The other day, over tea, as these conversations seem to occur, I was asked what issue do I care about deeply, why it matters, in what way does our society misunderstand it, and what I hope for. (I know, pretty heavy for tea, but indulge me.)
A scene comes to mind from the comedy film, Miss Congeniality. Sandra Bullock’s character, an undercover police officer posing as a beauty pageant contestant, is asked a similar question. After articulating her vision for criminal justice reform to an auditorium full of glazed-eyed folks, she realizes there is only one correct answer, and receives a resounding applause when she adds, “And world peace.”
As much as I long for world peace, I find it difficult to find one answer to this question. I’ve spent much of my life seeking solutions to the many, and complex, issues of our societies. I care deeply about creating equitable access to basic needs such as safe and affordable housing, quality healthcare, healthy food and safe water. I also am passionate about ensuring everyone has opportunities for a strong early development, quality education, economic mobility and civic engagement. I feel strongly about environmental, social and criminal justice, and protecting the most vulnerable of our populations. And, I am committed to creating political and marketplace systems that operate with authenticity, integrity and basic human compassion. (Again, pretty heavy - but true.)
All that said, I think I care most deeply about how we go about addressing these challenges—the processes we use and the people we involve. Our society often views these diverse issues as discrete, and somewhat academic, in nature. Social initiatives often are created in isolation, from each other and from those they seek to help. This results in uninformed perspectives, conflicting policies, overlapping or duplicated services, strained philanthropic resources and ineffective approaches.
None of these issues can be addressed in a vacuum. They are all interrelated and directly affect individual people and families, and must be addressed within that context.
I am fascinated with the current discussion around social determinants of health. This new approach to economic and community development recognizes that the condition of our environment—where we are born, live, work and play—as well as the forces and systems placed on that environment, significantly impact our health, functioning and quality-of-life outcomes. I am hopeful that this new overarching perspective may serve as a foundation for future collaboration among social enterprise initiatives.
Ultimately, I hope for a more informed, integrated and personal approach to creating social impact. And, of course,...world peace.
