“A New Paradigm”: Sally Osberg at the 2009 Skoll Awards
Sally Osberg, CEO of the Skoll Foundation, gives an introduction at the awards ceremony at the Skoll World Forum 2009. “We meet this year at a defining moment,” she says. “Our global economy is a wreck, our planet in peril, and extremism on the rise, its forces strengthened by the implosion of free capital markets…I’m optimistic because I believe we’re seeing the best minds in the world coming at these and other challenges from a new paradigm.”
With: Sally Osberg
Thank you, thank you KT, that was fantastic. And thank you too for ensuring we don't break our tradition of having Nobel Peace Prize performers, here to honor the Skoll awardees. So, thank you. We've had Salman Ahmed and Monica Yunus and now KT Tunstall. So, rock on! Good evening everybody, I am Sally Osberg CEO of the Skoll foundation and it's my great privilege to welcome you all here tonight for the 2009 Skoll awards for social entrepreneurship.
KT is clearly at home here at the forum, an artist-activist, I just want to tell you a little bit about her in case you don't know some of these more current things. She shares some familiar traits with all of you - creativity, and tenacity, vision, and voice and what a voice. In October, KT's focus on climate change took her to the town of Uummannaq.
Uummannaq, in case you're wondering, is on the west coast of Greenland, 590 miles North of the Artic circle. KT was there with Cape Farewell, a fascinating initiative that brings together artists, writers, scientists, educators, and media to draw attention the the catastrophic consequences of climate change for humanity and our planet. I've also learned that KT's tour busses run on bio-fuel, and that she doesn't own a car. So she is the real deal, someone who voice sounds the call to act while we can't while we must. Thank you again KT. We meet this year at a defining moment. The global economy is a wreak our planet in peral, an extremism on the rise, its forces strengthen by the implosion of free capital markets.
Add in ever fiercer clashes over scarce or choked supplies of food and water, the threat of new diseases, nuclear arsenals, an expanded conflict across the Middle East and central Asia, and you'll be hard pressed not to see world bent on its own destruction. Ten year horizons to reverse these trends may be, sadly, too far out to salvage the future to which everyone here aspires. How can any sane person show up at this moment in this place to celebrate? Is there still a case for optimism? I'm optimistic because I believe we're seeing the best minds in the world and legions of young people in the wings coming at these and so many other challenges from a new paradine.
A paradigm that rejects business and politics as usual. That sees how ignoring or even marginalizing environmental, and social impacts, and ethical governess represents a fundamentally flawed strategy for any organization. That the old order is crumbling and the time is ripe, to embrace even as we create, a morally justifiable and sustainable world.
Last year, last year I shared my belief that social entrepreneurship had entered a new phase. One that acknowledges the game changing role of innovators and the imperative that they partner, network, and join up with others who know what has to be done to make not just a different but sweeping, lasting change where it matters most.
Over the months since we've met I've come across an idea that I think applies. The concept is quorum sensing. Ant's and bees do it, bacteria do it. And I'm convenced we do it as well. Stay with me on this one. Consider that most social of insects, the ant. When ants nests are compromised they don't just give up they send out scouts who's job it is to identify and explore potential new sites. If the site is so-so the scout ant delays her return.
but if it is promising, she makes tracks back to the old nest where she gathers up a bunch of fellow ants to join her in checking out the news In this way using staggered intervals of time, and gathering up more and more numbers to validate the new site, the ant community quickly figures what's in its best interest. Once the threshold number of the colony members once had the chance to see themselves what the feature might be, the entire colony packs up its queen, her brood ,and everyone else and moves to its new home.
I'd argue social entrepreneurs are humanity scouts exploring future possibilities and returning with news about what change looks like. You're signaling that there's something helpful out there and slowly, but ever more convincingly, the quorum is building. Today we're seeing health and education ministries partnering with social entrepreneurs to ensure people the world over have access to first rate health and education.
Multi laterals are taking their queues from social entrepreneurs as they put together bold new funds to preserve the planets forests and oceans, and academic institutions are creating new courses, institutes and programs in social innovation <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">to keep up with the drumbeat of demand from students. The scouts are signaling and the planet's inhabitants are getting it. We're sensing a quorum and it's up to us </span>to amplify most promising reports from the front to make sure that this time we don't lose the moment to travel together community by community toward that better future.
