Fame, Impact and the Rat Race We Run
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 | Work + Life | 4 Comments
“It is easier to reach fame than impact.” These wise words were shared by the great Hans Rosling, global health professor and economic development extraordinaire, in a recent interview. For someone who has had such an impact on a variety of fields and influences in ways that are too many to count and are applicable across so many different disciplines–we should heed these words.
What are you striving for? It’s so easy to get distracted, disillusioned or just discouraged from the full potential and possibility of what we as individuals, teams and communities could achieve. And achieve isn’t the right word–but more so: experience, live, build and share.
We get comfortable. We feel as if, because people know who we are or rely on us–that means we’re having a long-term impact. We start to feel stress, pressure and anxiety to get X deliverable done–and expend energy focusing so much on the little things–we lose sight of the greater impact that’s possible. Sometimes I just wonder what would happen if we just took more time to talk to our neighbors, to hold the door open, to listen to people’s hurts, to encourage people to chase their dreams with purposeful abandon–just how much we could truly accomplish.
It’s easy to get lost in these thoughts (and I apologize if you feel I’ve rambled)–but this is why Rosling’s quote resonates. It’s simple and direct. So the next time you find yourself rushing, impatient, tired, proud, accomplished, rich–ask yourself if you’re feeding your desire to reach fame–or your desire to have an impact.
So How Do We Align with Impact?
Here are some initial thoughts:
- Be a team player–not a team slayer. Words of encouragement go so far–and all it takes is one harsh criticism, look or experience for someone to be completely cut down.
- Self-Awareness. Realize that how you walk, act, speak, listen (or not listen!) all communicate to others how you value them, their work and yourself.
- Encouragement. The more I realize how much people are isolated anymore, the great need I see for a culture of encouragement. My mother is the ultimate encourager–she calls me, writes me, emails me, posts on my Facebook wall–words of encouragement. Encouragement can change lives, build bridges of understanding, create common ground and develop a deep sense of trust.
- Take time to reflect. You can do this however you prefer–running, driving home, in the shower, before you go to bed. Reflection provides time for us to assess our actions and learn from them.
- People matter. This might seem obvious, but people–no matter their gender, age, race, creed, income, education-level, etc. matter. We are all members of the global citizenship–let’s not overlook anyone.
Please share your experiences in the comments–let’s learn together and kick fame’s butt–by reaching (living!) for impact.
flickr credit: Kate’s Photo Diary
The Understatement that is Digital Literacy
Saturday, May 14th, 2011 | Digital Literacy, Health 2.0 | No Comments
On Friday, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in collaboration with a number of Federal agencies (including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) launched of DigitalLiteracy.gov. The Web site serves to “provide libraries, community colleges, schools and workforce training centers a variety of resources and tools for teaching computer and Internet skills, which are increasingly necessary for success in today’s economy.”
This “online portal” serves a dire need and includes:
- Workforce development materials
- Curriculum materials
- Train-the-trainer materials
- Games and interactive tutorials
- Reports and articles
Built with a user-friendly taxonomy and easy-to-use search features, the site also includes the opportunity for collaboration and feedback. DigitalLiteracy.gov augments NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, a Recovery Act grant program that invests in projects to expand broadband access and adoption in the United States.
Often, sites launch and then people think about marketing them based on a mentality that “if you build it, they will come.” This might have worked for the Field of Dreams, but marketing and outreach needs to be a core component of launching any product from the get go. So get this:
NTIA is partnering with the American Library Association and the Institute of Museum and Library Services to promote the use of the portal by the nation’s 16,600 public libraries. Now THAT is interesting and THAT is where the real change will occur. This piece of information was the last bit of content shared in the three-page fact sheet about the launch. Yet, it’s where the real meat is (IMO).
Yes, having this resource is great and the fact that so many people are coming together around digital literacy is especially important to recognize. But here’s the thing: The launch of the site is a great milestone, but it’s only the beginning.
