I still remember the excitement in the air, as we sat around the large official dinner tables in the impressive conference hall in Beijing back in the late fall of 2006. Present were some of the people I respected most highly when it came to social change, democracy innovation and the respect for not only the common man and woman, but for all life on this wonderful planet called Earth.
Today that day feels like a century ago.
It was before the financial crisis. It was before Trump (both his first and second period in the White House). It was before the cover up cooperation between Cambridge Analytica and Facebook. It was before the repression of the democratic citizen movement in Hong Kong. It was before the 6th of January storm on the American congress. It was before the Russian attack on Ukraine. It was before Israel’s inhuman destruction of Gaza. It was before the full scale of the climate crisis became everyday reality for most people around the globe. It was before the UK left the EU. It was before the rise of the radical right in countries such as Poland, Hungary, Austria, Italy, France and Germany. It was before the war against feminism and LGBT-citizens. It was before the immigrant crisis in Europe. It was before the destruction of international law and respect for national borders. It was before Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matters, #MeToo and Extinction Rebellion. It was before social media, AI-generated deep fake and the collapse of the civilized and respectful dialogue between people of opposite opinions. It was before…
Looking back at 2006 it seems like a totally different reality. And maybe that is the very reason why we, over the dinner in Beijing, dared to imagine an organization – or maybe more correctly: a fluid network – like SIX.
A network of like minded people, companies and organizations that could identify with our six core principles:
- Value social impact (rather than ideas)
- Celebrate solutions (more than heroes)
- Engage honestly (more than just inform)
- Inspire through action (not just words)
- Connect as peers (not in a hierarchy)
- Committed to openness (and welcome the unexpected)
It’s now almost 20 years ago. But the ambition and purpose behind SIX is more important than ever. Maybe the format must change. Maybe the content must change as well. But the world’s problems are still calling for the kind of answers that SIX has been an inspiring and ambitious catalyst for the last two decades.
Reading through the SIX-timeline from 2006 to today will not only blow you away, but it will also fill you with inspiration from the small SIX staff has achieved. Not only did they map a global network of social innovators. They got them to see each other, and even more importantly: Got them to work together. On and offline. In workshops, conferences and summer schools. And the result was impressive. For a moment SIX. changed the discussion on how to imagine a citizen-driven society. From Seoul over Cape Town to Barcelona.
On a personal note, SIX was part of my personal journey to see the world outside my own cultural bubble. Until then my cultural space had been very focussed on Scandinavia, Europe, and North America. Or said more directly: Very white.
SIX as an organization – and all the people SIX invited into the room – was the perfect booster to see the world in all its social and colourful diversity. And it gave me a big eye opener: Always ask yourself the question: Are all the necessary voices present at the decision table? If not, please invite them in.
That specific question changed my leadership and decision style. Both when I was principal at The KaosPilots but not least as elected politician.
I therefore have only one word for the learning space that SIX created: Respect. Respect for the staff and all the people that made SIX a reality.
And it all started with a spontaneous conversation around a dinner table in Beijing. That’s a statement and learning in itself: All potential change starts with an honest conversation. Without conversations between two or more people nothing will happen. But conversation is not enough. We need to back the conversation up with inspiring action. That is the very core of SIX: Honest conversations and warmhearted daring actions.