At the Skoll Foundation we take up this challenge of amplifying such signals, connecting and celebrating in addition to investing. Each year at this event we preview the newest films in our 'Uncommon Heroes' series. The first two we'd like to show back to back, each is about seven minutes long, profile social entrepreneur who have tapped into the partner to the power partnerships and networks to scale their impacts dramatically. Healthcare without harm is the first. Healthcare without harm, co-founded by Gary Cohen, played a critical role in eliminating the use of mercury in US healthcare facilities, and is now tackling the challenges of dangerous and environmentally harmful practices in health care systems world wide. Root Capital is in innovated financial services that targets the missing middle, helping organizations, primarily small, rural producers and cooperatives, that are too big for micro financing, too small for commercial capital, access the vital growth funding they need. Both Healthcare without harm and Root Capital are masters at building the kinds of supply chain partnerships that are driving the change. Please watch.
KT is clearly at home here at the forum, an artist-activist, I just want to tell you a little bit about her in case you don't know some of these more current things. She shares some familiar traits with all of you - creativity, and tenacity, vision, and voice and what a voice. In October, KT's focus on climate change took her to the town of Uummannaq.
Uummannaq, in case you're wondering, is on the west coast of Greenland, 590 miles North of the Artic circle. KT was there with Cape Farewell, a fascinating initiative that brings together artists, writers, scientists, educators, and media to draw attention the the catastrophic consequences of climate change for humanity and our planet. I've also learned that KT's tour busses run on bio-fuel, and that she doesn't own a car. So she is the real deal, someone who voice sounds the call to act while we can't while we must. Thank you again KT. We meet this year at a defining moment. The global economy is a wreak our planet in peral, an extremism on the rise, its forces strengthen by the implosion of free capital markets.
Add in ever fiercer clashes over scarce or choked supplies of food and water, the threat of new diseases, nuclear arsenals, an expanded conflict across the Middle East and central Asia, and you'll be hard pressed not to see world bent on its own destruction. Ten year horizons to reverse these trends may be, sadly, too far out to salvage the future to which everyone here aspires. How can any sane person show up at this moment in this place to celebrate? Is there still a case for optimism? I'm optimistic because I believe we're seeing the best minds in the world and legions of young people in the wings coming at these and so many other challenges from a new paradine.
A paradigm that rejects business and politics as usual. That sees how ignoring or even marginalizing environmental, and social impacts, and ethical governess represents a fundamentally flawed strategy for any organization. That the old order is crumbling and the time is ripe, to embrace even as we create, a morally justifiable and sustainable world.
Last year, last year I shared my belief that social entrepreneurship had entered a new phase. One that acknowledges the game changing role of innovators and the imperative that they partner, network, and join up with others who know what has to be done to make not just a different but sweeping, lasting change where it matters most.
Over the months since we've met I've come across an idea that I think applies. The concept is quorum sensing. Ant's and bees do it, bacteria do it. And I'm convenced we do it as well. Stay with me on this one. Consider that most social of insects, the ant. When ants nests are compromised they don't just give up they send out scouts who's job it is to identify and explore potential new sites. If the site is so-so the scout ant delays her return.
but if it is promising, she makes tracks back to the old nest where she gathers up a bunch of fellow ants to join her in checking out the news In this way using staggered intervals of time, and gathering up more and more numbers to validate the new site, the ant community quickly figures what's in its best interest. Once the threshold number of the colony members once had the chance to see themselves what the feature might be, the entire colony packs up its queen, her brood ,and everyone else and moves to its new home.
I'd argue social entrepreneurs are humanity scouts exploring future possibilities and returning with news about what change looks like. You're signaling that there's something helpful out there and slowly, but ever more convincingly, the quorum is building. Today we're seeing health and education ministries partnering with social entrepreneurs to ensure people the world over have access to first rate health and education.
Multi laterals are taking their queues from social entrepreneurs as they put together bold new funds to preserve the planets forests and oceans, and academic institutions are creating new courses, institutes and programs in social innovation <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">to keep up with the drumbeat of demand from students. The scouts are signaling and the planet's inhabitants are getting it. We're sensing a quorum and it's up to us </span>to amplify most promising reports from the front to make sure that this time we don't lose the moment to travel together community by community toward that better future.
At the Skoll Foundation we take up this challenge of amplifying such signals, connecting and celebrating in addition to investing. Each year at this event we preview the newest films in our 'Uncommon Heroes' series. The first two we'd like to show back to back, each is about seven minutes long, profile social entrepreneur who have tapped into the partner to the power partnerships and networks to scale their impacts dramatically. Healthcare without harm is the first. Healthcare without harm, co-founded by Gary Cohen, played a critical role in eliminating the use of mercury in US healthcare facilities, and is now tackling the challenges of dangerous and environmentally harmful practices in health care systems world wide. Root Capital is in innovated financial services that targets the missing middle, helping organizations, primarily small, rural producers and cooperatives, that are too big for micro financing, too small for commercial capital, access the vital growth funding they need. Both Healthcare without harm and Root Capital are masters at building the kinds of supply chain partnerships that are driving the change. Please watch.
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