North-South Social Innovation Network Conference

The North-South Social Innovation Network, established to stimulate North-South conversations and cooperation in the field of social innovation, has organised a successful launch conference in Dundalk attended by nearly 100 delegates from the health, education, justice and regeneration fields.

The network will build social innovation collaboration to address challenges that are common to both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland. Its aim is to establish new or renewed close collaborative links between like-minded organisations in both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, maximising the potential of innovation strategies being developed north and south of the border.

Glenys Young, CEO of the Young Foundation opened the conference with a wide ranging speech which mentioned amongst other initiatives the Open University conceptualised by Michael Young the originator of the Foundation. She went on to stress the impact of Brexit in Ireland and the need for renewed North-South collaboration.

Deirdre Garvey, CEO of The Wheel analysed the complex picture of the community and voluntary sectors and how they related to social innovation. She argued for the need for more risk taking in a sector that is notoriously risk averse. ‘Social innovation needs more recognition and resourcing’

Conference organiser Ronnie Munck of DCU said after the event that ‘social innovation is not, in itself, a solution to society’s ills, but the conversations it enabled can contribute to a strategy for social transformation. With the uncertainty created by Brexit the time is now ripe to build a strong Lagan to Liffey social innovation corridor’

The ongoing work of the North-South Social Innovation Network, will help in the search for solutions to the pressing social issues of the day, as well as disseminating on a North-South basis the social innovation solutions that are already out there, but perhaps only known on one side of the border.