Indigenous Innovation is a uniquely Indigenous approach to social innovation that informs and underpins the work of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE).
Young Redfern locals
Social innovations are new ideas (products, services and models) that simultaneously meet social needs and create new social relationships or collaborations. In other words, they are innovations that are both good for society and enhance society’s capacity to act (Open Book on Social Innovation).
Young Redfern locals
The NCIE is a social innovation in itself. We are a social enterprise and a new model for creating positive change.
The Centre is an organisation trading for a social purpose and creating new forms of collaboration. We develop effective and mutually beneficial Pathway Partnerships to deliver life-changing Pathway Programs that create brighter futures for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and their communities. We also utilise our culturally infused state-of-the-art facilities (campus, conferencing centre, sports centre and sports field) to provide world-class services to the wider Australian public and to generate a sustainable income.
Kamilaroi Elders
The social innovation surrounding the Centre and our work is led by Indigenous leaders and is informed by Indigenous perspectives on social change. The NCIE is a developing model of Indigenous Innovation and of ’what works’.
More on Social Innovation:
The Stanford Social Innovation Review, defines social innovation as: ‘a novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than existing solutions and for which the value created accrues primarily to society as a whole rather than private individuals. A social innovation can be a product, production process, or technology (much like innovation in general), but it can also be a principle, an idea, a piece of legislation, a social movement, an intervention, or some combination of them.’
The Gulbenkian Institute (Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian) and SIX (Social Innovation Exchange) have come up with this visual introduction to social innovation as part of their Fix the Future program.
Fixing the Future from SIX on Vimeo.