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All over the world, social innovation is tackling some of the most pressing problems facing society today - from fair trade, distance learning, hospices, urban farming and waste reduction to restorative justice and zero-carbon housing. But most of these are growing despite, not because of, help from governments.

Geoff Mulgan

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Geoff Mulgan
Age: 63
Born: 1961
Born: January 1
Economist
Writer
Helping
Waste
Governments
Tackling
Problem
Problems
Zero
Pressing
Government
Learning
Innovation
Farming
Today
Growing
Fairs
Reduction
World
Justice
Despite
Housing
Help
Fair
Urban
Society
Distance
Facing
Hospice
Social
Trade
Carbon
Restorative

More quotes by Geoff Mulgan

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Social innovation thrives on collaboration on doing things with others, rather than just to them or for them: hence the great interest in new ways of using the web to 'crowdsource' ideas, or the many experiments involving users in designing services.
Geoff Mulgan
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Advisers who think that they are very clever while all around them are a bit thick, and that all the problems of the world would be solved if the thick listened to the clever, are liable to be disappointed.
Geoff Mulgan
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Economies are complex beasts that need people to do an extraordinary range of tasks.
Geoff Mulgan
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As the Internet of things advances, the very notion of a clear dividing line between reality and virtual reality becomes blurred, sometimes in creative ways.
Geoff Mulgan
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All of nationalism can be understood as a kind of collective narcissism.
Geoff Mulgan
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The wrongful arrest of tens of thousands of British Muslims after the September 11 attacks can be explained by the very poor intelligence the police had, and, just possibly, excused by the fact that a terrorist action in Britain linked to British Muslims would have been hugely damaging.
Geoff Mulgan
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The biggest barrier to dealing with climate change is us: our own attachment to habits that are hard to shift, and our great ability to park or ignore uncomfortable choices.
Geoff Mulgan
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Britain is rich in radicalism, and anyone who says that our society has drifted into fatalism and apathy should get out more.
Geoff Mulgan
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Young people who were relaxed about posting every detail of their life on Facebook become a lot less relaxed when they realise just how transparent their life has become to future employers.
Geoff Mulgan
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The City of London has never been known for understanding technology and has never matched Silicon Valley's tradition of knowledgeable investment in technology start-ups, just as the U.K. government has never matched the vast investment made by the U.S. government.
Geoff Mulgan
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The idea of entrepreneurship applies as much in politics, religion, society and the arts as it does in business.
Geoff Mulgan
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Big business increasingly likes to portray itself as socially concerned, adopting the style of civic action through 'campaigns' of varying degrees of cynicism.
Geoff Mulgan
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By international standards, many of the U.K.'s policies for civil society are exemplary. However, there are concerns about constraints on civil liberties - particularly restrictions on free assembly and about the rising tide of everyday regulation has seriously impeded community activity - from organising street parties to helping children.
Geoff Mulgan
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One of the lessons of history is that even the deepest crises can be moments of opportunity. They bring ideas from the margins into the mainstream.
Geoff Mulgan
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The longer you commute the less happy you're likely to be.
Geoff Mulgan
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Bangalore has become a centre for healthcare.
Geoff Mulgan
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So is civil society prepared for the future? Probably not. Most organisations have to live hand to mouth, juggling short-term funding and perpetual minor crises. Even the bigger ones rarely get much time to stand back and look at the bigger picture. Many are on a treadmill chasing after contracts and new funding.
Geoff Mulgan
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The most important innovators often don't need any technologies - just imagination and acute sensitivity to people's needs.
Geoff Mulgan
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Societies advance through innovation every bit as much as economies do.
Geoff Mulgan
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A lot of people in government don't really read books at all.
Geoff Mulgan