Its cheering to see that there is support for this idea by way of an organisation.

Its common now to use the euphemism Underprivileged instead of The Poor as the word is not so confrontational. But whatever nomenclature is used this section of the community is the only one which does not have a voice: no Union, no Advocacy ...and, even more importantly, no credibility or respect.

During the 7 years of my inclusion in this group I found that no matter what proposals emanate from this sector no-one will listen. A plethora of ideas, schemes and proposals emanated from within, i.e. from those most advantageously placed to assess not only the needs - but the viability of such schema. On two occasions I presented complete packages to relevant sources from whom no acknowledgment or response was forthcoming - only to discover that both had, subsequently, been implemented using the exact paradigms outlined - but with any advantage accruing to the relevant bodies and not to the people they were designed to empower.

There is no dearth of innovative ideas or practical solutions to problems deemed by Government or ubiquitous Thinks Tanks as insoluble.
Historically what has been lacking is the perception that this sector of the community has anything to offer. And ears not only to listen, but to be receptive.

Hurrah!! Go immediately to http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozideas.

A sub-site is http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozideas/socinvent.htm

This website was founded 1995 by the Australian Centre for Social Innovations, founded 1990. It is linked to the British Institute for Social Inventions, of which I am an almost-founding member since 1984.
Our aim is to encourage everyone, whoever they are, to think innovatively about how to improve quality of life and help solve social problems. Many projects and ideas now in common practice and thinking have been promoted or initiated by the British institute. It operates the Global Ideas Bank, to which anyone can contribute, at http://www.globalideasbank.org/submissions.html. Projects and ideas can be brilliant, complete,still starters, or even seem silly.

The Australian OzIdeas website has 277 pages of ideas and projects, including ideas about social inventing itself.

I am campaigning for ‘Social Inventing’ to be part of English studies, as Creative Non-Fiction. I have a manuscript book that could be used as a junior text to start off ideas, and encourage reading and writing. Many young people are not keen on fiction or on studying it in school, and like the idea of thinking about what can be done in the world.

OzIdeas also specialises in finding alternative solutions for social problems.
It ranges over the entire political spectrum. There’s a Fringe Ruddfest 2020 that you may find is the Fringe that is needed.

Contributions to Ozideas are welcome, including to the 2008 complementary site still under construction, at http://www.ozideas.org.au/

Do give it a go! Including Romany.

Could I add my endorsement to the plea in the original article, and to the further observations offered by Romany.

One of the greatest areas of innovative need is in education.

There are many things wrong with the way education is conducted in this country. But the crisis point known to many is the way children are taught (or not taught) to read.

Education bureaucracies, faculties and teaching staff all have entrenched interests in the ways things are currently organised, which makes them seek solutions in minor modifications when a root and branch rethink and restructure is needed.

I know how this could be done. I have demonstrated over a ten year self-funded pilot program that my approach is successful.

Except for the parents I have been completely ignored. Worse. I have been subjected to stage-managed legal abuse. And I am running out of time and energy.

For a case-study in how innovative developments are killed off, check out my (three) articles on this site, taking particular note of the (peculiarly idiotic) comments attached to the first article, and the absence of comments on the second article (when I was favourably reviewing the ideas of an 'expert').

Then look up the Early Reading Play School web site. For details on the legal attack dogs unleashed on me, Google up "RSPCA UNMASKED"and pay particular attention to PART TWO.

Then contemplate the news that in Adelaide three child care centres are now going to be linked with three kindergartens, so that children in care centres can have some academic instruction without leaving the centres.

This is a perfect example of the way that entrenched vested interests, when confronted with a problem, come up with an apparent "solution" that has the great advantage of not rocking the boat, even if it has the actual outcome of worsening the problem.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any concrete suggestions on how to leap over the so far successful road-blocks to a nationally relevant and potentially spectacularly useful innovation. Try my photo-art.com.au website for the most easily used contact details.

Check out this article on Education and Immigration in America:

http://www.beyondthemargin.net/2008/06/education-and-immigration-in-america.html

A good article that makes lots of sense.

Once social innovation and entrepreneurship can get started, all sorts of links start to be created. And, as the author alludes to, there is no way of predicting what exactly will happen. Governments just need to trust that people atually do know what's best for them. The Public Service at the current time should really be called the Great Public Impeder.

A great thing that happens when people are enabled is that, all of a sudden, there is a critical mass of people to make a difference. This will then fuel the paradigm shift in thinking that is needed.