Events

Ashoka and Lien Centre for Social Innovation (SMU) proudly present a series of virtual Crash Courses, Real-Life Story panels, Experience Workshops, and community spaces to inspire, master, and practice changemaking. Happening from 4^th June 2021 to 5^th June 2021, join us and discover more about changemaking. 

Call for More Changemakers in Society 

Now, more than ever, it is clear we live in a world where the demand for those who can adapt and contribute to change is rising exponentially. In today’s change-driven environment, we cannot wait for others to solve our problems for us. It is essential to be equipped with the necessary tools to navigate and influence the world around us, to create the change we want to see. 

The meaning of success for 15-year olds, by the time they’re 35, needs to change. The current education system is not providing youth with the skills urgently needed to adapt and address modern challenges. In a time of accelerating change and increased interconnectedness, the Changemaker Forum equips young people, parents, and educators with the skills to actively take charge of this change. 

The Changemaker Forum is a dynamic virtual environment that brings a community together to engage in inspiring conversations around the development and practice of key skills for success in a changemaker world. 

The Changemaker Forum will prepare today’s youth and allies for the challenges of tomorrow by providing them with a toolkit of possibilities to help them build up communities, access collective intelligence, lead with humanity and engage in rigorous, creative problem-solving. Regardless of one’s skills, talents, and aspirations, these changemaking skills are fundamentally important for everyone to develop and master. 

The Changemaking skills are an indispensable and intangible commodity for the social entrepreneurs and innovators of tomorrow, therefore we must engage in relevant conversation surrounding them and bring them to the forefront. 

What are Changemaking Skills?

Changemaking is the superpower of the 21st century. We need it to improve prosperity, we need it to solve complex social problems, and we need it to be resilient in the wake of a pandemic – or whatever unexpected, tangled problem comes next. 

In these challenging times, we need to develop truly resilient societies while focusing on the qualities of individuals. We need empathy to recognize and understand the problems that others are facing. We need a commitment to the common good to accept restrictions in our personal life. We need agency and the ability to self-organise to reorient our activities in this time of crisis and to help people in need. 

We need the Changemaking Framework to operate in this ambiguous and ever-changing world. 

The Changemaker Forum will take you on a collaborative virtual journey, working towards an established community of Changemaking, populated by a readily equipped cohort of Changemakers. This collective journey comprises the following spaces: 

Crash Courses  

The crash courses are short virtual lectures that give a download of knowledge on; what the respective Changemaker skill is, different possible frameworks, and information on what the skill entails.  

Real-Life Stories (Mini Panels) 

In the Real-Life story panels, role models of our changemaking skills will showcase real-life application and display how best to use them towards the advancement of Sustainable Development Goals’ or personal social impact goals. 

Experience Workshops 

In these workshops, speakers will provide participants with exercises that emulate the use of Changemaking skills, so they can begin to experience them for themselves.  

Community Action 

The Community Action session will task participants with utilising the skills and knowledge they have gained and direct them towards their individual changemaking journeys. 

Interested in developing your changemaking skills? Find out more details here. 

Date: 4th June 2021 - 5th June 2021 

Venue: Online via Zoom (Links will be provided to participants who have successfully registered)

The event is now closed. Check out the video below for a quick highlight of the event!