Digital Literacy and Public Health
Public health folks need to pay attention. More and more health information is going online and digital. How are the people who most need this information going to use it if 1) they can’t access it and 2) they don’t fully understand it? DigitalLiteracy.gov provides information to those working to help Americans develop digital literacy skills–but there’s also the feedback loop.
Librarians are public health professionals who often advocate to be a part of the solution, but who are sometimes overlooked–not anymore. 16,600 libraries means at least 16,600 stories. Let’s hope we get to hear about how these libraries are using DigitalLiteracy.gov and the impact its having on library patrons.
One of the best parts of the site is the “In the Community” section which highlights best practices from a variety of programs working to address digital inclusion and digital literacy. We need to hear–and listen to–these stories. We need the stories of success–just as much as we need to hear about the ones that failed. Why? Because it’s all about learning. We can learn from those teaching digital literacy and from those developing their digital literacy skills themselves to inform how we produce and deliver public health information.
Broadband access and digital literacy is vitally relevant to public health. Because of this, all public health folks should read the National Broadband Plan, understand it, and advocate for digital literacy and health literacy. Without either, we won’t get too far.
If Crowdsourcing Fails, How Does Democracy Prevail?
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011 | #read4change, Civic Egagement, Social Technologies | 4 Comments
There’s been plenty of debate on the true value in crowdsourcing.
Just the other week many questioned American Idol’s crowdsourcing technique of asking audience members to text their vote for their favorites when Pia Toscano was voted off. Crowdsourcing was also in question with President Obama’s “Open for Questions” initiative when questions on the nation’s drug reform were at the top of the public agenda. In fact, the number one issue--not once, but twice--was the legalization of marijuana. And again, when Change.org held its crowdsourcing contest “Ideas for Change,” the legalization of marijuana also floated to the number one spot.
Before you say crowdsourcing is so 2008, give me a second. This may be an oversimplification--but I can’t get the thought out of my head. I understand the benefits of crowdsourcing--but there’s also a time and purpose to applying a crowdsourcing approach.
Here’s the leap: Is voting a form of crowdsourcing?
Having recently joined the army of weekday commuters, I just finished listening to Arianna Huffington’s Third World America on audiobook. (Note: Bush’s Decision Points is next on my “to read” list as I want to study differing viewpoints and perspectives.) Despite Huffington’s obvious leanings and strong (and sometimes distracting) language, she does make some interesting arguments. One of which is her look at education and its role on our economic and political structures, specifically, the American public’s access to quality information.
Have you read Third World America? What were your thoughts and reflections upon reading it? And, is voting a form of crowdsourcing? One of the messages I appreciated most from Huffington’s book was her call for increased civic engagement from citizens ourselves as she did balance her argument asking for both policy changes as well as increased individual accountability.
Though I would have liked to hear more about the solutions she proposes to the problems she outlines, she does encourage people to visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/third-world-america, as a hub for getting involved and taking action (a smart move on her end I must say).
Additional Resources:
- Third World America: Why I Wrote the Book and What We Need to Do to Save America’s Middle Class by Arianna Huffington
- Editorial: Obama’s Third World America, Washington Times
- How You Can Prevent America from Ever Becoming a Third World Country, Huffington Post
“Seek knowledge. Ask questions.”
Hope is Rising
Thursday, March 24th, 2011 | Campaigns, Initiatives and Movements, Faith, Guatemala, Video | No Comments
If we are afraid to respond--who will? To call these individuals unsung heroes--is an understatement. The people featured in the documentary Reparanda (trailer below) are warriors of humanity fighting for hope. The hope they bring can’t be seen, can’t be touched but it can be felt and in Guatemala, the hope is rising.
