Briefing No. 4
WHAT WE'RE READING
On the Greenwood Place bedside table
We just finished Doughnut Economics and we've made notes on every chapter we've read.
Kate Raworth's economic model for the 21st Century is an ambitious, radical roadmap for bringing humanity into the sweet spot that meets the needs of all within the means of the planet.
AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING
Chasing Coral is a beautifully made and chilling documentation of the environmental catastrophe happening globally now.
Some 40% of the Great Barrier Reef is estimated to have died in 2016 alone due to rising sea temperatures. Over the last 30 years 50% of the coral has disappeared. Based on current trends, within the next 30 years, annual bleaching will have killed most of the world's coral.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi follows the work and life of Jiro Ono, the 85 year old who is recognised by many as the greatest sushi chef alive.
He works every day at his tiny, 10 person, basement restaurant and, he says, "I love making sushi. I enjoy every day." His life lesson? "Immerse yourself in your work. Never complain...dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the key to being regarded honourably."
Ikigai is a Japanese word that translates roughly as the happiness of always being busy - doing work that uses your strengths, has an impact, makes a living, and brings joy. It might be translated into French as 'raison d'être.'
IMPACT: MORE AND BETTER
Philanthropy operates in places where systems are broken. Not every good idea or great organisation can or will shift a system, but where there is a chance of moving beyond incremental change to accelerate a solution to one of the world's most pressing problems, surely philanthropy should do everything it can to help.
Scaling Solutions Toward Shifting Systems, a new report from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, investigates the role that funders can play, and how they can either support or constrain the organisations they support through the way that they approach their giving.
BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY
We've been talking to land rights experts and to mini-grid investors about blockchain technology and its capacity to give agency to the poor. So we were delighted to see that other people are thinking along similar lines. Vinay Gupta and Rob Knight argue that blockchain gives emerging economies an unprecedented opportunity to create transactional security and trustworthy governance infrastructure. Article here.
LAST WORDS: BUILDING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Greenwood Place's home, Somerset House, hosted Pentatonic's Trashspresso machine.
The start-up company manufactures flat pack furniture entirely from rubbish and with traceable, modular components.
And, check out http://preciousplastic.com/ for a step-by-step guide to recycling and repurposing plastic in your shed at home. Maybe this could be your ikigai? Click here
EVENTS AT GREENWOOD PLACE
We thoroughly enjoyed our launch party in September surrounded by so many friends, family, clients and advisors. We were kindly supported by Woven Gold, the choir from the Helen Bamber Foundation who added to the wonderful atmosphere of the evening. We are so grateful to everyone who was able to attend and we look forward sharing and growing our friendships and partnerships on the Greenwood Place journey.
