Social Innovation Safari - A problem solving learning adventure

Date: 9 – 19 July 2013
Location: Amsterdam

The Social Innovation Safari is a two-week immersive learning experience where designers, social workers, academics, entrepreneurs, researchers, and practitioners from around the world work together to problem solve real-life social issues. We’ll use a problem-solving approach, which is collaborative, action-oriented, and inherently social. We’ll work on the complex social issues that are in desperate need of both new approaches and new solutions. The Safari is a methodology for developing our collective problem-solving capabilities and skills. Imagine joining an interdisciplinary dream team, and discovering new ways to prompt social change!

Organisation

The Social Innovation Safari 2013 is a collaboration between the University of Amsterdam, Kennisland and Hivos. Kennisland is an Amsterdam-based social innovation think tank. Hivos is an international development organisation guided by humanist values.

Learn by doing

During the Safari we learn by doing. We learn from each other, from leaders in the field, from faculty – but most of all, we learn by working on real-life challenges. We believe that the best way to learn is to blend different ways of knowing and acting. In working on real challenges you will get acquainted with different types of methodologies that combine creative and analytical approaches, and demand deep collaboration across disciplines. An important pillar of the Safari is the process of design thinking which draws on methods from engineering and design and combines them with ideas from the arts, theories from the social sciences, and insights from the business world. The focus is not on solving problems from the outside, but on understanding who is involved, what the problem is, and how to facilitate the co-design of new possibilities and unexpected solutions. Solutions that enable sustainable social change.

Therefore the Safari consists of a mix of:

Creativity and analysis
Design and social science
Bottom-up and top-down
People and systems
Reflection and delivery
Immersion and critical distance
Public, private, and civil sectors

Building Blocks: core content ingredients

The Safari is a method for change as well as a learning adventure. While tackling the real-life challenges you will actively learn about the following themes:

Framing a problem: who defines the problem? What is the problem behind the problem?
Stakeholder outreach & engagement: how do you identify all the different actors, and see the world from their perspective?
Measurement, accountability, and impact evaluation: judging the results and the outputs of our actions. When and why is a success a success?
Cultural diversity and value-based differences: how do we differ and what do we share?
Change management, dealing with resistance, conflict management, power dynamics: how do we keep moving when we get stuck?
Storytelling: how do we make the case for change?

Besides working on these capabilities during the Safari we will reflect on ‘transfer problems’ and what is needed to use these capabilities back at work in your own local context.

Learning goals

After the Safari participants will have experienced these main objectives:

Greater awareness and knowledge of complex social problems and ‘good’ solutions;
Realise new directions for real-life challenges;
Increased problem-solving capabilities and skills;
Understand how to apply methods and solutions to your own work context;
Be part of a global community of social innovators.

Apply on the UvA website

For any communication concerning your application or questions regarding practical matters of the programme use: summer-application@uva.nl (subject line should read: SOC ProgrammeYear – YourName).

For information or questions about the content of the Social Innovation Safari, please contact us: info@kl.nl or +31205756720