Tag: Social Change

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Orgs We Love: The Giving Net

Storytelling is still so important for cultural context and conveying messages to diverse groups.  The Giving Net‘s success is partially because they foster space for people to convene and tell their stories.  Through story telling, people learn, find common ground, are empowered, and social change can be created.

The Giving Net, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, was founded by Arkansas native, Andrea Price, in 2013. After growing up in the Delta, working throughout the South on community-based initiatives and on community development projects, she saw a great need for an organization that focuses on empowering citizens to have a voice in their neighborhoods, communities, state, nation and world. Thus, The Giving Net was born. The power to strengthen our communities lies within people who are connected to each other, informed about the issues that affect them and are willing to use their strengths for good. The Giving Net works to empower people and ultimately strengthen communities.

The Giving Net’s “doing” is designed to encourage citizens, of all ages, to give their time, talent and other resources to causes that strengthen communities. The Giving Net hosts a Radio Show where guests from around the world share their personal stories of service and civic action.

 The Giving Net designs and facilitates conversations and action based planning sessions for

  • Local governments
  • Faith-based institutions
  • Educational institutions
  • Political candidates
  • or others seeking to use collective, citizen power for change.

The Giving Net shares information, ideas and stories about civic engagement via our Blog. The Giving Net host and co-host public programs related to civic life, philanthropy, justice and social change.

 Listen to Gregg Potter, Project Kinect’s Founder, on The Giving Net’s radio show.

Check Out Lifestyle Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with The Giving Net Radio on BlogTalkRadio
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Projects We Love: Subway Cake

Let’s say you get on a Subway and some woman is frosting a cake next to you. What do you do? Probably take a picture and share it on social media. Do you ask her what she is doing?

Bettina Behjat Benayan got on a train, frosted  a cake, and then shared it with the riders beside her.  That is awesome in our book.  She mentions that people in New York are always in each other’s personal space but don’t recognize one another.  This experiment, or activity, breaks down those barriers.  We especially love it because it is connecting to the people taking up the same space as we are. We challenge everyone to work harder to make connections to those around you; even if it is just one person.

In addition to her website, here is a connection to Bettina’s Youtube.

Enjoy!

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Projects We Love: Food on the Move

Project Kinect is working on a food access initiative in Madison, WI.  We have a lot moving in the right direction but we have a ways to go.  Tulsa, OK on the other hand is already succeeding at this type of initiative. They have the Food on the Move Initiative that is kicking butt with using mobil food trucks and mobil grocery stores. The Food On The Move, mobile food initiative, is a collaboration of food and health experts and community partners to mobilize good quality food into hard to reach economically challenged areas, helping combat hunger in Tulsa and Oklahoma in a new way.  What they’re doing should be, and can be replicated through out the country.  Great job Tulsa!

 

Check out the Food on the Move website to see a great video about what is happening.

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Tools We Love: DSIL

At a Glance

The Designing for Social Innovation and Leadership Course (DSIL) is a global field experience and community for multi-stage entrepreneurs & impact driven changemakers. DSIL is a cutting edge program that leverages quality field based immersion and the convenience of online classes with global thought leaders to create dynamic learning for graduate students, professionals and practitioners  interested in creating sustainable impact and systems change around the world through social enterprise.

DSIL is delivered in academic and administrative partnership by the Centre for Executive Education (CEE) of the United Nations Mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) and SE Asia based Sarus. In 2014 DSIL ran from October 1st – December 3rd. In 2015 we will run from August – December. See the ‘Program Block Details‘ for more. We are now recruiting for 2015 – let us know if you are interested here.

An Intentionally Sequenced Program with Distinct Building Blocks:
(1) Virtual Classroom Preparation
(2) Field-based immersion to South East Asia
(3) Field-based immersion to South East Asia + ‘Next Steps’ Synthesis 

 Why DSIL?

The DSIL experience empowers international participants with contemporary tools, a cross sector knowledge network and analogous field immersions focused on personal and professional development. We believe that those who have the skills to unlock, re-imagine and create solutions to the world’s most daunting challenges will be at the helm of systems level change. Authentic transformation begins within the individual and those who are trained in the principles of design and leveraging empathic collaboration will be best positioned for success. 

What is the DSIL Approach?
‘Design thinking’ (or d.thinking) is a tool, mindset or methodology for systems or product design and is one avenue to catalyze social innovation- we integrate this approach in DSIL to unleash creativity for the greater good.  All participants will have the opportunity to learn and apply transferable frameworks including The Business (and Lean Model) Canvas, the Liberating Structures facilitation methods  and Non-Violent Communication.

DSIL Themes and Focus

⇢ Social (+Personal) Innovation & Entrepreneurship

⇢ Sustainable Development

⇢ Design Thinking

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Project Kinect at work: Peacework

One of our current projects is with Peacework.  We are in Orange Walk, Belize working with a group from Gateway Technical college.  This group is composed of six faculty members and 26 students working in five disciplines.  The disciplines include IT, nursing, human services, early childhood education, physical therapy, and horticulture. They have been active on a blog that is terrific and definitely interesting. The blog demonstrates how their service learning is exemplifying an intersection of knowledge by both the Gateway students and the Belizeans.

