By rgpederson on December 30, 2008
One of the social entrepreneurs that I’ve found incredibly compelling in reading through the highlights of the Dowsr interviews (see previous post) is Gillian Caldwell, Executive Director of WITNESS
WITNESS is quite creative in the way that it uses video and online technologies to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations. It harnesses individual creativity, skill, and resourcefulness by providing a platform where people can post videos of human rights violations for others to see and use for advocacy purposes, thus the slogan: “See it, film it, change it.” This interview with Caldwell gives insight into the organization and her own way of viewing her work. I particularly appreciate her call to live out your values, to embody both passion, persistence, and humility, and to allow your team/organization the space and environment of collective conversation to design a strategy for the organization.
Also, a few major themes from her Dowsr interview:
- Organizations need clarity of vision, which then allows you to build towards and measure success
- She recognizes that her relentlessness is a double edged sword and has a strong understanding of what feeds her soul
- She wants her organization to be seen “as dynamic; as well-organized; as effective; as enabling; youthful; energetic; evolving”
