We are and do
Social Innovation

Danish Social Innovation Academy is social innovation in itself - the Academy builds on member democracy, creates new equal relationships and transforms structures and mindsets by mobilizing a cross-sector collective.

We create opportunities for conversations that go in depth and take us to new places. Where organizational interests fade into the background in favor of societal ones.

1

We are brave together

The Academy should be a place where we can air our big ambitions and try to make them real. We must have the courage to think big, to develop and test - and to fail. We learn from both our successes and our mistakes, and both are jointly owned by the Academy's members.

2

We commit

We believe we can create solutions together. The Academy for Social Innovation will not only develop, but also test new solutions to complex challenges. If we are to succeed in moving from talk to action, we need to commit to working with the ideas between Labs and allocate resources for development.

3

We don't let ourselves be limited by "the usual"

We use our experiences positively and constructively, but we must not let the ways we usually do things restrict us from creating new solutions. If we do what we have always done, we will get the same results we have always got. Therefore, we need to think and act differently from what we are used to.

4

We believe in the power of conversation

We don't believe in desk solutions. Therefore, in both the development and testing of solutions, we need to be in close dialogue with the individuals and organizations who are crucial in turning ideas into reality.

5

Curiosity and honesty

If we are to succeed in developing and testing new solutions to complex societal problems, we need to be able to be honest about what is difficult or easy, and if there is something we disagree on. We curiously seek to understand and challenge each other.

6

We hurry slowly

We don't have time to wait to get started, so we test as soon as we've found one possible solution to a challenge. But we also know that social change takes time. That's why we're not discouraged by the fact that change doesn't happen overnight.

7

We collaborate for societal change

We all have something that particularly interests us or our organizations. This is an important driving force in the Academy. But if we are to find common solutions, we must avoid "selling" our problems or ideas to each other. We need to collaborate on agendas that are of societal relevance.

8

We give more than we take

Experience and knowledge that are not shared do not create societal value. In order to inspire and get other's point of view, we share our ideas, knowledge, and experiences - both the positive and the negative - because we believe that it can strengthen the common foundation and contribute to new solutions.

The eight principles

Labs

Members of the Academy gather four times a year for Labs held at different locations in Denmark. The purpose is to inspire and challenge the participant and facilitate members to collectively find solutions. During the Labs, we experiment with different approaches to foster innovation and collaboration across disciplines, and we are curious about which formats and methods promote social innovation. We move around the country and draw inspiration from places, researchers, businesses and organizations, that can provide new perspectives and knowledge.

CHANGE INITIATIVES

We engage in communities for change and establish those missing

NETWORKING EVENTS

Academy morning and afternoon events

Five to six times a year, we host smaller networking events where we zoom in on a single theme, a current topic or something we are passionate about that we want to share and discuss with each other.

Knowledge

We are present locally, nationally and internationally

We engage where we believe the members can make a difference. That is why we get involved in events such as Folkemødet and Roskilde Festival, as well as smaller local initiatives and agendas.

We contribute to the social innovation knowledge

We continuously collect and disseminate our own debates, articles and reports and knowledge that inspire us.

Open Academy 2024: New paths for the future of democracy
Aug 27, 2024