Kimon Moerbeek

Social Innovation Interests

Coming from a family of teachers I noticed that the way the educational field is organized in the Netherlands it doesn’t really stimulate the professional potential of teachers. Often it even seems that the system kills potential. Not only the educational system. Look at red tape for example; people want to do their civil duties right or want to be active in society but they get punished by the system. Social Innovation invites people to fulfil their full potential by thinking about organizing differently. 

Social Innovation Experience

Trained as a sociologist and researcher at the University of Amsterdam I started working at the think tank Kennisland (Knowledgeland), based in Amsterdam. At Kennisland I started by initiating a project called Education Pioneers. That project invites teachers to innovate their owns schools according to their own professional and creative ideas. We design a support system / learning process for these teachers. Meanwhile it has become a returning programme on a national level and a vehicle to promote professional ownership. At Kennisland I work on several other projects that have a central focus: how can learning environments be designed to enable people to realize their full (professional) potential. How can we organize not just bottom-up, but find the right balance between bottom and up? And how can smart social relations and networks help? What sources of knowledge do people need to improve their practices? Organizing concrete projects along these principles is a learning process in itself.

Looking forward-Social Innovation Aspirations

Full cultural and social change in society is, of course, the main aim. (what else?). I am convinced that the core challenge of contemporary society is social organisation. As mankind we can fix everything, if we organise ourselves in the right way. We start with concrete local or national projects that eventually proof we can do things better on a global scale.

Your favourite Social Innovation

In 2011 I met with great people representing a lot of very inspiring projects. I just pick one: Altern AG from Germany. This project prooves that in learning circles parents from deprived communities can take the lead in their own development process. By dialogue in their own ‘language’ they learn about parenthood. Instead of a more top-down approach by experts from bureaucratic institutions. This is certainly the way to go!