ALE IACTA EST: The Social Innovation Coalition

Dear Diogo,

Ale iacta est – the die is cast. Julius Cesar’s famous declaration pronounced upon his crossing of the river Rubicon and declaration of war on Rome was followed by 20 years of civil war but in the end the victorious Empire emerged.

There is no victory without struggle. There is no societal transformation without challenging the status quo. There is no life without change.

Are European social innovators up to the challenge?

I dedicated this entry to you because you have been the first person to make me believe that change is possible in the EU and you’ve proved this too.

You have been nudging your former boss – President Barroso – for the last 3 years. In October this year your efforts were rewarded. The Commission launched the Innovation Union in which social innovation has been directly referenced and included.

We can’t leave social innovation to fade to empty words or allow it to be jargonized by Brussels Bubble. We must exploit this opportunity for systemic change.

We can use it to change society along with the EU.

With this ambition in mind, few reached Paris yesterday for the summit on the social innovation coalition. A snow storm prevented most of the champions called from across Europe from joining our forces.

The aim was to gather all the tribes of Europe under the united flag of social innovation. We wanted to assemble an alliance of strength as never seen before – an alliance capable of challenging Brussels, redeeming it from its blindness, and saving it from the crisis.

Fortune assisted our bravery and the holy Internet descended on our assembly reconnecting us to our fellow innovators held siege in their homelands.

A decision was made. While the snow still lies on the ground we would launch the social innovation coalition.

It’s a new dawn for Europe. The snow has blessed it.

(Translation for the non-social innovators – i.e. ‘What hell is Filippo writing this time? Show me a detailed plan?’)

The first strategic meeting for the social innovation coalition took place today in Paris. Because of the snow storm several couldn’t attend but we connected on-line.

We confirmed the main points for the manifesto. The main focus being on funding for social innovation especially structural funds. We will influence the policy process collecting cases from across Europe.

A draft will be circulated in early January to be finalized by the end of the month and launched in Brussels in the first weeks of February.

Ale iacta est.

P.s. I’ve been waiting for a Eurostar at the Gare du Nord since 5 am in an endless queue with the other thousand people trying to get out of Paris.  Please tell Eurostar about social innovation!