Growing importance of social innovation

After over 30 years of development and social transformation, China now has a completely new social pattern. Three sub-systems, namely the State system with its officials and government agencies, the market system with its entrepreneurs and enterprises, and the civilian system with its citizens and various non-governmental organizations, have formed, interacting and confronting each other.

The government has said they will construct an "innovative country", but an innovative country needs not only innovations in government and enterprise systems, but also in society.

Social innovations are creative ways to meet social needs, and they are indispensable in maintaining social vitality, encouraging civilians' enthusiasm to participate in social affairs, and helping form a sense of self-governance.

The past several years have already seen social innovation play an increasingly important role in the development of China, and there are some noticeable trends for the future.

Social innovation will become an essential cooperative platform for the State, enterprises and civilian groups. The State should provide general institutional support, enterprises should provide material support, while civilian groups should provide human resources, which is the leading part. However, all three are indispensable; only with the cooperation of all can social innovation take place.

NGOs and social enterprises will play an increasingly essential role in this process. Unlike ordinary enterprises, social enterprises provide public services for the common good, and only seek revenue to cover their running costs. As key providers of services to society, they have done much to promote social welfare and propel public participation.

NGOs are taking over many social responsibilities from the government and they have a growing influence in areas other than their traditional charity and community self-regulation. Today they are involved in environmental protection, education, employment, consumption, housing, health, energy conservation, population flows, wildlife protection, even to climate change and urban management.

Various emerging types of organizations will play a special role in social innovation. In some Western countries, traditional forms of organizations are in decline, while new ones, such as Internet groups and temporary movements are on the rise. In China the situation is different as traditional organizations show no hint of decline, but new organizations are definitely gaining influence.

It is the people and the social mechanism that decide the effects of social innovations, but modern technology is also having a growing influence. Modern communication platforms, such as micro blogs, social networks and instant messaging services, are becoming indispensable to social innovations.

Networks, cyber or real, help increase the effects of all groundbreaking actions by multiplying the scale of their effectiveness through chain reactions. In fact, the State and the market systems already have their own networks to boost innovation, we hope society can develop its own soon.

Social innovation is becoming a global phenomenon that concerns all countries. From Europe to the United States this new process has recruited politicians, entrepreneurs, civil talent and intellectuals. Social innovation, already an essential social movement in developed countries, is now gaining more attention in developing countries.

The author is deputy director of the Communist Party of China's Central Compilation and Translation Bureau.

(China Daily 02/08/2012 page8)