“You write in order to change the world…. The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it.” –James Baldwin

The question that caused this surprising reaction was: why do you believe in social entrepreneurship?

My brain raced through the reasons, each reason followed by what seemed like a giant red sign that screamed CLICHE.

I believe in a human centred market based solution to poverty. Cliche.

I believe in making the world a better place and leaving it better than when I’ve found it. Cliche.

My background and journey has led me to believe in the power of entrepreneurship. Cliche.

I come from a family whose lives have been changed through entrepreneurship. Cliche.

I stumbled into this field unknowingly. Cliche.

Social entrepreneurs are the key in unlocking the levers of change. Cliche.

Entrepreneurs have the ability to create and imagine. With support and direction, they can be the change we wish to see in this world. Cliche.

In my head, my emotions quickly churned from alarm to frustration. Why was it that I couldn’t explain my Why? Was it because I didn’t understand my reasons, or perhaps was it because I couldn’t find the words to say? Why do these reasons seem cliche? Perhaps people have overused them and they have lost their meaning…and then the question becomes: how do you do then convey any one of those reasons with sincere belief? After all, how can you capture passion and belief in 30 seconds. In a paragraph even. It doesn’t seem to even do it justice.

About a year ago, I wrote a post on the beauty of imagination. Although I still believe this reason to be true, I couldn’t quite get the reason of imagination to fit within the social enterprise/international development piece of my beliefs. It seemed to be missing a piece.

Truth be told, I was then suddenly mesmerized by the fact that perhaps, just perhaps my reason WAS the combination of all those cliches. And more. After all, isn’t our understanding of the world a limitation of what we have experienced and inherited knowledge? Maybe my passion is a combination of a mathematical sequence of experiences (I like to think so!):

1) I grew up painfully aware of poverty and socio-economic oppression

2) My family’s story changed because of entrepreneurship

3) Hard work and a stranger’s faith in seeing my potential allowed me to continue my education in Canada

4) I unknowingly stumbled into this field through a “less-than-perfect” volunteer program through my university

5) Tipping point: Working with a women’s group in Lesotho ignited an understanding that identifying change levers in a community can change lives

6) Throughout business school, I have developed a natural bias towards a market based solution to solving problems.

Therefore: 7) Giving people the opportunity (just like it has been given to me) to create and imagine a better life is the key to creating a better world. A human-centered market based solution.

Social entrepreneurship shakes up our complacencies by challenging how we place value on social and economic urgencies. It spins us round in two ways at once: it shows us the sights and social values that we might ordinarily ignore; but it also, and more deeply, shows us parts of capitalism that have grown rusty and need changing.

So what is my answer you might ask? For now, I will have to settle for a combination of cliche answers, my sequence of experiences and that nagging voice at the of my head telling me that it is the right thing to believe in.

I’ll be sure to check in with my answer again as my understanding of the world continues to grow!

“Wittgenstein made the wonderfully enigmatic remark: “I work quite diligently and wish that I were better and smarter.  And these both are one and the same.”  Really?  One and the same thing – being a smarter human being and a better person?

I am, of course, aware that modern transatlantic usage has drowned the distinction between ‘being good’ as a moral quality and ‘being well’ as a comment on a person’s health (no aches and pains, fine blood pressure, and so on), and have long ceased worrying about the manifest immodesty of those of my friends who, when asked how they are, reply with apparent self-praise, ‘I am very good.’  But Wittgenstein was not an American, and 1917 was well before the conquest of the world by vibrant American usage.  When Wittgenstein said that being ‘better’ and being ‘smarter’ were ‘one and the same thing’, he must have been making a substantial assertion.

Underlying the point may be the recognition, in some form, that many acts of nastiness are committed by people who are deluded, in one way or another, about the subject.  Lack of smartness can certainly be one source of moral failing in good behaviour.  Reflecting on what would really be a smart thing to do can sometimes help one act better towards others. That this can easily be the case has been brought out very clearly by modern game theory.  Among the prudential reasons for good behaviour may well be one’s own gain from such behaviour. Indeed, there could be great gain for all members of a group by following rules of good behaviour which can help everyone.  It is not particularly smart for a group of people to act in a way that ruins them all.

