A Better World Is Possible (Part 2) A Sense of Careful Optimism

This blog post is Part 2 of a 3-part series based on a talk I delivered at the C3: Connect. Collaborate. Create. conference at Wilfrid Laurier University on November 20, 2011.
A Better World is Possible (Part 1) – Lessons Learned can be found here.

A World in Crisis

Given the headlines we are seeing in newspapers and publications all over the world, there is no doubt in my mind that the world is going through a monumental shift in the way we operate as humanity, in light of the complexities of the global challenges we face.

We only have to look at the Arab Spring Revolution from earlier this year as well as the Occupy movements right here in North America to get a sense that all is not right with the world today.

Europe currently finds itself in the midst of a euro zone debt crisis calling into question the very existence of the European Union as a political and economic entity. And in recent days, we have seen tens of thousands of people turn to the streets in Russia to protest alleged ballot-rigging in the recent parliamentary elections, demanding a re-run.

One headline that many people may not be aware of is the fact that rising food prices are currently adding pressure to already fragile political and economic systems, sparking food riots in many developing countries across the globe. We are also seeing an increasing frequency of natural disasters together with the further degradation of our environment  leading to unprecedented numbers of climate refugees worldwide.

Indeed, there is a lot of pent up frustration in society with more and more people recognizing that the systems we have in place, from the financial and housing markets to healthcare and education, don’t seem to be working.

Returning closer to home, in a recent op-ed piece to CNN, writer and media theorist Douglas Rushkoff points out that if you think the Occupy Wall Street movement is just a phase, you don’t get it.

That’s because, unlike a political campaign designed to get some person in office and then close up shop (as in the election of Obama), this is not a movement with a traditional narrative arc. As the product of the decentralized networked-era culture, it is less about victory than sustainability. It is not about one-pointedness, but inclusion and groping toward consensus. It is not like a book; it is like the Internet.

Occupy Wall Street is meant more as a way of life that spreads through contagion, creates as many questions as it answers, aims to force a reconsideration of the way the nation does business and offers hope to those of us who previously felt alone in our belief that the current economic system is broken.

With all of this in mind, if you were to ask me whether I was optimistic or pessimistic about the future, I would say that I share a sense of careful optimism for the following reasons: the very powerful ideas of social enterprise and social innovation brought to life by changemakers and the incredible (often, youthful) idealism of people wanting demanding that there must be a better way to do things.

Of course, this is not to say that the systems keeping the status quo in place won’t give up without a fight. As JFK once said, those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. 

The world is changing, no doubt.

The question remains, what side of history do you want to be on and what role will you play?

Next: A Better World is Possible (Part 3) – Opportunities in the BOP-Market