Category Archives: education

“The Climate School” – equipping every employee to play their part in tackling the climate crisis

The Climate School powered by Kite Insights aims to equip all employees with the knowledge (head), motivation (heart), and tools (hands) to become true leaders and take action on climate and other sustainability issues.

Disclosure: the latest addition to my portfolio career is being a Kite Insights Fellow

The problem: while companies are making increasingly bold sustainability commitments…few are transforming their organizations at the pace or scale needed to positively impact nature and climate change. Achieving net-zero targets requires radical transformation of every aspect of a company.

At the same time, the latest survey (Every Job is a Climate Job) shows that 83% of employees are ready to take action in the context of their work, irrespective of their seniority, gender, or function. So there is a huge employee engagement opportunity.

The solution: The Climate School – We activate employees’ readiness, willingness, and ability to act through an education and engagement program designed to boost: climate knowledge, climate conscience, and climate action.

The approach: Evaluate measuring employee readiness with our proprietary Climate Action Readiness Assessment (CARA). Based on the results we move to educate and co-develop customized engagement and learning journeys that include e-modules, workshops, and masterclasses by the level of knowledge, function, level of seniority, and geography. Armed with a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities, we further support our clients to activate employees, facilitating ideas for change, and how they can advocate and lead on these issues aligned with corporate business and sustainable strategies.

Learning about “Regeneration” 3 recommendations

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Regeneration this word/approach/concept/movement is now everywhere. Here are 3 recommendations: a book, a video and an article that provide excellent guidance to understand and follow this important movement.

1.One of the most remarkable books covering this subject is Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation by Paul Hawken. Regeneration is a radical new approach to the climate crisis, one that weaves justice, climate, biodiversity, and human dignity into a seamless tapestry of action, policy, and transformation that can end the climate crisis in one generation.

The book together with its companion website plot a pathway to achieve the goals outlined by the report “Global Warming of 1.5°C” published by the IPCC in October 2021. The book concludes with a section titled “Action and Connection” showing the solutions in detail and actions to be taken. It also includes an ever growing wiki of climate actions for the most important Nexus. Nexus are large complex issues that intersect multiple institutions, geographies, cultures, and people, but which do not fall under a single category of action or impact. Plastic, global fishing fleets, and palm oil are three prime examples (from the book Regeneration by Paul Hawken)

2. Regeneration Speech by Walmart CEO Doug McMillon (13 min)

A seminal speech by Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart. The company has been very active with their sustainability efforts since 2005. In 2020 they committed to become a regenerative company and explains in detail how they will achieve this goal.

3. Surfing Big Waves of Regeneration: John Elkington interviews Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard

An insightful interview by the Godfather of modern sustainability, John Elkington and the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, a rock climber, surfer, innovator, environmentalist, entrepreneur and outdoor industry billionaire businessman.

Future of Learning Graphic Novel now Live (Singularity U)

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The output of the workshop, the graphic novel of the Future of Learning is now live! Also SU has created the Exponential Guide to the Future of Learning, which provides valuable content and resources on this topic.
From SU website;

The Future of Learning SciFi DI workshop brought together more than 50 participants, including SU Faculty and staff, startups, mentors, and alumni, as well as local teachers, students, nonprofits and foundations all connected to the field of learning innovation. We explored trends in exponential technologies, took a deep dive into augmented reality and virtual reality, discussed the future of learning and work. Identifying current challenges in the global education system, we tried to re-imagine these challenges after assuming a number of technological and social advances that could occur within fifteen years. Then the participants were led through a process of capturing the life and story of an individual living fifteen years into the future, which artists and writers in the room transformed into the graphic novel. Through the characters of the novel we explore central questions about the future purpose of learning, what it will mean to be a student or teacher in the future, what a school might look like in the future, what a curriculum might look like, and what life might feel like in general. In particular, we imagined a world where a school could follow the student instead of the student attending a school, where today’s learning curriculum and grading system is replaced by students advancing in their learning by solving real-life problems, where the boundary between being a student and teacher blurs, and where adults and children often learn together.
While we hope you’ll enjoy immersing yourself in this particular version of the future, we encourage you to design your own. What will a student, teacher, school, and curriculum look like? What technologies would you incorporate, and how would they help bring about a world where everyone could be inspired to learn and teach, solve real-world problems, and find opportunities to contribute to their community?

