A Carp by Any Other Name Would Taste So Delicious Asian carp, originally brought to America in the 1970s to clean ponds, has since escaped to major waterways, reproduced at lightening speed, and has now become an invasive species. Able to grow up to 100 pounds, these carp eat so much that they threaten other …
Tag: social innovation
Jun 20
Second Life Offers Virtual Abled and Disabled Experiences
Some would scoff at the idea of living with an alternate identity in a virtual world, as in the popular Sims games, or the widely-played “massively-multiplayer online role-playing games” (MMORPG). However, since it was introduced in 2003, the online virtual world called Second Life has completely transformed self-expression. Because of its user-friendliness and a multitude …
Jun 20
The Nonprofit Disconnect, Part II
Last week, I wrote about how nonprofits should work together to make sustainable change. Rather than organizations focusing on specific issues individually, I think that establishing a type of “nonprofit team” to address multiple aspects of a complex problem could really make a huge impact. Theoretically, I really think this could work – but there …
Jun 15
Empowerment through Microsavings
Putting Innovative Thinking into Action Last night I had an experience that is sure to be a memorable one—I got to see President Barack Obama speak to an intimately filled room of supporters. I must say that his speech left quite an impression on me. Sure he focused on the usual topics of increasing jobs, …
Jun 14
Time to Legalize?
The Bureau of Justice Statistics recently published a report that documented the inmate population in the United States. The report showed that in 2002, 24.7% of the prison population was sentenced for drug offenses, including nearly 11% of whom have been imprisoned for possession. Drug abuse is a huge problem in the United States. This …
Jun 10
Small Changes, Big Differences
Bicycles Changing Education for Girls For many people, social change is synonymous with completely altering or overhauling the rules of society. There is usually a belief that the lifestyle or principles of an entire group of people are the catalysts to an issue affecting the area. In other words, the reason why a faction of …
Jun 09
Spotlight On charity: water Part II
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post applauding charity: water on their excellent use of social media to benefit the organization and its cause. Today, I want to focus on another unique aspect of the company that deserves equal praise: the way they market their business model. Charity: water uses the 100% model, which …
Jun 08
Adopting “The Code” to Combat Child Sex Tourism
As I traveled to Hawaii this past week on American Airlines, I thought about part of a previous post I wrote about on international airlines showing anti-slavery PSA announcements in-flight to fight child sex tourism. I could not help but to think again about the important difference it would make in ending modern day slavery …
Jun 08
Millenium Villages – Scaling Up
This is a follow up of my last post where I discussed the Millenium Villages. In the last one I discussed the problem of sustainability (is it a good project in the long run?). Here I am going to discuss the problem of scaling up the project. I feel like the project is too ambitious …
Jun 08
India’s New Rules for Ecotourism
The concept of ecotourism is frequently misunderstood despite its rising popularity across the globe, which results in an outcropping of businesses and companies that claim to be “eco-friendly” or “environmentally correct” when they are, in fact, nothing of the sort. Being eco-friendly can be difficult; it’s much easier to cut corners while benefitting from the …