Comments for The Dragonfly Collective

Comment on For-purpose business models part four: balancing your model, and why collaboration is crucial by Pradeep Ghosh

Pradeep Ghosh — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 07:35:19 +0000

Dear Author/Publisher,

I am a Social Entrepreneur (2 decades), an Ashoka Fellow, founded India’s first Social Innovations Lab, and motivate and support youth towards a livelihood in social entrepreneurship / business. Your book will be a great add on to my work, and probably I will be able to add more elements to it as well. Hope to interact with you soon.
Regards
Pradeep Ghosh

Comment on Why we need a different type of social enterprise hub in Australia by Nia

Nia — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 10:42:30 +0000

Hi there, Thankyou for this article and sparking this important conversation here in Australia. A friend shared the link with me following airing my frustrations with the social enterprise sector here in SA focusing on impact over justice. I’m soon launching a Kalidascope Project to spark visionary organising around creating a new kind of collaborative space that centres justice and joy and transformative enterprise is something I’m really keen to explore. I feel our visions of a more just SE eco system are aligned and would love to connect further

Comment on Solutions for 2020 by Tara

Tara — Sat, 07 Mar 2020 17:23:48 +0000

Hi Mira – hope 2020 is off to a good start for you! When we talk about profit distribution, it’s about who benefits from the profits that are made. For example, there shouldn’t be huge gaps between the salaries of executives and the lowest paid staff (profit should be fairly distributed amongst all employees). We also believe that all profit should be used for a social purpose or a social impact i.e. a social business model, where profit is used to support marginalised and disadvantaged people, or protect the environment. If profits are used to ensure fair wages for staff and deliver social impact outcomes, then we can build an economy that meets the needs of all people without damaging the planet.

Comment on Solutions for 2020 by Mira Konestabo

Mira Konestabo — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 08:09:47 +0000

“It is how profit is distributed -”
Q: what do you mean ?? .. in business the bills are paid , the staff are paid, money is allocated & relegated to maintenance & servicing, advertising = reinvesting in the business ?? am I wrong ??
isn’t it enough that a service has been provided, has the spending of money to provide the service / good not created more business & facilitated more jobs .. isn’t that it the bottom line .. where are the exorbitant profits to be distributed ??
“and who benefits from the profit’s” is a non question .. isn’t it ??

Nice to see you back .. Happy New Year.

Comment on What can collective impact offer in solving our biggest social challenges? by Phil

Phil — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 03:36:19 +0000

Hi
I think you have written a very important piece. People have not necessarily voted for one or the other they have voted for change. The middle class in America is disappearing and creating the greater divide. I think the elites are so engulfed in their own ideals that a bubble has formed they can not see out of. As you have stated the world needs a bubble that encompasses all and deals with ideas and needs, to fit all circumstances. Easier said than done. This us and them attitude has to stop. One group does not have the answers for all but by listening and just trying to understand all needs for all people would be a step forward. One groups agenda, that they feel is correct and can garnish enough votes to support their agenda, does not make the agenda the best for all.
Good on you for putting ideas out their that will hopefully make people think. WE need change for all not us and them.

Comment on A Brand New Revolution? by Matthew (Bibliofreak.net)

Matthew (Bibliofreak.net) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 11:46:08 +0000

I think you're spot on about those in power being very uncomfortable with someone like Brand straying onto their 'territory'. They've done a good job of branding Brand as the idiot jester so far, and that can only be a mark of how threatening his form of chaotic revolution is to those who enjoy the status quo. My review of Brand's book (which, as you allude to, has its problems): Revolution by Russell Brand

Comment on How do you fight poverty in Africa? by Tara

Tara — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 17:46:18 +0000

I can imagine PNG must be really similar. And you’re completely right – it’s really difficult to understand the complexity until you’ve been there and spent time with the people. As you say, working on discrete projects is the way to go – supporting the locals and the community to own the change themselves. And you know if more people did that, the combined effort could be significant.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts – wise words (you can tell you’ve ‘been there’).

Comment on How do you fight poverty in Africa? by Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 03:37:28 +0000

Hi Tara,

Very interesting to hear what you’ve written here – it’s similar (with some differences) to some of the things I felt about development in PNG. The complexity of the situation (cultural diversity and the tribal nature of the society, the impact of colonisation, modernity and capitalism, issues of aid and debt, and very different ways of going about things from western countries are all part of the mix) is hard to get a grip on and many people who haven’t been in such a place don’t get the context of the poverty or why it is so intractable and difficult to solve. I always worked on the basis that I can’t solve the big structural stuff (though I can help advocate for change regarding it) such as debt or corruption singlehandedly; what I could do was focus on working in discrete projects to be a catalyst for change, and that change had to be driven by the locals and the community itself. Change one community or village at a time….slow I know, but I had to be realistic what I could achieve, and if you change only 10 lives, or 20 lives, you have still had an important impact. As you said, pole pole….

Comment on What comes after Africa? by Melissa

Melissa — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 20:02:17 +0000

I agree with you completely. I recently returned back to Australia after spending 10 weeks in an orphanage in Kenya. These children have nothing yet they are the happiest and most grateful children I have ever met. Seems the more we have the more we want.

Comment on How do you fight poverty in Africa? by Tara

Tara — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:35:55 +0000

Hi Adam. Nice to hear from you.

In fact we did notice that a number of very large infrastructure projects (for example building new roads) were all being funded by Chinese corporations in partnership with the Tanzanian Government.

Trade, as opposed to aid, would indeed assist a country like Tanzania if there was a removal of the terms and conditions of trading that protect and favour the Western world. Sustainable development may however require a ‘helping hand’ from Western nations (not a hand out). A helping hand that continually empowers the Tanzanian people to take control of their own future, through for example capacity building in the areas of organisational Governance, strategic planning and project management.