Science Fiction Design Intelligence workshop “The Future of Learning” at Singularity University

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The Future of Learning was an exhilarating two-day workshop (Feb 28-March 1) at Singularity University (SU) that I was fortunate to be part of. The methodology SciFi-DI developed by SU is a compelling unique approach to innovation. It is used to design future visions by leveraging science fiction to look 15 years into the future and then retrocast to redefine what we could build today. See here a great example of a SciFi-DI workshop that SU conducted in the past “The Future of Home”

We were a very diverse group of 50 including a number of SU faculty and staff as well as talented artists and storytellers. The workshop started with “deep immersion” to exponential thinking and technologies and how these would affect the future. Then we worked in groups of 3-5 using 7-8 worksheets.
1) Frame the problem, a potential solution, define what issues must be addressed, the challenges in each area (Societal, Technological, Environmental, Economic, Political or in short STEEP)
2) Select from a list of predictions which ones we think will become true by 2034 (STEEP Framework)
3) Retrocast by working backwards from 2034 noting key activities, partnerships and milestones required to develop this solution using STEEP segments
4) Character development: create a person/robot through whom we would be illustrating the problem and the solution
5) Brainstorm: the worst and best ideas to solve this problem
6) Develop a key concept worksheet
7) Write a scenario/storyline using the character (setting the scene, normal day… until one day, solution and result) At this point we got help from the artists.

All 12 groups presented their problems/solutions. We all got 4 votes each to cast on the favourite story/solution. The winner was the story of Nuni, an AI empathy and an educational bot and Yabi a 9 year-old kid living in Chad. Nuni checks Yabi’s individualized educational plans, creates digital content and most importantly, facilitates interaction with other children (real and virtual) by directing Yabi to interactive collaboration spaces. It also interacts with other Nuni’s to create a happy, healthy and safe learning environment. So using technology to increase human interaction.

The beauty is that SU will make a comic book out of this and will be distributed to the public for free!
Thank you SU team!

Takeaways from The GIIN Forum 2018

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Over 1300 delegates attended the GIIN Forum 2018 which took place in Paris on Oct 30-31st. A strong opening message from Amit Bouri, Co-founder and CEO of the GIIN;

We need a new financial system that is accountable for its effects on people and the planet. I believe that impact investing presents a real alternative to the status quo….. 3 priorities for impact investments: mobilize more capital, ensure impact integrity and build the movement…..I hope that every one of you views this movement not just as an opportunity but as a responsibility to lead, to change expectations, & to build a just and sustainable world where everyone uses the full power of their investment capital as a force for good!

As the movement grows and starts mainstreaming there are different forces at play. As my colleague quite cleverly pointed out, there are a few camps looking at impact investment from different perspectives: impact fundamentalists, risk mitigators and impact washers. Thanks to GIIN members, and the thought leaders like Jed Emerson and Sir Roland Cohen there is a strong push to ensure impact integrity.

Sir Cohen commented on “the steps to reach the impact tipping point 2020” that
1) we should start seeing by 2020 the equivalent of impact accounts under GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) so that companies can publish alongside their financial accounts their impact financial accounts and 2) Measurable means dependable, not 100% accountable… if 20% of companies measure their impact, that’s a paradigm shift and the rest will follow.

“We need to have a conversation about what value we really want to create. We will stay where we are if we just stay focused on making money with money.” were strong words by Jed Emerson who has recently published “The Purpose of Capital” (the book is free to download!), a very important literature that reminds us to stop and reflect as we are thinking and talking too much about the “how” and getting blurred on the “why”.

Omydiar Network presented the outstanding series “Beyond Trade-offs” covering perspectives of leading investors who have moved beyond the trade-off debate to invest across the returns continuum.
“We need to move beyond the binary debate of commercial returns vs concessionary – in reality, it’s a continuum.” Roopa Kudva, Partner Omydiar Network

A topic which is appearing more is the role of Blockchain in impact. There were two presentations both moderated by Shaun Conway, President of ixoFoundation. ixo is building the Blockchain for Impact, transforming all measurable changes that have an impact into Verified Impact Data with crypto-economic Proof of Impact. A lot of exciting learnings to come from this area!

ixo: The Blockchain for Impact from ixo foundation on Vimeo.

Digesting and expanding on the learnings from Singularity U. We are just getting started….

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8 weeks have passed since the intense week at Singularity U, where 92 curious and fun minds were exposed to and learned from the awesome experts in the field of exponential technologies as well as from each other.
Some of the phrases that stuck and continue to sink in:

-unlearn, be bold
-be adaptable
-the biggest risk is not thinking big enough
-make a note to my future self
-ask good questions
-data integrity… screen for the truth
-machine learning, cloud robotics
-blockchain, a new way to consider trust
-abundance: rising income, lifespan, food and water availability
-massive cost reduction: energy, VR, human genome sequencing, in-vitro meat, 3D printing
-digital manufacturing in space
-XR (extended reality) will accelerate dematerialization (spaces & experience)
-inclusive abundance: imperative for human survival (is it possible?)
-longevity escape velocity
-nanobots in our brains in 2030?
-quantum/blockchain/solar/AI supremacy converging in 2025?
-reframe strategy: zoom in (6-12m) zoom out (10-20 years)
-technology will allow us to do everything… exciting and a bit scary if used badly
-importance of ethics and moral enhancement

We did learn a lot then, but now it feels that the executive program was just the beginning. We are sharing great stories and news, asking better questions, so we continue to accelerate our learning journey. We are also connecting people from our networks and aiming to scale the positive impact that we can create while finding solutions to the great challenges. How exciting it is imagining what we can achieve collectively over time! Thank you SU and SU colleagues!

