TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
Musings from TIG HQ
Musings from TIG HQ
Well, Well, Well....
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Actually, it's only 2 "Wells" - Malcolm Gladwell and Mark Kingwell, who was speaking at the Well Well event (A Dialogue on Social Change) @ U of T that I just attended.

A few quick thoughts:

a) always bring a pen...I forgot mine and thus am relying on my memory...but a friend of mine took notes, so I'll be able to crib off her and provide more indepth analysis later this week.

b) Gladwell talked about putting action before awareness - that raising awareness amounts to advertising - sure we may get our message across, but if no-one is actually changing their behaviour, then what difference does all that energy expended make? He cited how forcing children under the age of 5 to wear seatbelts was a subversive way of getting adults to buckle up, raising the percentage of seatbelt use from 15% to 70%. On the flip side, he also talked how Al Gore - who could arguably have been the 2nd most powerful person in the world for 8 years - could have actually done something about climate change, but only after out of the power does he become a campaigner for the cause. What it boils down to is that awareness and talk only do so much, and that at the end of the day, social change comes with actions being taken.

c) Kingwell, on the other hand, took the stance that social change happens because we share a space of empathy between those who need help. He used the conversion story of Paul the Apostle as a way to illustrate that social change relies on the connection one can make with another being. Where the doctrine of "Love thy neighbour like thyself" should first and foremost be the driving force for change. Where caring about others is what compels you to reach out and help your fellow human being.

d) Watching the interplay between a journalist (Gladwell) and philosopher/journalist (Kingwell) can be entertaining. However, while both playfully threw barbs and derided their counterparts profession, I would suggest that journalists and philosophers both play the same role of describing the world, with different levels of language. One does so relying on facts, everyday occurrences and reportage; the other drills down and employs a "higher" plane of thinking, extrapolating from instances.

e) Couple of other topics thrown out - Bill Gates, the role of money, the role of journalists, changing governments...

A Marx quote used to kick start the whole evening serves as a great summation: “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.” The point of TIG is to change the world - it's the actions that we all take together that allow more people to be aware of the problems in the world and the solutions that are being used to address them.

Hopefully I'll get more notes to share what else was discussed tonight!

May 13, 2008 | 10:42 PM Comments  0 comments

You must be logged in to add tags.


Nick Yeo's Profile

Nick Yeo's Friends


Latest Posts
The TIG Film Crew is...
Digital Natives -...
Now this is wireless...
Thoughts about...
46,672 km and 5 weeks...

Monthly Archive
August 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008

Change Language


Tags Archive
advertising cisco climatechange csr digitaldivide entrepreneurship film fundraising iac media mexicocity music mytig nobel oslo pangeaday pricingmodels progress quebeccity revamp socialchange socialinnovation sponsorship stockholm summit takingitglobal technology tig weaddup wyc

Filter By Type
Events
Travel
Topics

Friends
Adam MacIsaac
Ajani Boluwaji Francis
Andi
Benjamin Quinto
Caitlin Leigh Chandler
Chiara C.
Chika
Christian Robitaille
Christy Walters
Daniel Hatcher
Emily Briggs
Emily Kornblut
Francis
Francisco Pereira
François Godonou
Franziska Seel
ghazaleh
GSimon
Han Nguyen
Hannes Koudelka
Heather Chi
Heather Girling
ilyes
Incia Zaffar
Jaevion
Jana McDade
Jennifer Corriero
Jo Anne
Jocelyn Sweet
Joya Banerjee
Kate Jongbloed
Kimia
Kirsten
LauraK
Lucas Robinson
Luke Walker
Madelaine Hamilton
Mai
Malcolm Lawrence
marian cox
Mehrdad Nadimi
Michael Furdyk
Muneeb
Muqing
Naomi Sorkin
Natalie Rodic
Nathaniel Cyrus Yue-Kiu Chan
Nigel A
P.J. Partington
Paul De La Merced
Pauline
Rachel M Jacobson
Ran Ren
Raul Alberto Caceres
Reshma Pattni
Rex Lee
Robert M
Samar Samir Mezghanni
Sessi
Stephanie Penev
Todd Fraser
uzma
Vidar Ekehaug
Vishal Harnal
Xingtao
Yasmary Mora
Yassir EL OUARZADI


10221 views
Important Disclaimer