The goal of Peacework is to connect and convene American groups with international service work that relates to the American’s interests or professions.  In this work, participants better identify what social change is and how they themselves are agents of change.  The largest aspect of this work is to acknowledge and expose how both participants and community partners benefit from this work leaving the experience to resonate in the communities of all involved.  For more information, check out peacwork.org.

Check out all of our work with Peacework! 

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Voices We Love: Spectra

A few weeks ago, the award winning Nigerian writer and activist, Spectra, wrote an article, Dear White People: Stop Unfriending Other White People Over Ferguson.  At first, it is unclear how this article is going to frame the situation, but quickly we it is only with love that describes the unique position white people have.  These posts are an opportunity to create dialogue and become better allies by effectively communicating the facts to those who see the situation differently.  Spectra says it better:

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Spectra’s Blog has a lot more to read. Take some time to get to know her.  She aims to do activism differently, to awaken within herself and others, the courage, vulnerability, empathy, self-awareness, and unrelenting commitment to personal growth required to heal and transform each other- and the world- for the better.

You can also follow her on Facebook.

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Tools We love: Being an Ally (We also love Chescaleigh)

Recently Franchesca Ramsey released the video below, 5 Tips For Being An Ally.  It is so important to continuously be mindful of how to be a better ally.  We need to know how to act in any moment of injustice as an ally, even if it is subtle.  As the sign in the cover phote on Franchesca’s Facebook page says, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” In this picture, she tags the Urban Bush Babes who also rock.

The video from Franchesca, or really Chescaleigh how she is known by her fans, identifies 5 steps we can all use to become a better ally. This video also references all of her resources and added resources from people who have watched the video.  She uses a metaphor of building a house which is extremely relatable. Her 5 tips are:

  1. Understand your privilege. 
  2. Listen and do your homework.
  3. Speak Up, NOT OVER. 
  4. You’ll make Mistakes. Apologize when you do. 
  5. Ally is a VERB. 

For more about Franchesca Ramsey, check out her website and fall in love with her like we have.

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Letters From a Change Agent: #Authenticity

“Right now, these moments are not stories. This is happening. I am here… I can see it. This one moment when you know you are not a sad story. You are alive. And you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder; and you’re listening to that song on that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment, I swear, we are infinite.” This is the final line of the movie adaptation to The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. There are no translations to when we feel authentic. We are authentic when we feel most alive. That is it. Whether it is having a conversation with a stranger in the most wonderful of circumstances, or giving your condolences at a funeral; when we feel alive, we are being authentic.

Often authenticity is paired with happiness. This is not true. I associate authenticity with honesty to ourselves. Until I was honest with myself and came out as a gay man in 2001, I was not living. Before, I had true-life moments of happiness that were authentic, but honesty is where the root lies. I also feel authentic when I am completely selfless. I suppose, to be honest with that statement, I am not completely selfless. I love being useful to others because that is when I am most alive. Fortunately, I found a way to live and travel doing that.

Authenticity is not only about us being authentic in our lives and actions; it is also about society being authentic.   We must be able to identify when unjust and inauthentic actions are taken. This is a muscle we learn how to flex and with time, we become more aware of these moments. Currently, injustice and inauthenticity monopolize our lives.

The verdict for the murder of Eric Garner is not authentic. However, the outcry for justice across the country is. We saw what happened very clearly on video. There were not conflicting witness reports as in the Michael Brown case. Not indicting Officer Pantaleo is not authentic because authenticity requires personal honesty and truth, of that, the grand jury in Staten Island obviously lacked.

Today the jobs report came out. Every pundit and many government heads are celebrating this fact. Why? This metric is not authentic. It comes to us during the busiest and most profitable month in the corporate world. Most of these jobs only pay minimum wage and will be cut January 3rd. There is no real comfort from this number in December. The number that should be reported is how many of these jobs will last for at least six months and offer a livable wage to people living at or below the poverty line. That is the authentic number I want to hear.

I can only leave you with this. Fight when you can against the injustices, and hold those accountable when opportunity arises. The real and authentic struggle is just beginning. It is the holidays so take care of you and your loved ones. Live in that authentic space. We need strength, support, and clear minds to bring positive social change where it is needed.

Happy Holidays! #WAAI

Sending all my love,

Gregg

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Voices We Love: Cynthia Sylva Parker

Early this month, Cynthia Sylva Parker gave a Tedx Talk titled Racism–What Will It Take To End It? It is an extraordinary twelve minutes looking at racism objectively and giving every person ideas to how they can work on themselves and their own pre-wired brains.

Cynthia Sylva Parker is a Senior Associate at the Interaction Institute for Social Change. The institute is also an organization we love, but that is another time. This post is all about Cynthia and her voice (Click here for the post on IISC). We love you and please keep spreading the word.  Project Kinect is here to help!

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Sites We Love: Elite Daily

Elite Daily is not necessarily a social change site.  It is dedicated to being the voice for Generation Y.  Sometimes however, they have a wonderful article that challenges the imagination and forces us to be better people. In October, we must be reminded to be better in all of our different dynamics.

The article is Portraits of Powerful Men and Women as Societal Stereotypes.   Here are one of them for you.

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