New evidence, new capacities, new rules, and new stories are four catalysts with world game changing power.
On April 3-5, IFTF and the Rockefeller Foundation invited people all over the world to join the Catalysts for Change Foresight Engine game and imagine thousands of paths our of poverty with the aim to create real and lasting change.
More than 1,600 people from 79 countries responded, and after 48 hours they had imagined 18,160 ideas for ways to catalyze change in poor, vulnerable, or marginalized communities.
You can find the game website by following this link, and the Catalyst for Change site with a deep exploration of signals here.
Closing the gap on promises
In my travels and over the course of my career, I have made many connections with people from all over the world who were hard at work on a variety of projects.
Be it science-based research, creativity and innovation, building businesses and companies over the long haul, or helping reinvent education, one common theme connected many of us -- we got our start from humble origins.
This often translates into a strong work ethic, the foundation for wanting to close the gap between the promises we make and those we keep. Further, I found a common appreciation for being able to leverage our abilities and skills into commercially viable activities.
Building resilience and equity
Sharing a certain kind of story does wonders for building community.
The last couple of years have been quite trying for first world economies. As good as our going is, the recent crisis put us to the test on several fronts -- from health and education, to employment, and shelter.
How many families and individuals have found themselves one paycheck away from ruin because of medical bills, or due to defaulting on their mortgages after a layoff. How about mortgaging one's future on ever escalating tuition costs of an education system that increasingly needs boosting with additional practice just to keep up?
Building resilience and equity are certainly easier in a free society that has the gift of clean running water and a thriving environment of tech innovation. These assumptions are put to the test very quickly in situations like Hurricane Sandy, when it becomes critical that we connect the stream with action.
Which is why it is so important to participate in creating rich ecosystem of resources, relationships, and infrastructures for responding to new stresses and, more importantly, for creating wealth out of poverty.
While advancing this conversation with action is vital in the developing world, it is critical in our communities and businesses as well.
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Valeria is an experienced listener. She is also frequent speaker at conferences and companies on a variety of topics. To book her for a speaking engagement click here.