You shouldn’t need anyone to tell you that there were refugees long before the Syrian crisis brought their horror further into the public consciousness. There was famine before recent announcements of severe food shortages in Yemen, Malawi and Nigeria, too. And, today, with over fifty countries run by dictatorships, oppression isn’t in short supply, either. … Continue reading Video: Time to pay attention
Category: Video
Videos from Ken Banks and kiwanja.net: talks, presentations and interviews on mobile technology, social innovation and tech for good.
Video: Time to pay attention
Planet Earth: Desperately Seeking Moral Leadership
It’s not every day that you get the chance to spar with a Nobel Peace Prize winner on how to make the world a better place, but that’s exactly what happened to me three years ago. Tori Hogan invited me to sit on a panel she was organizing with Archbishop Desmond Tutu – who was … Continue reading Planet Earth: Desperately Seeking Moral Leadership
Every three seconds
Every three seconds, someone in the world dies from hunger or extreme poverty. In a society where materialism reigns, what is the real secret to happiness? Award-winning filmmaker Daniel Karslake (For the Bible Tells Me So) tells the unforgettable stories of five regular folks – a boy, a college student, a thirty-something and two seniors … Continue reading Every three seconds
Spirituality, being human, and how to change the world.
“Despite all of the ghastliness in the world, human beings are made for goodness. The ones that are held in high regard are not militarily powerful, nor even economically prosperous. They have a commitment to try and make the world a better place” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu I’ve been home for about three weeks since … Continue reading Spirituality, being human, and how to change the world.
2013: The end of sustainability?
One of the most interesting comments I’ve read for while came in this article by Andrew Zolli for the New York Times, written in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy late last year: Today, precisely because the world is so increasingly out of balance, the sustainability regime is being quietly challenged, not from without, but from within. … Continue reading 2013: The end of sustainability?
An inconvenient truth?
Exactly ten years ago this month I was preparing for my first ever piece of work in mobile, two years of work which would lead to the development of an innovative conservation service in 2003 – wildlive! – and the release of one of the earliest reports [PDF] on the application of mobile technology in … Continue reading An inconvenient truth?
Means of Exchange at Pop!Tech
Last month I returned to the US for one of my favourite annual events – Pop!Tech. It’s generally an opportunity to be re-inspired, meet old friends and help out as a Faculty member on the Social Innovation Fellows Program. This year I had the added opportunity of giving the first public talk on my latest … Continue reading Means of Exchange at Pop!Tech
Accidental appropriate technologies
#1: The Amazon Kindle While growing numbers of people in the development sector get increasingly excited at the potential of tablet computing for health, agriculture, education and other development activities, it’s the Amazon Kindle that’s been exciting me recently. The irony is, without really trying, Amazon have built something which more closely resembles an appropriate … Continue reading Accidental appropriate technologies
Delivering on your values
I’m just back from my first visit to Harvard University where FrontlineSMS was presented with the 2011 Curry Stone Design Prize. The award ceremony on Monday was followed by a seminar on Tuesday, co-hosted by Nicco Mele and Ethan Zuckerman. Our beliefs, values and approach come out strongly in this five minute video, put together by … Continue reading Delivering on your values
The inspiration at the heart of innovation
I couldn’t figure out last night, when I woke at 2am, why Twitter was over capacity. A few minutes later I got the answer. Steve Jobs had passed away. A quick visit to the BBC website confirmed the news. Ashton Kutcher (of all people) seemed to sum the mood up well: Steve Jobs gave an … Continue reading The inspiration at the heart of innovation
Football. Beer. Innovation?
Ever wondered where the original idea for FrontlineSMS came from? Find out in this fun 50 second video put together by National Geographic as part of their 2010 Explorers Symposium. For more information on our work with National Geographic, check out our profile page.
Innovative philanthropy and the quest for unrestricted funding
“In the real world, if you were to invest in a company you thought would make you a tidy profit, you wouldn’t tell the senior management they had to make a product of your choosing, restrict the number of vehicles they purchased, or expand operations into a new country. Why should we do any differently … Continue reading Innovative philanthropy and the quest for unrestricted funding
The Environmental Network
Date: Thursday 2nd June, 2011 Venue: Aspen Environment Forum, Aspen, Colorado Chair: Ned Breslin Speakers: Ken Banks, William Powers, Courtney Hight, Charles Porch The Environmental Network “Recent social movements in North Africa and the Middle East have shown the power of social media and mobile devices to accelerate change at the grassroots level. What lessons … Continue reading The Environmental Network
The innovation/entrepreneurship divide
Last month I attended the Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and sat on a Panel discussing “Conscious Capitalism” with Sally Osberg from Skoll, Bright Simons from IMANI, Michael Strong from FLOW and Mabel van Oranje from The Elders. It was during preparation for a short ten minute talk that my concept of “reluctant innovators” … Continue reading The innovation/entrepreneurship divide