Solutions - Articles

Swarms

By Marcia Stepanek

Group-think extends to swarms of social activism.

The Encore Careers Summit - Lessons for a New Social Movement

How can the United States and the world benefit from the work of people who have been dedicated to social change over the last 30 years? What can those with the most diverse array of backgrounds and careers do to impact social, economic, and political policy, particularly in this unprecedented era of new political leadership? In this panel discussion from the 2008 Encore Careers Summit, activist leaders from the women's, civil rights, and environmental movements discuss how we can reinvent this country by drawing on lessons from the past.

Jeffrey Eisenach - Global Regulation and the Digital Economy

Should the internet be regulated? In this audio lecture, Jeffrey Eisenach presents the potential for harm caused by cyberspace while outlining the challenges faced by regulation to the digital economy. In the end, he emphasizes the necessity of global institutions and frameworks to bring order to the online sphere.

The Changing Role of Nonprofits

By Amy Sample Ward 6

The author initiates a conversation about the new role of nonprofit organizations in the current social media and/or technology revolution and invites readers to continue the discussion.

Matthew Bishop - Philanthrocapitalism

In a climate resistant to government spending on social causes, the focused donations of billionaire philanthropists may be the greatest force for societal change in our world. So says journalist Matthew Bishop in this Stanford Center for Social Innovation sponsored talk. Discussing his recent book, Philanthrocapitalism, Bishop shares anecdotes, analysis, and profiles of a small group of people who are influencing the lives of many by bringing their success in capitalism to giving, rather than to making money.

Thomas Lehner - Putting Business to Work in Disaster Relief

When huge disasters like Hurricane Katrina strike, who better to help out than the companies that provide many of the goods and services that relief agencies depend on? In this audio interview, Eric Nee, co-host of Social Innovation Conversations, converses with Tom Lehner, manager of the Partnership for Disaster Response, on how business has been providing an organized response to some of the most disruptive natural catastrophes occurring around the world over the past four years.

Prizes for Nonproft Mergers and Partnerships

By Jean Butzen

An account of the recipients of the Lodestar Foundation and the Arizona-Indiana-Michigan Alliance (AIM)'s prize for the best nonprofit collaboration in the country.

Vinod Khosla - Moving from “Greenwashing” to Truly Green

Vinod Khosla, Silicon Valley venture capitalist, says he used to be an environmentalist, but is now more of a "pragmentalist." In this Stanford Center for Social Innovation sponsored audio lecture, Khosla turns conventional wisdom about what passes for "green technology" on its head. He takes a hard look at how innovations such as hybrid cars and fuel cell buses may, in fact, be exacerbating our problems, and offers concrete, iconoclastic suggestions as to what science, business, and government should be focusing on instead.