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The Global Ideas BankThe Global Ideas Bank's origins lie in the Institute for Social Inventions, which was set up in 1985 by Nicholas Albery, social inventor and visionary extraordinaire. From small beginnings (a network of inventors, a quarterly newsletter), the Institute grew into a fully-fledged organisation under his leadership: producing an annual compendium, running social inventions workshops and promoting creative solutions around the world. It was part of the first European Social Innovations Exchange, and has been a source of inspiration for countless individuals and organisations. In 2001, the Institute was awarded a Margaret Mead Special Recognition Award for "community creativity for a new century" In 1995, the Global Ideas Bank (itself an award-winning idea originally suggested by an American correspondent, Gregory Wright) was first established online, and has since become the name for the entire project's work. Through the work of several volunteer programmers and technical wizards (especially Flemming Funch of the New Civilization Network), new features were added: online submission, the voting systems, the categorisation, the message board and so on. Gradually, the Global Ideas Bank became what it is today: the greatest ideas site on the internet today. A not-for-profit website that is part suggestion box, part networking tool, part democratic think-tank and part inspirational entertainment! - The Global Ideas Bank's work is led by this website, www.globalideasbank.org, which has a database of nearly 4000 ideas online. Hundreds of ideas are submitted each month by people from all over the world, and over 160,000 visitors have voted on the site with a rating, which allows the best ideas to rise to the top democratically. It currently attracts a quarter of a million unique visitors annually. - The GIB publish an annual 300-page compendium of the best social inventions from that year. These have, over the years been called, "the kind of thing that will make our futures" (Brian Eno on A Cornucopia of Ideas), and "a splendid book...which brings hope for tomorrow" (Jay Walljasper on The World's Greatest Ideas). Last year's compendium, Setting the World Alight: Ideas for Social Change, was described by Anita Roddick as "a manifesto for social creativity, for the inventive impulse to make things better". Go to the Store to buy these and support our work. - The GIB give out annual Social Invention Awards to the finest ideas of the year in various categories. The overall winner receives 1000, while the others reap the benefit of the publicity and exposure they receive as a result. - The GIB also runs social invention and creativity workshops with groups of young people: giving them an opportunity to use their creativity to devise solutions to real-world problems that affect them and their community. If you are interested in these, please contact us. - Further to the above, the GIB has helped to foster links and networks in the world of social innovation and entrepreneurship. At an organisational level, with the European Social Innovations Exchange, the Norwegian Ideas Bank (based on the GIB), the School for Social Entrepreneurs, the Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action, UnLtd and many others. On an individual level, the subscribers to the annual publication (see Store) also form, along with members of the web audience, a powerful network of social inventors around the world. - The Global Ideas Bank aims to promote and disseminate good creative ideas to improve society. It further aims to encourage the public to generate these ideas, to participate in the problem-solving process. - These ideas we term social inventions: non-technological, non-product, non-gadget ideas for social change. These are a mix of existing projects, fledgling initiatives and new bright ideas. - In this way, the Global Ideas Bank is part-suggestions box, part-ideas network and part-democratic think-tank, giving the "ordinary" person a chance to have their creativity recognised, rewarded and even put into practice. - The Global Ideas Bank further aims to provide information and a community to help those individuals who wish to make their idea or project a reality in their own community. See the Practical Help and Success Stories sections for more on this.
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