Driving Innovation, Empowering Societies
When we think about the progress the world has achieved so far and it’s potential, our thoughts are directed to the power of creativity, culture, innovation, sustainability and community. We believe that progressive societies and steady growing economies boils down to capable communities coming together hand-in-hand to exchange ideas and create new initiatives.
The need for government aid alone is an old paradigm. What is truly needed are innovative solutions. The ways of working individually are long gone and new ways of thinking are required to meet social needs in the New World – social innovation.
Social innovation provides a rare opportunity to take a step back from the archaic ways of thinking about social enterprises, business engagement, and philanthropy and to recognise instead the interconnectedness of various factors and stakeholders.
With innovative solutions come sustainable economic growth and prosperous societies. In fact, social innovation does not only improve the world’s landscape but helps to tackle some of the most pressing global problems with new solutions.
Social innovation can create opportunities, help secure jobs, provide access to quality education, improve infrastructure and distance learning. All of which provides a sense of meaning to lives.
By encouraging social innovation, the nation can strive to pursue a triple triumph: a triumph for society and individuals by providing services that are of high quality, beneficial, and affordable to users and that add value to their daily lives; a triumph for governments by making the provision of those services more sustainable in the long term; and a triumph for industry by creating new business opportunities and new entrepreneurship.
Today, social innovators are working closely with businesses in both the private and government sector, taking on so many social responsibilities. And, they have a positive growing influence on civilians, allowing them to participate actively in social affairs, and helping them form a sense of self-governance. Social innovation has and is continuously changing beliefs, basic practices, resources, and social power structures in profound ways.
Gamuda Inspiration Award
Yayasan Gamuda’s 5 years partnership with The Star Media Group through the Star Golden Hearts Award (SGHA) cultivates a supportive space for social innovators to thrive as we believe that when community projects are in for the lasting betterment of society, transformative and sustained social impact is possible. Since 2016, the Gamuda Inspiration Award (GIA), a special SGHA accolade is given to just one out of 10 SGHA winners each year, in recognition of winners’ deeply meaningful and impactful community-building efforts. Who will be awarded the coveted GIA this year? Nominate your choice of social innovators at bit.ly/SGHA2020 from now until September 2.
References: Albert Einstein Group, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Springer Link