Global Action Networks: Creating Our Future Together (Bocconi on Management)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0230285481 ISBN 13: 9780230285484

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010

The world's governments are overwhelmed with climate change, war and unrest, the global financial crisis and poverty but there is a promising invention in Global Action Networks (GANs). GANs mobilize resources, bridge divides and promote the long-term deep change and innovation work that is needed to address the global challenges.

About the Author:

STEVE WADDELL educator, consultant, researcher, and network founder. He has over 20 years' experience developing inter-organizational networks and Global Action Networks. He has worked on network development at the local, regional, and global levels. Over the past 10 years he has focused on local-and-global networks in particular, and has coined the term 'Global Action Networks' (GANs).

Review:

Steve Waddell's research and writing have led the way in building up our understanding of Global Action Networks - and so in our ability to work with this critically-important new way of addressing our most complex and vital social challenges." - Adam Kahane, author of "Power and Love: A Theory and Practice of Social Change"; Partner, Reos Partners

'In a planet beset with life and death questions, a totally new social form has emerged to give the world a chance not only of surviving but to move on to the next stage of earth's evolution. These are the Global Action Networks that bring the different identities, experiences, and resources of civil society, government, and business into a new global social form that never existed before. In this book, Steve Waddell gives a very clear picture of the strategic importance of global action networks and what new framework, skills, and social processes are needed to make this new global innovation effective in the world. Having followed the literature and on-the-ground activities in this area for over 15 years, I can say without hesitation that Waddell's book contains a tremendous wealth of creative insights and unique practical know-how that can help humanity heal a planet in crisis.' - Nicanor Perlas, Winner of the 2003 Right Livelihoods (Alternative Nobel Prize) Award, Recipient, Manuel Quezon Exemplary Governance Award, the Global 500 (UNEP) Award, The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award, and the Masterson Award (of Xavier University), President of Centre for Alternative Development Initiatives (CADI)

" All the great challenges of our time, from climate change to poverty, require private actors to be part of the solution. The search is on to build and nurture effective collaborations so that individual actions become transformative movements within and across countries and regions. Steve Waddell is showing us what works and what doesn't in the rapidly evolving world of Global Action Networks. This book is not only a superb analysis of the current state of affairs. It also shows pathways for a better future" - Georg Kell, Executive Head of the UN Global Compact

'The concept of Global Action Networks is important for understanding a new, fascinating reality for different actors of governance addressing critical issues in the world. With this book Steve is making a valuable contribution to advancing both the concept and the practice of strengthening governance at every level.' - Peter Eigen, Founder - Transparency International (T) and Chairman - Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)

'Global Action Networks is a distillation of insights from one of the top world experts in large scale activist networks. Steve Waddell's brings hands on practice and experience from network projects with many different global organizations. What sets this book and Steve's work apart is that he is also deeply grounded in theory ranging from systems thinking and network analysis to community building and organizational change. The many examples and suggestions in this book lay out a clear path for people to work together for a more hopeful future.' - Verna Allee, CEO Value Networks LLC, Author, The Future of Knowledge: Increasing Prosperity through Value Networks.

'Steve Waddell's visionary work on GANs global action networks comes to live in this new book, which provides a roadmap for GAN leaders and organizers, as well as a sound conceptual, theoretical, and practical basis for understanding what GANs are and how they work. GANs are perhaps the world's best hope for significant positive social change and in this book Waddell gives us a way of know how to move exactly this type of change forward.' - Sandra Waddock, Galligan Chair of Strategy, Professor of Management, Boston College, USA

'Global Action Networks contributes to this articulation of what's next in governance by showing how we can envision and work collaboratively to create a better future. With grounded examples and clear logic, Waddell presents a concise, effective, and useful model for local and global approaches to developing networks that are change agents. The book will help any social innovation practitioner assess her competencies, learn network approaches, and find new ways to discern and navigate our most complex problems.- Patrick McNamara, Stanford Social Innovation Review