My Impact Goal is Reimagining How Humanity Solves Its Problems

To reimagine how humanity solves its problems a shift in values is critical. I have heard our capitalist economy being compared to nature because it is always growing. While nature does grow, it isn’t unfettered growth—think of invasive weeds that choke out unique species. Nature is about growing and remaining in balance. Our societal values seem imbalanced at present and lacking emphasis on solidarity, collaboration, and innovation (that last one might give you more pause, but consider the cuts to university funding and the likelihood that scientific discoveries are made by people after 40, not before). Shifting the priority of our values requires changes to our daily approaches and activities.

Underlying solidarity is trust that we are all of one world, which is the truth, but, unfortunately, not the reality that most of us experience. To arrive at that degree of trust we must engage in what ails society through interaction with non-profits, whether volunteering, donating, or otherwise contributing. Such engagement with society gives us the opportunity to learn, have new ideas, and glean new perspectives, which are all useful to giving us the space to recognize and value all of humanity. Each day we choose the content that we consume. Imagine if we regularly sought out thought provoking content that brings us closer to living solidarity as a primary value.

Collaboration is underpinned by a need to be open to new experiences and possibilities. It requires security that there is enough. Arriving at that experience is coupled with elevating solidarity because the distribution of resources is heavily skewed. Amidst those larger policy needs, we can readily evaluate how we use our resources (money, staff, and time) to prioritize solidarity and collaboration. As we embrace a future with AI, we can leverage its ability to identify patterns and highlight repetitions where we might be able to streamline and pool our resources.

Innovation requires the space for experimenting, which must include grace for failures. With the space to experiment integrated throughout life via standard education and civic engagement is key. Seeking guidance, courses, and ongoing classes, is a great way to exercise your creativity, which you can use in your day-to-day to revamp tired processes and imagine something more.

With solidarity, collaboration, and innovation valued as top societal priorities that guide our approaches and activities, we can reimagine how we solve our problems. Non-profits are at the forefront of humanity’s challenges and face outsized expectations relative to how they are typically supported. Engaging in thought provoking content, creatively approaching our resources, and seeking new skills are all ways to get closer to the trust, openness, and experimenting that are needed to rebalance our values.

Bottom line: Let's reimagine how we solve humanity's problems by embracing a culture that values solidarity, collaboration, and innovation. To get there we need trust, openness, and experimenting, which we get by continuing to think, evolve, and try.