Learning for Change: Are we all Ali Baba's? If opportunity knocks, build a door!

The session set itself out to use the wisdom of the audience, based on the principle that everybody has knowledge. The organisers of the session work with JPI Urban Europe, which aims in part to bridge the gap between policy makers, social innovators and researchers.

In that spirit, the workshop focused on an interactive role-play based on a real world scenario. The organisers put forth the case of an initiative based in Utrecht: De nieuwe Jutter. This initiative, which is a citizens’ initiative that instigates and organizes activities for the elderly in the neighbourhood, faces the threat of having its centre shut down if it is unable to provide new solutions for sustainable funding.

photo by Jonas Bylund

The attendees were asked to play the role of one of the 5 different case stakeholders: the social innovator; the researchers; the Alderman; the business owner; and a professional healthcare and welfare organization.

After familiarizing themselves with their roles, the attendees participated in an initial 20 min round of discussion, which brought the stakeholders together to find a solution. The audience was then asked to remark upon the round of discussion in order to pinpoint potential solution tracks and possible barriers.

Another 20 min discussion ensued, with a new cast of audience members playing the roles of the stakeholders. After this second round of talks, the audience was again asked to brainstorm possible tools in order to navigate to a solution.

The participative nature of this workshop allowed the crowd to put themselves in the shoes of stakeholders that they sometimes deal with within their own initiatives and research. It also led to a number of pertinent comments that allowed the organizers to restructure the problems that they presented. By utilizing the collective intelligence of the crowd, the session touched on the different dynamics that shape social initiatives, and gave an inclusive and encompassing vision of the challenges that stand in the way of modern social innovations.