Social Innovation from the Ground Up

credit: Flickr

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals (ODS) are a universal call for action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

To gain perspective on approaches that might be used to achieve those objectives three organizations came together to meet with Edwin Maria John, recognized international activist for the rights of children and promoter of Sociocracy, to reflect on the current state of social innovation.

The three organizations, Colunga Foundation, Colab UC, Corfo Y About Networks, are developing the project Innovation 2030, whose mission is to boost the impact of innovation and social entrepreneurship initiatives in Latin America, aligning them with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

They learned about John's work in Kerala, a state in the extreme south of India, where the neighborhood organization generated the empowerment of women and in turn accommodated those voices that were silenced.

John further explained that the best way to solve the problems of the neighborhood is through the organization, where the decision-making process is permanent and effective, from its bases.

He also expounded upon the 5 principles that governed this work which organized 100,000 neighborhood parliaments and engaged 200,000 boys and girls for real political impact.

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