As many of you know, my grandma, my mom and I traveled to Guatemala last June to be fellow soliders in the fight for transformational change in what some think is a hopeless situation. The tragedy is real (10 minutes after we entered a homeless shelter--a man was shot and killed right outside the shelter’s door!). But the change is real too--Mother Tita as many often call her has built not just one, but two schools(!) in the largest slum in Latin America located in Guatemala City.
This documentary, produced by the group Athentikos, highlights the work of Mother Tita and some of the people we met on our trip in Guatemala. The people in the trailer--I’m honored to say I’ve met, I’ve shaken their hand, I’ve seen their tears, I’ve prayed with them and I respect, admire and love them. Words aren’t enough--When people make impressions on your heart--on your being--you can’t fully express what that does to you.
Perhaps you’ve had a similar experience? Some people experience this and start their own company. Some people create a nonprofit. Some people work to tell the stories of those who share in the same experience. Others just do.
Believe in your story. Online, we talk about influence to the point of fatigue. We are all so much more than influencers--We can be changemakers. How will you respond?
What’s Happening this March?
Saturday, March 5th, 2011 | Events and Happenings | 1 Comment
Spring is in the air… Well, almost. Here’s a look at some of the top social change events happening this month. Where do you go for your inspiration?
March Events
Observances
National Nutrition Month
March 2011, [U.S. Health Observance]
Hashtag: #NNM
National Sleep Awareness Week
March 7-13, 2011 [U.S. Health Observance]
Hashtag: #sleephealth2011
World Water Day
March 22, 2011 [UN Observance]
Hashtag: #WorldWaterDay
Earth Hour
March 27, Worldwide
Hashtag: #earthhour
Events and Conferences
TED2011
Feb. 28-March 4, 2011, Long Beach, CA
Hashtag: #TED
The Social Enterprise Conference–Presented by the Students of Harvard
March 5-6, 2011, Boston, Massachusetts (Harvard Campus)
Hashtag: #seocon
South by Southwest (Interactive)
March 11-15, 2011, Austin, TX
Hashtag: #SXSW
Innogive: Mobile Giving Applied
March 16, 2011, Washington D.C.
2011 Government Web and Social Media Conference
March 17-18, 2011, Austin, TX
Hashtag: #govwebcon
Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTEN)
March 17-19, 2011, Washington D.C.
Hashtag: #11ntc
IMAGINE Solutions
March 21-22, 2011 Naples, FL
Skoll World Forum
March 30-April 1, Oxford, U.K.
Hashtag: #skollwf
*******
Feel free to send me an email at abornkessel@fly4change.com if there is an event happening that I should consider adding. I look for events that discuss social innovation, social marketing, mobile and social technologies, public health, advocacy, social change, non-profits, journalism, social entrepreneurship, leadership, special observances, and more.
flickr credit: eaglegrl76
Crossing the Double Divide, Two Million Dollar Questions
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 | Digital Literacy, Health 2.0, Social Design, Social Media, Trends and Emerging Issues | 2 Comments
Earlier this month, Susannah Fox discussed a health Information divide based on a recent report. This divide was also confirmed in a recent literature review on the effectiveness of social media in public health–cited as a double divide:
“A common concern raised in the published literature (38, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70) relates to the populations with limited online access, poor literacy skills, and disabilities that impair access to social media platforms: “…health scientists exploring the issue of the digital divide have found evidence of a double divide. Specifically, those without internet access (a large portion of whom may be without adequate health care access) are prevented from gaining health information available on the Internet” (38).
Though this double divide exists, it does not mean that we should disregard the Internet and social media as a tool in our health communications and social marketing work. There are bright spots of the Internet and social media’s impact in public health and in impacting the health of vulnerable populations. As, the literature review goes on to share that some researchers suggest that social media platforms can actually “augment poor health literacy of basic literacy skills” and “that digital penetration into marginalized groups actually improves access to some specific demographics.” And this is where the importance of the National Broadband Plan comes into play.
