Innovation and social needs?

Looking at society as a whole, solving a need sometimes involves shifting limited resources from one area to another. This is often an unsustainable short-term solution satisfying pressing needs, but as new needs arise old ones are likely to remain; hence, we need to take hold of the root of the problems causing these needs.

Einstein once said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it”. This involves embodying the knowledge that has evolved in society and applying it in the creation of new solutions – of the social innovations. Innovations targeted to meet social needs aim to “permanently alter the perceptions, behaviours and structures that previously gave rise to these challenges”. Simply put, social innovations aim to obtain the triple bottom line (measured on the satisfaction of both people, planet and profit) and be “an idea that works for the public good”.

The more new concepts, thoughts and action that takes place on a local and global level the more innovations will occur and spark the possibility for socially innovative solutions.