SIX- Social Innovation eXchange (www.socialinnovationexchange.org/)
This is a very global meeting place for the social innovation community. SIX is a global community of over 1000 individuals and organisations – including small NGOs and global firms, public agencies and academics – committed to promoting social innovation and growing the capacity of the field. There aim is to improve the methods with which our societies find better solutions to challenges such as ageing, climate change, inequality and healthcare.
SIX was designed to fill a gap. There are some existing networks of social innovators – both groups and individuals – in particular sectors (e.g. health, environment, cities), particular fields (e.g. social entrepreneurship, policy, design), and particular countries and regions. SIX does not aim to compete with, or supplant, any of these initiatives, but rather intends to link them together to promote learning and collaboration across sectors, fields and countries.
Definitions of social innovation
SIX define social innovation as “the development and implementation of new ideas (products, services and models) to meet social needs”.
This broad definition encompasses the innovations associated with fields as diverse as fair trade, distance learning, hospices, urban farming, waste reduction and restorative justice.
Social innovation can come from individuals, groups and associations, the non-profit sector, the market and the state. The basic distinction between social and other innovations is that production is driven by social values as a primary imperative rather than private financial appropriation.
I do urge you to spend some time to investigate and become increasingly involved as we are facing some intractable problems within and across our societies.
Societal Innovation 