[All] FW: Upcoming Adam Kahane Lecture

[Gregory C. Michalenko]

I think it is extraordinary that an organization that is set up to promote social innovation would charge $25 to attend a "public lecture" - and force people to buy the author's book as part of the privilege to hear him.  I called the "Social Innovation Generation", the promoters of the event, at the University of Waterloo (a public institution that exists because we pay for it through our taxes) to ask for an explanation of why they are staging it in this fashion.  They were at least artful and complex in their explanation but it simply came down to gouging the public.  I asked how much Mr Kahane is charging for his lecture and they said they weren't at liberty to disclose this.  I asked why they are forcing people to buy the book:  if they were really interested in social innovation wouldn't they donate lots of copies of his book to public libraries so that people everywhere could borrow it and read it?  They replied that they are charging so much so that they can eventually post it online.  I felt this was at least an innovative approach to logic:  making you pay to buy the book so that you could read it for free online!  Wowie zowie, now that's progress.  I don't find much evidence that the esteemed and venerated Mr Kahane and author of "Power and Love: a Theory and Practice of Social Change" loves me very much, but there is plenty of suggestive evidence here that he's trying to apply a power relationship to my pocketbook.  I think he should change the title to "Power and Hypocrisy:  an Advanced Theory of Snake Oil".  Note that another of his books contains in its title "An Open Way of Talking, Listening and Creating New Realities."  When i called them, THEY were sure interested in doing the talking, but none of the listening.  

Grr.  Grump. I wanna go, but no way I'm climbing into bed with these earwigs.

Thanks Susan for being kind enough to spread the word when someone gives you a request.  No one can be faulted for that.  You're a good soul.

Grumpy Greg  
________________________________________igto.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 12:50 PM
To: 'GREN'
Subject: [All] FW: Upcoming Adam Kahane Lecture

Hi Everyone,
I haven’t read or heard of Kahane, but was asked to forward this.
Susan K

Waterloo Lecture on Social Innovation

Adam Kahane, author of Power & Love: A Theory & Practice of Social Change, will deliver this year's Waterloo Lecture on Social Innovation on Wednesday, Jan 27 at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Waterloo. Kahane,once praised by South Africa's Nelson Mandela , is an internationally acclaimed social innovator. He will give a public lecture and launch his latest book on how to effectively deal with pressing problems in society.

The Annual Lecture on Social Innovation highlights world-class thinkers with new ideas on how to achieve significant, durable social change for pressing and increasingly complex social problems. In this year's lecture, Kahane will draw on his extensive experience with designing and leading complex multi-stakeholder change processes to offer practical guidance for effectively balancing power and love, two usually polarized drives.
Learn more


About Adam Kahane

Adam is a leading organizer, designer and facilitator of processes through which business, government, and civil society leaders can work together to address their toughest challenges. He has worked in more than fifty countries, in every part of the world, with executives and politicians, generals and guerillas, civil servants and trade unionists, community activists and United Nations officials, clergy and artists.

Adam Kahane is a partner in Reos Partners, an international organisation dedicated to supporting and building capacity for innovative collective action in complex social systems. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Institute for Science, Innovation and Society at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.

Adam is the author of Solving Tough Problems: An Open Way of Talking, Listening, and Creating New Realities (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2004). Nelson Mandela said: “This breakthrough book addresses the central challenge of our time: finding a way to work together to solve the problems we have created.” Adam’s second book, Power and Love: A Theory and Practice of Social Change, is forthcoming from Berrett-Koehler in December 2009.


The event, which begins at 7 p.m., is presented by Social Innovation Generation at the University of Waterloo, Region of Waterloo, CIGI, Capacity Waterloo Region and Musagetes.

Waterloo Lecture on Social Innovation featuring Adam Kahane
Date: January 27, 2010
Time: 7pm - 9pm
Location:  Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), 57 Erb St. W., Waterloo, ON
Tickets: $25 (includes admission, a copy of 'Power & Love', reception with Adam Kahane)
RSVP: Register online here or by emailing siglecture at uwaterloo.ca