W02 Social Innovation, Where Do I fit In?


I am really enjoying the reading in this course's book "How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas".  This week in chapter three I was gripped by journey and impact F. Rosa made in rural electrification in Brazil. Rosa saw a huge injustice that was creating a multiple problems for both those in the cities and those in rural areas. He had an idea and made it his life's purpose to bring it to reality. Rosa ultimately changed the direction. He improved the lives of others and impacted the world. Truly, was this not the example our Savior set. He was faced with opposition and he channeled his focus on the purpose of His life as the 'central mover'. 

The main ideas this week centered on where "I" --each of us-- fit into social innovation. There's a pyramid of  types of persons in social innovation. At the top and in a narrow margin are Social Entrepreneurs. They see a problem, have a solution, and make solving that problem their passion and their career, creating both an impact socially and economically. An example of this is F. Rosa who relentlessly went after getting electricity to rural areas. In the middle of the pyramid are Social Intrapreneurs. These people develop products, services, or a businesses that create change and bring value to the community and society. Such as E. Amaral, who had developed an inexpensive rural electrification system in Brazil, and worked with F. Rosa. Amaral was an implementer. Lastly, the bottom and largest area of the pyramid were volunteers and donors. These are they who pitch in and make things happen through monetary support or by giving tangible time to create change. In the book, when Rosa, secretary of agriculture in Palmales Brazil, wanted to bring his ideas to reality he reached out to farmers and community members to get the wells dug and pumps installed.   
 
Two connections that I made between Jeffery Thompson's article,  the gospel, and social innovation were one being that the plan of Salvation-- also called the plan of happiness, and one's life work, and being apart of social innovation are all tied to joy. In each you gain feelings of satisfaction. Thompson used the analogy of a zoo keeper. That there was a tremendous amount of hard work day in and out, yet no pain or burden or sacrifice threatened their determination and willingness to do the job. The rewards overshadowed any sacrifices. The second connection was in life's meaning. The gospel and social innovation are tied together in the great picture of life's purpose. The Savior set the example of loving others as ourselves. Social Innovation is all about bringing other's life experiences to an equal level of work, health, wealth, and enjoyment.  
 
I want to close with an empowering message in the video HELP international that I watched this week as part of my studies. YOU are the answer, YOU can commit to finding answers, YOU can be nimble of mind and fill multiple roles with the agility needed to find unique answers to unique people, that YOU can solve these problems.

 

BOOK: Bornstein, D. (2007). The Light in My Head Went On. In How to change the world: social entrepreneurs and the power of new ideas (Updated Edition, pp. 21–40). essay, Oxford University Press. 

 YOUTUBE VIDEO: HELP International: Creating Social Change. YouTube. (2012, January 12). https://youtu.be/XbPihcFMOTo. 


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