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March 12, 2010
Solving social challenges through web-based business ideas was the goal of the first Australian Social Innovation Camp, a groundbreaking competition combining social innovation and technology held in Sydney last week.
For competition winner Joy Suliman, the social problem she aimed to solve was the loneliness, isolation and confusion often faced by refugees when they first settle in Australia.
Her idea was ‘Refugee Buddy', a website to help volunteers link up with refugees who are in need of local knowledge, support and friendship.
Open to anyone with a web-based social innovation idea, the competition was an initiative of the Australian Social Innovation Exchange, and sponsored by the Centre for Social Impact at the Australian School of Business and NonprofitAustralia.
The Centre for Social Impact provided the venue, expert assistance and the winning prize of an airfare and per diems to attend an international Social Innovation Camp.
Associate Professor Cheryl Kernot, Director of Social Enterprise at the Centre for Social Impact, announced the airfare prize and presented it to Ms Suliman. Professor Kernot said it was exciting to see innovative and socially beneficial uses of technology.
"The Australian Social Innovation Camp is the first competition of its kind in Australia. It not only encourages development of social enterprise activities but also assists in increasing awareness and understanding of the possibilities for online technologies in this field," she said.
From over 70 ideas submitted, a panel of judges, including Professor Peter Shergold, Head of the Centre for Social Impact, selected eight of the most promising proposals to be developed at the weekend camp with help from experienced software developers, designers and experts in marketing and business.
Other proposals included ‘Two Bobs Worth', a micro-volunteering project where busy people can offer their skills to the community on a short term basis, and ‘Interlocked Social Information Systems' (ISIS), a sophisticated information sharing site to allow service providers and researchers to share data.
The final winner was chosen based on the development of the idea over the weekend, with attendees expressing how excited they were simply to be with like minded people who were passionate about social innovation.