But maybe that is not what Wittgenstein meant.  Being smarter can also give us the ability to think more clearly about our goals, objectives and values. If self-interest is, ultimately, a primitive thought (despite the complexities just mentioned), clarity about the more sophisticated priorities and obligations that we would want to cherish and pursue would tend to depend on our power of reasoning. A person may have well-thought-out reasons other than the promotion of personal gain for acting in a socially decent way.”

- Amartya Sen, The Idea of Justice

I’m at a point in my life where the decisions that I make are of my own and not predetermined by the educational path that society has laid out for me. It’s almost alarming to think about the fact that for the bulk of my life, my education has been shaped by forces that has approved this path as a “natural” (and necessary!) progression in life.

What I have come to realize over the years though, through a series of unexpected events, is the beauty of imagination. I was asked the question recently of why/what I was passionate about international development/life… and the words tumbled out of my mouth explaining social change and the nature of aid before I even realized, wait… it was a textbook answer and wasn’t the entire truth of why I love this space — the international development, empowerment, social finance and innovation.

So, to share a part of my journey, this is why I love this space and what I got out of education. One word.

This singular concept has been the catalyst in my life to meeting amazing concepts, people, books and initiatives. It is the fact that imagination is the ability to free oneself from the constraints of the human condition. The fact that when you allow yourself to explore spaces that leaves you completely out of your comfort zone, it serves the purpose of satisfying your mind’s hunger for knowledge. The human thirst for knowledge and innovation is the result of imagination. Humans create and invent as a result of imagination. But most of all, what I am really excited about, is that with imagination, its the way that we view the world, and how all of that can change, the minute you open your mind to the possibilities. i.e. Sharing a social finance model to the investment world, empowering women that there are better ways to feed your child or something as simple as remaking used plastic bags into makeshift footballs.

Most people get through life thinking “if I can make it through this, things will be better later,”. But they forget that the experiences they have, shape who they are and they eventually forget what “better” and “later” means. And we see this phenomenon everywhere, from the politically suppressed society to the 40 year old who’s working a 9–5 job and hating every minute. They forget how to imagine. To create. They forget that the predetermined paths that society has somehow conjured along the way may not necessarily be the best path, and who is to say it is the right path to begin with? The world/people are quite eager to give you a set of criterias for your life, if you let it. They forget that we have the power to change educational systems, to change the way we interact with our environment, to bring on the culture we wish to see at work, or to even bring on that New Economic World Order!

Is imagination merely a talent, such as a good singing voice, the ability to “make things up: or “think things up” or “get ideas”? Or is it, like science, a way of knowing things that can be known in no other way? We have much reason to think that it is a way of knowing things not otherwise knowable. As the word itself suggests, it is the power to make us see, and to see, moreover, things that without it would be unseeable. In one of its aspects it is the power by which we sympathize. By its means we may see what it was to be Odysseus or Penelope, or David or Ruth, or what it is to be one’s neighbor or one’s enemy. By it, we may “see ourselves as others see us.”

It is also the power by which we see the place, the predicament, or the story we are in.”

– From Wendell Berry, “God Science, and Imagination” in Imagination in Place

“We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearing house that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.” http://www.ted.com

Starting out in 1984 as a conference bringing experts from the world of Technology, Entertainment and Design, it has since evolved into something more. Ideas and concepts that resonate. Shared. Spoken about. In the spirit of spreading ideas, TEDx has been created, enabling communities around the world to construct a TED-like conference with support from TED.

Here at UBC, we have our very own TEDx Terry Project. The project launched last year and was received with tremendous success. This October 3rd would be the 2nd Terry round of talks and registration is now open!

“Imagine UBC’s most fascinating and engaging students coming together for a day, giving ‘the talk of their lives,’ sharing their ideas and discussing their visions for UBC and the world. Now imagine being there, with students, alumni, faculty, administration, and members of the general public watching this unfold and partaking in the various discussions, and think of all the possibilities that this idea-share holds.” — http://www.terry.ubc.ca

photo credit: abdallahh

Registration is free and comes with a free lunch. It is currently restricted to UBC students, staff and faculty and some alumni. To reserve a ticket, click here, and to have a glimpse of what is in store for us, check out what happened last year!

