Recent Blog Entries

msweeks's picture

Defining social innovation - what do you think?

In their report for the EU Commission, the Social Innovation Exchange (SIX) spent some time rehearsing the mix and range of definitions of social innovation.

In any new field of endeavour, there is always a deal of debate about definitions and boundaries. Social innovation is no different. What is included, what is excluded, how do you define social innovation in a way that is distinctive and predictive? How do you avoid using the term simply as a re-badging for other activities like charity, philanthropy or the third sector?

In the end, the SIX report puts forward this definition:

Penny's picture

Cheryl Kernot announces travel prize at SI camp

Sleepless innovators create community websites

A refugee buddy system won a special travel prize at Australia’s first Social Innovation Camp in Sydney yesterday.

Presenting the award to Joy Suliman of the Refugee Buddy team, Cheryl Kernot, Director of Social Innovation at the Centre for Social Impact, University of New South Wales, said it was exciting to see innovative and socially beneficial uses of new technology. The winning team received a return airfare and per diem allowance to attend a Social Innovation camp overseas.

totocol's picture

Presentations from winners from 1st Australian Social Innovation Camp

These are the final presentations from the winners from the 1st Australian Social Innovation Camp

1st Place - Refugee Buddy

LaurenA's picture

A final word on SI Camp 2010

As the day's #ozsicamp Twitter activity is reduced to barely a peep, it would seem that all our SI Campers have finally found a pillow to rest their heads on after an incredible, action-packed and sleep-deprived few days. The close of the inaugural ASIX Social Innovation Camp this afternoon exceeded all expectations as our eight ideas were officially released to the world via the web, demonstrating the power of social innovation and the people driving it forward.

LaurenA's picture

SI Camp: The Pointy End

What a different vibe to this time yesterday. With whiteboards more resembling graffiti walls, breakout rooms having a distinctly 'lived-in' feel, and a secret stash of empty Red Bull cans revealing the scale of last night's efforts, the 2pm finish line is just beyond the next bend (or line of code, as the case may be).

stuarthorrex's picture

Passion, Purpose, and Practicalities

Australia’s first ever Social Innovation Camp is happening in Sydney right now.

LaurenA's picture

The afternoon update - Ozsicamp

Seven hours into the Social Innovation Camp... our groups have been working solidly since this morning, reluctantly stopping to fill their stomachs and flex their legs every now and then. With 8 ground-breaking new concepts being developed, it has been fascinating to see the process that emerges when a group of virtual strangers (correction: more like virtual friends, via Twitter!) join to collaborate over a common theme or idea.

msweeks's picture

Optimism, creativity and democracy - SI Camp showing the way

I read somewhere that the defining characteristics of social innovators are optimism, creativity and democracy. It's a powerful cocktail. And it's on show, in spades, at the Social Innovation Camp going on right now in Sydney. It's Australia's first try at the Camp model, which the Australian Social Innovation Exchange picked up from its global network, in this case from the UK and Europe. With the generous help of the Centre for Social Impact at UNSW, we're trying out this approach to finding, and rapidly developing, promising ideas for social change.

LaurenA's picture

Day 1 morning wrap - Ozsicamp

I'm sitting in the middle of a cluster of engine rooms at the ASIX Social Innovation camps - four different conversations filter through open doors in bursts of energy, with the sound of tapping keyboards a consistent underscore. Through the glazed walls of the meeting rooms I see whiteboards covered in scribbles and colourful post-it notes, chairs haphazardly arranged around working tables, and laptops of different makes and models facing off against each other as their owners get busy with wireframes, graphics and interfaces.

gregrivera's picture

“The New Social Silicon Valley

Social leaders have a long tradition of collaborative projects but a business park fully dedicated to social innovation has never been experienced in Europe. In the Greater Bilbao area of northern Spain, the Social Innovation Park (SI Park) will host and consolidate social innovation initiatives and emerging innovation projects aiming to create the new “Social Silicon Valley.”

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