serious . Though it probably doesn ’ t feel that way to them , these young people are hard at work practicing empathy , community , citizenship , collaboration , inclusion , conflict resolution , leadership , and more . This is a Playworks playground , a recess program created by Jill Vialet to make play a critical part of every child ’ s school day . Jill is one of many leading social entrepreneurs around the world helping society shift the way we think about young people and the growing up experience . Making this shift is urgent .
An accelerating rate of change in the world has begun transforming traditional power structures , opening the way for millions to participate in society in a way that they could not before . From the end of slavery and colonization , to the rise of democracy , the women ’ s and civil rights movements , and the current technological revolution — which has unleashed ideas and initiatives from people from every corner of the globe — we are witnessing the flattening of hierarchies and diffusion of power from the hands of a small elite to those of every individual .
While this process is by no means complete , in large part because some people still use their own power to suppress that of others , the door has opened to a future where every person can create change . We all stand on the front lines of the social challenges that emerge every day . We don ’ t have to wait and hope that our elected representatives or corporate leaders or other powers that be make the right choices . In fact , society cannot afford for us to wait . We are each powerful , and outcomes depend on us .
But a world of rapid change can be a complex landscape to navigate .
In the past , we had hierarchies and institutions that — for better or worse — important information and actions in
to do . We need to be able to prioritize
kept society organized . Today we live a world of information overflow and in a more decentralized world . We all ambiguity . We need to be comfortable need initiative , confidence and good working in collaborative environments . We already see the world ’ s decision-making skills , as we often have no one above us to tell us what leading companies clamoring for
To flourish both as individuals living up to our potential and as a society that benefits from the potential of every individual , we must empower ourselves and our young people as changemakers , individuals equipped to drive positive change — in their own lives , in their communities , in their companies , in the world .
8 IMAGINE l SPRING 2016