Why? Because of the National Broadband plan not only outlines how to increase access to the Internet across the United States. But, it also includes key recommendations for increasing digital literacy. One of the recommendations that caught my attention most was the call to create a Digital Literacy Corps with the objective of mobilizing thousands of Americans across the United States to improve digital literacy. Compound that with last year’s release of the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy and the objectives set out in Healthy People 2020, and we’re on our way to crossing this double divide.
But what do we do until then?
The literature review offers the following recommendations on using social media to improve effectiveness for public health:
- Establish clear objectives.
- Know your target audiences.
- Design campaigns for longevity and/or have exit strategies and clear archiving processes.
- Determine resource needs.
- Determine agency content-clearance processes and/or prepare pre-approved messaging scripts.
- Listen to online health discourse.
- Encourage or sponsor research.
- Encourage coordination.
These are great recommendations, and number 7 is especially important. But value is gained from having a critical eye. So when data like this from Pew’s Health Topics report is shared, how can we be sure to reach the people who need our attention:
…fewer than half of adults in the following groups in the U.S. look online for health information:
- African Americans
- Latinos
- Adults living with a disability
- Adults age 65 and older
- Adults with a high school education or less
As I write and work to use social technologies for social good, I know their potential and understand the benefits they can offer. So I don’t necessarily need “convincing.” Instead, I’m on the lookout for case studies–from the local level and up.
A Case in Point
For example, in St. Louis, the St. Louis County Library and the physicians of Saint Louis University have teamed up on a series of free community health literacy programs, referred to as “60-Minute Health Check-Ups.” The check-ups are” designed to provide information and resources to help attendees learn more about health-related issues. Each program features health information presented by a SLUCare professional, followed by health literacy tips from a St. Louis County Library reference librarian and free health screenings.”
This might not seem wildly innovative–but it’s a strong example of the place “P” in social marketing. And, when you add these stats from the 2010 U.S. IMPACT Public Library study into the mix (borrowed from a comment made by Luke Rosenburger on Susannah’s Health Information Divide post)–you can see the opportunity increased digital literacy could provide for better health:
Research has shown that libraries are a very important nexus for this kind of connection. The “US IMPACT” study, released April 2010 by the University of Washington Information School and underwritten by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reveals that nearly one in three Americans age 14 or older — 32% or roughly 77 million people — used a library computer or wireless network to access the Internet in the previous year. Among people living in households whose income was less than 200% of federal poverty guidelines ($44,000 a year for a family of four), 44% used library computers and Internet access.
Thirty-seven percent of library computer users, an estimated 28 million people, focused on health and wellness issues, including learning about medical conditions, finding health care providers, and assessing health insurance options. In one particular group — seniors (65 and older) living in poverty — a full 54% used library computers for health or wellness needs.
The study also suggests that library computer use leads to positive action on health and wellness: roughly half of the people who used a public library computer to find doctors or health care providers reported that they made follow-up appointments. Among those who reported researching diet and nutrition issues online at the library, 83% decided to change their diet; among visitors who searched for exercise and fitness information, 84% decided to change their exercise habits. The benefits also reach beyond just the individuals who come into the library: nearly two-thirds of library computer users (63%) logged on to help others; 56% reported helping friends or family with health matters specifically.
So are libraries the answer? From the information provided and from knowing some smart and savvy librarians, I’d say yes! But, I feel like they are just part of the answer.
The Million Dollar Questions
One: What are people doing to cross this double divide and what results are they seeing? Show us the case studies and share the lessons learned!
Two: In what ways can we reach people on the side of the divide without health information and without digital literacy skills–and bridge the gap in terms of health disparities and health information, services and products? (And before you answer “MySpace” or “mobile” –show me the evidence. As, I feel more and more strongly, to cross the divide, we need a markets-based approach to health that addresses changes regarding the social determinants of health. No?)