I had the pleasure of attending TerryTalks last year and it was a wonderful experience. UBC has some of the brightest student minds in North America and the ideas that were shared last year blew me away. I am definitely not missing this year’s! Get your tickets now and see you there!

The question/issue was: Would I recommend people to be involved with programs like SE101 with the issues of sustainability, cost and knowledge at hand? ( Please read my previous blog post for more insight)

Essentially, what I believe can be framed in 3 ways:

1) Motivation

Image taken from: http://www.blogcatalog.com/blog/motivational-cartoons

It has become the social ‘cool’ these days to participate on trips to developing nations to ‘help’, be it a stint in Kenya to build wells, building homes in Mexico or helping the Orang Utan preservation in Borneo etc. I believe that if you want to participate on a trip of such, you need to believe in its cause,  what you are contributing and what you want to learn.

The worst thing to do is to spend over $4,000 on a trip like this, write it down in your resume and tell your friends you’re going away to a 3rd world country receiving [insert ’ that is so cool’ response here] and… that’s it. I believe that people need to be accountable when volunteering. No one is going to turn around and say “you are so selfish for volunteering because all you are taking into consideration in your trip is yourself and having that experience.” The responses would likely be along the lines of “that’s so cool you’re volunteering. You’e doing such a good thing!”

Therefore, I  believe that people  need to be aware of the costs associated with volunteering. Let me break a typical 3 week trip down for you ( conservative rough estimate):

Airfare $2,500

Accomodation $500

Food $500

Paying the organization/prof/administrative fees/utilities $500

Total: Approx $4,000

That’s alot of money. Now, with the same amount, you can make 160 $25 microcredit loans at places like Kiva and change the lives of 160 people. You can sponsor 200 children at World Vision by paying $20 for their yearly school fees. You can feed the homeless for a month in Vancouver donating to the soup kitchen. That’s 160 lives you can change. From sitting in front of your computer with several clicks of your mouse.

Get the sense of comparison? You may argue that donating the money is different than the actual experience of volunteering, and yes I agree. However, what is stopping you then from volunteering online in places around world ie. writing grants, doing research, or even, actually following up with the organisations and places that you have volunteered at? Or even volunteer locally at your homeless soup kitchen?

Or are you one of those people that volunteer for the sake of its exoticness, take a ‘holiday’ jumping from one country to another each for a month, to write down in your resume that you’ve helped build refugee centers in Cambodia or [insert some form of program volunteering here].

Volunteering is alot more serious when you think of it in terms of opportunity cost — what you are giving up and whose life you are impacting.

2) Sustainability

Now, if you have the right intentions and motivation, the next question you should really be asking yourself is: Is  the program I am plugging myself into sustainable? Is this the most effective way I can contribute my time and money (refer to point one on cost comparison) to give the most impact?

This is where research comes in. Research your program, talk to people, connect with past participants, find out where your money goes to. Research, research, research.

Let me give you some examples.

Program 1: Building wells in rural Kenya to provide a water source for local villagers.

Sounds great right? Well, a little more research would tell you that by participating in a program like this and building wells, you’ve just put the local water source provider, who has a family of 5 out of business along with the several other village water source providers out of business because you not only built one well, you built 3 wells in 3 different villagers. Congratulations.

Program 2: Collecting old clothes for donating to local villages in Vietnam

Sounds like a good cause? Well, a little more research would tell you that all your clothes have just put the local tailors who sells shirts for $1 out of business. Congratulations.

These 2 examples are the classic typical programs that you can find all round.

So essentially, please participate wisely. There are so many NGOs these days that you need to research and filter. The world doesn’t need another volunteer that is helping others at the expense of another person.

3) Prepare

So you have the right motivations, the right program and organisation. The last thing: Prepare. In the right way.

I cannot even begin to emphasize this last point enough. In my last post I described what it was like, to be on the ground and be completely paralyzed by my own ignorance. Yes, I have been guilty of it and wish what I know now.

Just like any normal situation, you need to be prepared as much as you can. Don’t swallow what is given to you. Investigate and learn.

Side Note: I want to make it CLEAR, that there is a big difference between signing up for labour volunteering, as opposed to ‘program’ volunteering. The difference lies in 1), you are tapping into an area which needs your time and labour, ie. hurricaine relief work in New orleans, as opposed to, 2) you are participating in a program that has a framework ie. building homes in Mexico.

