How has Be. Accessible managed to create and drive change, and what can we learn from great social movements like this?
Every Great Idea - just like Be. Accessible - is much more than just that.
My observation is that it needs four key ingredients; public and political will, a mobilising lens to activate greater collective action, capability of leadership and team, and a compelling vision and story.
Qiujing Wong
This was brought to life at a recent celebration ceremony for Be. Accessible Leaders by Hon Tariana Turia, former Minister for Disabilities, who said: "Inspiration is found in abundance in the Be. Institute. One of the most exciting approaches to transformation has been that which I have witnessed with Be. Accessible.
"In my eighteen years in Parliament, I came across many passionate individuals with projects which impressed me as I saw the many sacrifices made to improve outcomes.But with Be. Accessible, it is the whole package."
The overarching philosophy used throughout the Be. Accessible movement is to base the focus on value, strengths and contribution of us all, including those with a disability or access need.
Looking at it this way, we notice that the innovations, enhanced diversity, cultural richness, problem-solving skills, and economic value is significant and worth responding to.
That's where the Be. movement makes sense to businesses and communities.
With its unifying qualities, the Be. Accessible vision is simply that New Zealand becomes the best place in the world to Be. What New Zealander wouldn't hope for that?
Dean Easterbrook and I chose to create Borderless nine years ago. Our dream was to develop a company that is both a leader and supporter of those who wish to make a positive difference. It has been an evolutionary journey but an extraordinarily rewarding one.
A similar approach to the Be. Accessible campaign was taken when Borderless initiated the international social change film and campaign, A Grandmother's Tribe, nearly eight years ago.
The Great Idea was to support grandmothers in sub- Saharan Africa raising their orphaned grandchildren since losing their own children to HIV/AIDS. The movement began after building a community of interest and activating a network of 200 grandmother groups across Canada using the film as a catalyst.
Through a partnership with the Stephen Lewis Foundation, the initiative has remained alive and well, and the movement has delivered life-saving results to more than 450 grandmother groups in sub-Saharan Africa. The timing and will was the no-brainer; it was well overdue, the capability was created through an unexpected partnership, the problem was easily re-framed into an opportunity to change lives by supporting the grandmothers, and the vision remains simple - children are one third of our population and all of our future; through the grandmothers each one of them has a fair chance at life.
Qiujing Wong is the CEO and co-Founder of Borderless, a social change company activating change through storytelling and social movements. In 2012 Qiujing was awarded a Blake Leadership Medal by the Sir Peter Blake Trust and in 2014 she was a finalist in the Women of Influence Awards for her contribution to leadership, entrepreneurship and social change. Visit borderless.co.nz to learn more.
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