12 April 2013 ~ 1 Comment

Social Fiction: Muhammad Yunus Asks Social Entrepreneurs to Write the Future

Social Entrepreneurship

I just wrote a short piece from the Skoll World Forum on the Huffington Post about “social fiction” – a term Muhammad Yunus used in his talk at the forum.  For you, if you are interested!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniela-papi/social-fiction-muhammad-y_b_3070491.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

  • Nathan Thompson

    HI, thanks for the blog it is really helpful to me as I am in my 3rd month volunteering (of the high skilled sort) in Cambodia. In order to deal with my own ignorance I have come up with a solution: I have let go of all preconceived notions of what it means “to help”. Instead of focusing on delivering programs I am focusing on just being present in the village. Just being here and responding to whatever happens in the day. Obviously I have a vague teaching schedule. But, take today for instance. I had no plan and I just started playing with some of the village children at the pagoda where our library/schoolroom is. This morphed into playing Beethoven and leading an impromtue drawing-with-crayons class for 30 local kids. Some showed real talent and I made sure to praise them for it. It was a really nice organic thing to have happened. I hope this doesn’t sound too irresponsible. And I can’t take credit for it. My brother sent me this advice when I was struggling with culture shock: “Rather than the teaching or NGO work, what you may find as the
    greatest gift you can give to Cambodians is your spiritual
    Presence and Consciousness in every encounter – if we all could
    nurture such presence and spread it the world would be a wonderful
    place to live.”