BONUS: CDC’s January 2011 Health Disparities and Inequalities Report (CHDIR) — The information in this report is astounding and eye-opening.
flickr credit: kcryder
Still Here–Just In More Places
Friday, February 18th, 2011 | Digital Literacy, Mobile | 1 Comment
You may have noticed that I haven’t been posting here quite as often. Part of the reason for this is that I’ve been writing for a few different places over the past few months. I highlight some of the posts below:
Private and Public Sectors Address Digital Literacy
[On IQ Solutions' Blog] On January 18, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) approved the $30 billion joint venture between Comcast and NBC Universal. Only one of the five FCC commissioners dissented-allowing the deal to pass and giving Comcast unprecedented control over both content and syndication. Arguments over media consolidation aside, the deal comes with some fine print that caught our attention: Comcast claims to focus energy on digital literacy and providing broadband access in low-income communities.
Read More.
- Have Questions, Not Answers for 2011
[On Care2's frogloop Blog] In the nonprofit arena, the word “marketing” can have a bad rap. But you can help change that–and with good reason. Marketing, in particular, social marketing can make all the difference in your organization’s work come 2011. Read More.
- In Review, the mHealth Attendee Gaining in Notoriety
[On Pulse + Signal] This week’s mHealth Summit in Washington D.C rolled out the red carpet for some of the world’s top innovators including Ted Turner, Bill Gates, U.S. CTO Aneesh Chopra and over 2,000 participants from 30 countries. It was a learning hub and feeding ground for those in government, NGOs, research, technology, policy and business. But there’s one attendee I spotted throughout the conference that gained in notoriety and demand—behavior change.
Read More.
Hopefully, I’ll be back here posting more regularly again soon. However, I’m now starting to understand why, when I tell people that I blog, they ask me: How do you find the time? Well, as you can see, that’s been a bit of a struggle lately. Never fear though–something it always in the works. Until next time, Alex.
flickr credit: Leonard John Matthews
What’s Happening this February?
Saturday, February 5th, 2011 | Events and Happenings | No Comments
What are you looking forward to this month? Feel free to send me an email at abornkessel@fly4change.com if there is an event happening that you think others should know about. In particular, the events listed below relate to social innovation, civic engagement, social marketing, mobile, tech, health 2.0, social media, government 2.o, social change, non-profits, journalism, social entrepreneurship, leadership, special observances, and more.
February Events
Individual Events and Observances
American Heart Month
February 2011, [U.S. National Health Observance]
National Wise Health Consumer Month
February 2011, [U.S. National Health Observance]
Webinar with Nedra Weinreich: Behavior Change Tricks of the Trade
Feb. 8, 2011, Online
A New Kind of Solution: Bring Code for America to Your City
February 8, 2011, Online
Social Media Week
February 7-11, 2011, Multiple Locations
Health 2.0 STAT
February 11, 2011, Washington D.C.
Tech@State: Open Source
February 11, 2011, Washington D.C.
Government 2.0 LA
February 12-13, 2011, Los Angeles, CA
Webinar with Nedra Weinreich: Real-World Social Marketing Research and Evaluation
Feb. 22, 2011, Online
Health 2.0 Developer Challenge: Code-a-thon
Feb. 19, 2011, Boston
World Day of Social Justice
Feb. 20, 2011 [UN Observance]
Health 2.0 Developer Challenge: Code-a-thon
Feb. 21, 2011, Washington D.C.
TED2011
Feb. 28-March 4, 2011, Long Beach, CA
Designing for Community Change
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 | Campaigns, Initiatives and Movements, Case Studies, Social Design | 3 Comments
At the beginning of the month, Craig Lefebvre challenged us to 10 “What Ifs” for social marketing in the coming year. At the heart of Craig’s what ifs is a change in perspective in terms of approach. This shift is also reflected in the United States’ recently released Healthy People 2020 blueprint which is committed to improving the quality of our Nation’s health by producing a framework for public health prevention priorities and actions. Compared to Healthy People 2010, Healthy People 2020 includes:
- Social determinants of health as a new topic area in the Healthy People 2020 framework, and
- Determinants of Health are also one of the four new Foundation Health Measures which will be used as guides to monitor progress toward promoting health, preventing disease and disability, eliminating disparities, and improving quality of life in the United States.