Firdaus Kharas, a social entrepreneur using media to better human conditions around the world

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Firdaus contacted me that he was in Zurich so we had a spontaneous lunch this week (27.6.2017). He was in Italy shortly before and was planning to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but this trip was cancelled due to the unfavorable security situation. He recently completed three animated shorts to combat violence in DRC and Ecuador (tensions rising at the border as 600,000 Colombians have moved to Ecuador). If this is successful, it can be again replicated for use in other countries.
Firdaus founded Chocolate Moose Media in 1995 to produce animation, documentaries, videos and television series designed to educate, entertain, and change societal and individual behavior. The themes and campaigns range from HIV&AIDS prevention (The Three Amigos campaign), protection against malaria (Buzz and Bite), Ebola prevention, Zika virus, domestic violence (No Excuses), refugees, human rights, solar energy, and dementia. Over 3,500 animated videos in 188 language versions are available online at vimeo FOR FREE!
This is an immense rich resource available for governments, businesses, social enterprises, not-for-profit organizations, schools and individuals to use it to sensitize, educate or raise awareness on all these relevant issues. Needless to say, a short animated film or a short video that can communicate the core message of a complex issue is very effective and powerful. He mentioned the renewed interest in refugees, a topic very close to his heart, as prior to his media career, he worked for the Canadian government dealing with immigration and refugee policy.
We met 7 years ago as we both attended the Executive Program in Social Entrepreneurship at Stanford Graduate School of Business and we have kept in touch. It was the third time we met in Zurich. Everytime I am impressed of the positive impact he is creating. Thank you, my friend. I certainly hope that more people and organizations make a lot more use of his powerful videos.

Skoll World Forum 2016: Fierce Compassion

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The 13th Skoll World Forum on social entrepreneurship took place on April 13-15. It was my 10th Skoll and it was one of my favourite forums so far. There are many sessions that can be seen on video. This year the theme was Fierce compassion and the topics most highlighted were “climate change” and “refugee crisis”.
Highly recommended videos to watch:
Al Gore: A Climate of Change: Fueling a new future
Alexander Betts: Refugees as a Resource
Profile of the 2016 Skoll Award Recipients:
–Mallika Dutt and Sonali Khan (Breakthrough)
–Bryan Stevenson (Equal Justice Initiative)
–Chuck Slaughter (Living Goods)
–Vivek Maru (Namati)
–Oren Yakobovich (Videre)
Sessions:
–Refugee Crisis: Roots and Remedies
–Getting Beyond Business as Usual: Paving the way for social progress

The musical performances during the Forum were just awesome and inspiring starting with Malek Jandali, Syrian-American Composer and Pianist, Juanes, and Sonita Alizadeth.

The most moving performance was of Sonita, rapper and child marriage activist. The two videos Sonita’s performance and the interview that followed are the must sees of this year’s Skoll.

I would like to thank Jeff Skoll, Sally Osberg, the whole Skoll team and the University of Oxford for hosting again such an inspiring and powerful rich content forum.

This entry was posted in conference/symposium, education, empowering people, innovative partnerships, publications/presentations, social entrepreneurship, sustainability, Uncategorized on April 23, 2016 by microfinance.

Bunker Roy receives the prestigious Clinton Global Citizen Award

Last night Bunker Roy, founder of Barefoot College was one of the 7 recipients of the prestigious Clinton Global Citizen Awards. . The awards were presented at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York,

..the honorees are chosen based on their innovative and effective approaches to making positive global change, and on their work’s potential for scalable growth and sustainability. They are leaders whose efforts transcend borders, change lives, and set an example for us all…

( source: Clinton Global Initiative)
Congratulations Bunker!

This entry was posted in education, innovative partnerships, social entrepreneurship on September 26, 2013 by microfinance.

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Invest and donate with impact, a journal by Naoko Felder

Category Archives: education

“The Climate School” – equipping every employee to play their part in tackling the climate crisis

Learning about “Regeneration” 3 recommendations

Future of Learning Graphic Novel now Live (Singularity U)

Science Fiction Design Intelligence workshop “The Future of Learning” at Singularity University

Takeaways from The GIIN Forum 2018

Digesting and expanding on the learnings from Singularity U. We are just getting started….