Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Of Modest Giving, Community Values And Social Change: An Interview With Hsieh Fu Hua, Lien Centre For Social Innovation

Social Space

Recognising the need for building capability and filling in critical gaps in management training, expertise and research in Singapore’s social scene, businessman and contemporary art enthusiast Hsieh Fu Hua has established Binjai Tree to make his contribution in a more structured fashion. Yet he reminisces about the cultural tradition of communities providing solidarity and support to its members and tells Social Space why a more modest and quiet approach to the simple act of giving is a way to encourage more Singaporeans to cultivate a spirit of altruism.

Shilpa Sayura Foundation - The Shilpa Sayura E-School, Lien Centre For Social Innovation

Social Space

In a country like Sri Lanka ravaged by decades of civil war, access to educational resources for an ethnically diverse population is scant at best, leading to disproportionate failure rates among high school students. The Shilpa Sayura team proposes to transform 600 existing tele-centres that facilitate e-learning and self-learning of the national curriculum to a new domain of digital knowledge that develops rural education in Sri Lanka.

Mira - Intermediary For Micro-Philanthropy, Lien Centre For Social Innovation

Social Space

Lack of access, or financial means, continue to be the most significant reason for why up to 18 million children in Southeast Asia are not enrolled in schools. Mira’s goal is to make education universally accessible by creating a personalised scholarship fund online that is self-managed and data-driven, enabling a collaborative sponsorship model that links funders to a particular student, with real-time updates from both parties.

Transitions Within The Ecosystem Of Change, Willie Cheng

Social Space

The ecosystem paradigm provides a framework to understand and influence the forces of change facing the nonprofit sector. In this extract from the forthcoming book, “The World That Changes The World: How philanthropy, entrepreneurship and innovation are transforming the social ecosystem,” Willie Cheng describes the social ecosystem framework, its change enablers and macro-trends.

Business Solutions To Global Challenges, Richard Welford

Social Space

Despite the prevalence of CSR initiatives in companies, there is a need to leverage on current practices to make them more effective and meaningful. Richard Welford looks at the advantages to such an approach.

"Eco-Cities" And "Sustainable Cities" - Whither?, Kheng Lian Koh, Asanga Gunawansa, Lovleen Bhullar

Social Space

The concept of sustainable cities was first discussed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2003, with the idea of eco-cities entering the picture in 2007. Are the two mutually exclusive, or do they overlap? The authors consider the implications of cities as engines of growth and examine case studies that reveal what lies ahead for sustainable cities and eco-cities.

Microfinance For Migrant Workers: Asia's Next New Market Opportunity?, Patsian Low

Social Space

Employment in developed countries is often the main source of income for many people at the bottom of the pyramid in developing countries and has led to the growth of an industry based on remittances. Patsian Low studies the ramifications this has for developing microfinance in host countries and the potential for cross-border collaboration in Singapore and Asia.

Habitat For Humanity - Interlocking Bricks, Lien Centre For Social Innovation

Social Space

Conscientious housing projects have to perpetually choose between expensive eco-friendly building materials and existing low-cost options that dominate the market. Habitat For Humanity Singapore’s team hopes to set up a research centre to contribute to low-cost, eco-friendly construction and to implement a financially self-sustaining model that provides employment to the local population.

Apopo: Building A Rats-Based Detection Technology With The Capacity To Detect Landmines, Lien Centre For Social Innovation

Social Space

Rats are traditionally viewed as pests in most societies. APOPO turns this stereotype on its head by training rats to detect mines in a wide-scale effort to push forward demining efforts in post-conflict countries. Mine Detection Rats (MDRs), also affectionately called HeroRATs, are a sustainable landmine detection technology, adapted to low resources settings. Rats have a highly developed sense of smell. They can detect the smallest traces of explosives emitted by the mines. Rats are intelligent creatures that also love to perform repetitive tasks for a small food reward. They live up to 8 years, giving a good return of …

Lien Centre For Social Innovation: Highlights Of The Start-Up Years, Lien Centre For Social Innovation

Social Space

This year, the Lien Centre for Social Innovation celebrates its fifth anniversary as an institution that’s dedicated to being a thought leader and catalyst for positive social change in Singapore and Asia. As we continue to refine and broaden our efforts to fulfil the Centre’s mandate, this article highlights some of the key activities and accomplishments in our start-up years, grouped in terms of our key areas of focus:

- Research

- Catalysing Social Innovation Initiatives

- Platforms

- Capacity Building

Storytellers As Philanthropic Champions: An Interview With Claire Chiang, Lien Centre For Social Innovation

Social Space

Singapore’s charity sector is undergoing significant changes to enhance management quality, accountability and transparency. But despite these positive changes, Ms Claire Chiang, entrepreneur and philanthropist, argues that Singapore also needs to cultivate a more visionary and global approach to philanthropy. She shares with Social Space her thoughts on storytelling and the need for mentors to champion the most urgent causes of the day.

Contextualising Csr: Multi-Stakeholder Approaches To Development Initiatives In Southeast Asia, Christine Davis, Stephanie Soderborg

Social Space

As the focus on CSR expands throughout Asia, discussion prevails about the form it needs to take to be germane to the needs of each respective country. The authors discuss Kenan Institute Asia’s efforts in developing a responsible management education (or CSR curriculum and training) for future managers and business leaders in Vietnam.

Discovering The Asian Form Of Corporate Social Responsibility, Bindu Sharma

Social Space

This article is part of an on-going research project that will look at the how corporate social responsibility (CSR) is being re-contextualised and re-defined in ten countries across Asia and how these perspectives contrast with the discourse of CSR in global (primarily Western) multinational corporations.