One of the greatest ways that this shift is being applied in social marketing is by evolving the social marketing approach to influence systems, networks and environments. How? Through design--Let’s take a look at a couple examples.
Bertie County, North Carolina: Teaching Design for Change
Designer Emily Pilloton is truly inspiring in her approach, her commitment and personal dedication to finding innovative solutions and sustainable approaches to positive social change. Pilloton founded Project H Design, a non-profit design firm where they apply the design process to catalyze communities and public education from within. In the presentation above, Pilloton shares with us the story of Bertie County. The county is the poorest in the state and faces a number of public health challenges that other rural areas may relate to including being a “rural ghetto,” dealing with “brain drain,” and having little access to creative capital.
However, the picture in Bertie County is becoming more vibrant thanks to Pilloton and others working to change the system--the environment. Pilloton walks us through the six steps her firm has applied to make change come to Bertie County:
- Design through action.
- Design with, not for.
- Design systems, not stuff.
- Document, share and measure.
- Start locally and scale globally.
- Build.
In short, Poilloton and the Project H team “design solutions that empower communities and build collective creative capital.” They might not say “we do social marketing” up front--but to me, that’s exactly what they’re doing and we can learn much from them. They are doing the work and taking the type of approach that the shift described above calls for and requires. And shown in Bertie County, this may mean that we need to get our hands dirty, ignite creativity, make genuine connections with those we want to serve, and have a personal conviction to see change happen.
Howard Roads, Virginia: Designing for Physical Activity
This example comes from Rescue Social Change Group (RSCG). RSCG is a research, marketing and strategy firm where they focus on the relationship between identity and behavior to change behavior through culture. In this specific case, RSCG worked with Howards Roads, Virginia to promote physical activity amongst youth. The reason this case stands out is because it didn’t take the ‘easy button’ approach of pushing “get active” or “exercise more” messages to tweens and teens. Instead, they went a step further and actually designed an environment to promote physical activity for youth. They accomplished this by creating a step dancing league called Step Royale where teams compete throughout the year to earn the title of the best step team in Hampton Roads.
From What Ifs to What Next
Given these two examples, here are three “What Ifs” to add to the list:
- What if public health wasn’t just about the message but also about the design, the system, the network and the environment?
- What if public health wasn’t just the responsibility of public health folks but resonated and took root in our communities?
- What if we didn’t ask what if--but instead, asked what’s next?
I’m almost thinking of a Roosevelt-New-Deal-sense of shared responsibility and commitment. The global citizen can start with us and our neighbors--We can design change in our communities.
Disclaimer: Healthy People 2020 is an initiative by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services--of which, is a client that I work with at IQ Solutions.
What Would You Say? Thoughts on Global Citizenship
Thursday, January 6th, 2011 | Campaigns, Initiatives and Movements, Civic Egagement, Health 2.0, Social Technologies, Trends and Emerging Issues | 3 Comments
What would you say to world leaders if given the chance? This is the question the UN’s Citizen Ambassadors campaign asks us. The campaign is two years running and involves a video contest that “encourages world citizens to voice their opinions to Heads of State and Government and weigh in on the decisions made by the member states of the United Nations.”
According to the campaign Web site, the initiative is one in a series launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. The purpose? To utilize “the power of the Internet and social networking to engage a new generation of world citizens in the importance of international diplomacy.” This is an inspiring charge–but in reality, could be quite difficult in achieving. So, let’s break this down.
The Power of the Internet and Social Networking
Over 825 million people use the Internet in Asia as of July 2010. In terms of population, Facebook would be the third largest country if it were a country given its 500 million active users. It’s also translated in over 70 languages. Six in ten Americans go online wirelessly using a laptop or cell phone. 86% of adults ages 18-29 use social networking.
