Costa Rica (Day 2): Social innovation, Human Rights, and Migration

Day 2:  We spent today at the University for Peace, a United Nations-mandated university and our partner institution for this program, learning about social innovation and how it can be applied to humanitarian challenges that are the focus of human rights law.  Lindsay Fendt, a journalist who has covered migration issues here in Costa Rica and elsewhere in the region, provided great insights into migration issues here in Costa Rica.  And students applied design thinking to migration issues in the region.  Additional insights today come from Jarvarus Gresham and Albert Einstein:

“[Social innovation and design thinking] have allowed us to take a different approach to handling challenging legal issues. This course has already introduced perspectives that will not only help us approach legal issues differently but will assist in the development of solutions with an eye for innovation and efficiency in systems in which we aspire to work.” – Jarvarus Gresham (JD candidate, GSU Law)

“The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle requires creative imagination and marks real advances in science.” – Albert Einstein (full disclosure: he’s not on our program; well, maybe in spirit)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Defining Social Innovation: “A social innovation is a novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than current solutions. The value created accrues primarily to society rather than to private individuals.” – From Stanford Business School

Example from the law world: Redesigning Housing Court – From NULawLab and partners.

More information on the UPEACE Centre for Executive Education’s social innovation programs is available here.

Day at UPEACE

Design thinking, Migration, and Human Rights