Education – a leading light in driving social and economic change, or a job for us all? (Part 2/2)

So how do we help drive social and economic change in an environment plagued by rules bureaucracy and policy making which does things to and not with people?  That was one of my reflections when I attended the SERC’s conference on Driving Social and Economic Change. Following on from my first blog, more answers came from the second key speaker, Dorte Nielsen, founder of Creative Thinker and the Center for Creative Thinking in Copenhagen.  I think I’ve been living in a bubble. Dorte drew me in and I think I’m hooked.  Firstly, “Creativity isn’t just for creatives”. That means I can.  I will.  There are no boundaries and it can be learnt. The problem is, creative thinking isn’t currently being taught.  There is huge untapped potential out there because most of us don’t know we can think innovatively, which obviously means we don’t know how.  But innovative thinking is essential, which Dorte illustrated beautifully with the Chinese Proverb:

“When the winds of change blow some build walls others build windmills”

Dorte highlighted a number of big, no, enormous brands from the recent past such as Kodak and Blockbuster.  They kept going in the same direction, but change happens so fast, is the life span of a big brand now only 5 years?  To me, this highlights the need for diverse competent teams that not only have the ability to horizon scan but to innovate and imagine endless possibilities.   Read more

Education – a leading light in driving social and economic change, or a job for us all? (Part 1 of 2)

Last Thursday I attended SERC’s conference on Driving Social and Economic Change at La Mon Hotel & Country Club and what a conference it was……. I nearly didn’t go, but the draw of Sir Harry Burns was too much and he did not fail to meet, NO! exceed expectations.  The connections he has made in his medical career and work in the realm of public policy between health, deprivation and mental health; the root causes and the failures of current policy initiatives is fascinating.  But why does it feel no one is listening?  The evidence is all there.  So why do policy makers and decision makers keep doing what they’ve always done despite the glaring obvious evidence that inspiring, committed and passionate professionals such as Sir Harry present to them?  The evidence is not only sound but compelling.

The main take aways (for me) of Sir Harry’s key note speech:

  • Inequality of death is not an issue of age 
  • Salutogenesis; an assets approach causes well-being (going to look into this one more, or ask my good friend Jenny about it ) 
  • There is molecular biology in a hug (yes, I’ve always known they feel good; but there is science and it goes deep)
  • Adverse childhood events lead to increased risk of alcoholism, obesity, criminal behaviour and deprivation
  • Thinking Yes (an initiative implemented by Martin Armstrong of the Wheatly Group) can and does help people
  • Involving people in decisions which affect them; mentoring and increasing their self-esteem has the power and ability to change lives and break the “cycle of alienation”

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