Rippling (Hardcover)

FOREWORD BY BILL DRAYTON xi

PROLOGUE xv

INTRODUCTION: RIPPLING SOLUTIONS INTO SYSTEM CHANGE 1

PART ONE Restructuring Institutional Norms 18

Reflections by Esther Dyson

1 Power to the People—Germany 22

How Elektrizitatswerke Sch¨onau works with communities to buy back, manage, and control electric grids so it can replace nuclear power with renewable sources of energy.

2 The Teaching of Teaching—United States 32

Changing the dynamics of how and what teachers teach; appreciating the vision of the Center for Inspired Teaching.

3 From Servitude to Solution—India 42

How the Rickshaw Bank is reinventing the lives and livelihoods of rickshaw drivers.

4 Lifting the Veil for Women Who Don’t Exist—Nepal 54

Removing age-old restrictions on women who lose their rights, property, and freedom after the death of their husband; understanding how Women’s Human Rights is changing the face of Asia.

PART TWO Changing Market Dynamics 64

Reflections by Peter M. Senge

5 Using MicroConsignment to Open a Door to Economic Inclusion—Guatemala 68

Exploring the way Community Enterprise Solutions offers ‘‘a basket of solutions’’ to rural villagers by lowering the cost of economic entry for suppliers.

6 Dialing Maize 411—Kenya 84

Using technology to connect small-scale farmers with real-time competitive prices; how the Kenya Agricultural Commodities Exchange improves the lives of small farmers.

7 Stimulating Fiscal Vibrancy by Creating a New Economy—Brazil 94

Stimulating local economies by creating a new currency and a system of community banks for low-income citizens; the story of Bancos Palmas.

PART THREE Using Market Forces to Create Social Value 104

Reflections by William Jefferson Clinton

8 From Garbage to Gold—Peru 108

How Ciudad Saludable creates microenterprises around garbage collection and increases the economic viability and positive health outcomes of communities in which they operate.

9 A Better Model of Capitalism—United States 120

Ensuring a fair price for farmers by transforming global trade practices; the influence of FairTrade USA on American consumers and its impact on families around the world.

10 Shit Business Is Serious Business—Nigeria 134

Building a culture of sanitation and hygiene in crowded urban areas in Africa and Asia; why DMT Mobile Toilets is literally changing the landscape and much more.

11 Putting the Public Back in Public Housing—France 146

Applying a quintuple bottom line to eco-housing, Chenelet energizes low-income neighborhoods while creating community with dignity and grace.

PART FOUR Advancing Full Citizenship 156

Reflections by Geeta Rao Gupta

12 Financial Freedom for Children—Global 160

Equipping a generation of youth to take charge of their financial survival, Aflatoun balances the scales in favor of their future.

13 Overcoming the Barriers Between Us and Them—Germany 170

Redefining disability as ability and otherness as likeness; the story of Dialogue Social Enterprise, creator of the ‘‘Dialogue in the Dark’’ experience.

14 Autistic Abilities—Denmark 180

How Specialisterne (Specialist People Foundation) is transforming autism from a handicap to a competitive advantage.

15 Crazy Becomes Normal—Argentina 190

Reconnecting the mentally ill with society and vice versa, La Colifata uses a weekly radio show broadcast by the patients as the link.

PART FIVE Cultivating Empathy 200

Reflections by Arianna Huffington

16 From Babies to Behavioral Shift—Canada 204

The effectiveness of Roots of Empathy in ending aggressive behavior among children.

17 Cultivating Champions of Interfaith

Action—United States 214

Building widespread public support for interfaith youth work on University campuses; embracing the mission of the Interfaith Youth Core.

18 Beautiful Resistance—Palestine 224

How Alrowwad creates a space to express normality in conflict zones.

19 Conclusion: Turning What Is and What If into What Can Be 236

EPILOGUE: HOW TO THINK ABOUT TOMORROW 248

NOTES 251

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 256

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 258

INDEX 261