Mobile giving raising over $30 million for Haiti relief efforts. Technology saving lives and enabling communication. Community-funded journalism fueled by the passion of citizen journalists and digital storytelling. Random Hacks of Kindness, Crisis Camps, Ushahidi, accessible health data and a slew of additional examples have some dubbing 2010 as “the year citizen platforms grew.” Why? Because of the power of the Internet and social networking in facilitating, connecting, empowering and enabling both individuals and communities to better serve a global mission.
Need I say more?
A New Generation of World Citizens
By now, you’ve probably heard about the “Millenials,” those born between 1981 and 2000 as defined by the Pew Research Center. Summed up, Pew identifies Millenials as “Confident. Connected. and Open to Change.” The UN is correct–there is a new generation of world citizens who want more, but I don’t think it’s limited to just Millenials. I think they are referred to as global citizens. Lovisa Williams in her post “Global Citizenship Building Momentum” defines global citizens as:
A Global Citizen is everyone whether they know it or not. They don’t have to know the term or even the concepts associated with the term. The bottom line is if you live on earth you are now part of an ecosystem that is larger than your village, your tribe, you town, state, province, or nation…Part of recognizing you are a Global Citizen is recognizing you have the world on your shoulders. You have the responsibility to help advocate for those who don’t recognize they are Global Citizens and are also responsible for helping to provide solutions to these issues.
The concept of global citizenship faces its own challenges. For example, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs may come to mind. If someone doesn’t have their basic needs met such as having food and shelter–is it too much to expect global citizenry? Some may say yes. But the potential of a network of people coming together over shared commonalities wanting to promote humanity–well, if we could achieve that, then just imagine the possibilities.
International Diplomacy
In August 2010, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton announced the State Department’s Global Health Initiative, working to improve global health as a way to achieve diplomacy:
I’d like to share with you the next chapter in America’s work in health worldwide. It’s called the Global Health Initiative, GHI for short, and it represents a new approach, informed by new thinking and aimed at a new goal: To save the greatest possible number of lives, both by increasing our existing health programs and by building upon them to help countries develop their own capacity to improve the health of their own people….
Global health is a prime example of how investing our resources strategically can have an immediate and lasting impact on people, communities, and countries.
There is too little coordination…
There is too little integration….
There is too little innovation…
Addressing global health is now a part of the U.S.’ International diplomacy efforts. An important step–is going to be figuring out how to enable and empower the global citizen to play a part in achieving better global health (diplomacy). Our world is growing–but it’s also shrinking. We are becoming more connected and more aware of the problems we face and the commonalities we share–how we funnel this awareness into action could make the difference.
When These Powers Combine
Combine innovation mixed with the rising call of global citizenship with the changes happening at the policy level–I dare to be optimistic in saying that change is going to come. The next step? How do we first define global citizenship, then operationalize and expand its mantra? There are glimpses of it–See the U.N. Foundation’s Girl Up! campaign or the State Department’s Civil Society 2.0 initative–but the concept can go wider and deeper.
So, what would I say to world leaders if given the chance? First, I’d ask them when was the last time they served the humblest members of their communities and what they learned from the experience. My hope would be that shared challenges would be identified and that the conversation would turn from “What Would You Say?” to “What Would You Do?” And in that, a focus and discussion on global citizenship would take place.
I recently asked some fellow colleagues what they would say to world leaders if given the opportunity. And without any prompting from me–the discussion concluded with an assertion that gets to the heart of global citizenship–We are the world leaders:
So, What would you say to world leaders if given the chance? And if we are the world leaders, what does that mean?
Alexandra Bornkessel
Email: abornkessel@fly4change.com
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
If you have questions, comments or concerns, email me at abornkessel@fly4change.com.
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