What I have been addressing are PROGRAMS.

***

So, in summary, to answer the question of whether I would recommend people to participate in volunteer programs… My answer is: I would. As long as they:

1) Have the right motivation. Know the cost benefit breakdown of the trip.

2) Make sure it is a sustainable program. Research.

3) Prepare. In the RIGHT way.

These 3 criterias seem very simple, but it’s the simple things that we forget when we get caught up in an idea and in our lives.

Good luck volunteering! If you have stories/experiences to share, I would love to hear them.

The main speakers of the event would be World Peace through Personal Peace @ UBC Chan Centre:

1) The Dalai Lama “When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us.”

2) Desmond Tutu …is a South African cleric and activitist who won a Nobel Peace Prize in his fight against apartheid. He also won the Albert Schweitzer prize for Humanitarianism and the Gandhi Peace Price. Desmond Tutu campaigns for human rights, the oppressed, AIDS, homophobia, poverty and racism. Tutu is widely regarded as “South Africa’s moral conscience” and has been described by Nelson Mandela, as ” the voice of the voiceless.”

3)  Matthieu Ricard — http://www.matthieuricard.org/ …is a Buddhist monk, author and photographer in Nepal. Dubbed as “the happiest person in the world” by scientists, Ricard’s books mainly center around the meaning and fulfillment of happiness. He is also deeply engaged in the effect of mind training of the brain at Princeton and Berkeley. Ricard received the French National Order of Merit for his humanitarian work in the East.

4)  Eckhart Tolle … is a Canadian-German spiritual teacher, author and motivational speaker. He is most famous for his book “The Power of Now”, which emphasizes not being caught up in thoughts of the past and future and being aware of the present moment. It has been a NY Time bestbeller, and listed as one of Oprah’s favourite book. Since, he has published “A New Earth” exploring the structure of the human ego and how it acts to distract people from their present experiences.

Other notable speakers are:

Co-Recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize Mairead Maguire and Betty Williams for their work in Peaceful resolutions in Northern Ireland, Nobel Peace Prize Jody Williams for her work in banning landmines, Ken Robinson (Creativity expert), Daniel Siegel, Kim Campbell and Ashley Judd.

Tickets start at $100 for the main event and $60 for the others.

The event can be viewed here. Tickets can be purchased here.

See YOU there!

Note: Bios of speakers and pictures are taken and paraphrased (bios) from Wikipedia

His post walks us through a Lokman Tsui’s PHD Dissertation on Global Voices and the people behind it. He takes us through three models of journalism, essentially, how we need to move away from the current models and towards objectivity as a key journalistic value towards HOSPITALITY.

Lokman proposes that “the internet has challenged us to rethink and re-imagine journalism and democracy” and we have not yet done a good job fully utilizing its potential. If we then compare media to politics, where political democracies have functioned best where they represent a broad range of interests, opinions and people, why then, can’t media be representative and as hospitable, offering a space for conversation?

***

“Why has hospitality slipped away? Is it because we’re experiencing the false intimacy of a globalized world? Lokman suggests that we’re seeing a paradox of choice emerging online — as we’ve got more choices, we often make decisions that isolate and cocoon ourselves. Part of this may come from the biggest way in which we isolate ourselves — we restrict the flow of people across national borders to a much greater extent than we restrict financial or cultural flows. Perhaps we’ve become better at accomodating a person’s CDs or movies, but less good at accomodating the person herself.

This means that hospitality is a duty and an obligation, but that we shouldn’t pretend that we can prevent exclusion from some spaces.”

- Ethan Zukerman, Lokman Tsui on hospitality, journalism and Global Voices.

***

All that being said, I would hardly imagine to call myself a journalist, but, I, at the very least, am going to do my part to offer this s p a c e for conversation, and share my opinions.  I truly believe that having our ideas out there is becoming increasingly important in a connected world. So here’s a little background on myself and what I plan to use this s p a c e for.

I have something to say. Do you?

Thumbnail Picture Credit: Uploaded on December 3, 2006 by :petra:BadInternetSorry!!!