How to Change the World

How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas is a book by journalist David Bornstein about successful social innovation. It was first published in 2003 and an updated edition followed in 2007.

The book explores the definition of a social entrepreneur in the modern world, and provides examples of ordinary people who formed organizations centered on making a difference. Bornstein's purpose is "to call attention to the role of a particular type of actor who propels social change."

Bornstein also discusses the rising global trend towards social entrepreneurialism, arguing that barriers to social change in southern and central Europe, Latin America and Africa are weaker than in previous generations.

One indication of a successful Entrepreneur, according to David Bornstein, is a, “Willingness to Break Free of Established Structures.” Such willingness is demonstrated in the life and work of Erzsebet Szekeres, of Hungary. Szekeres created an entirely new procedure to manage the mentally disabled in her country; this is because her son, Tibor, had microcephalus , which is a condition that includes, “abnormal smallness of the head and severe mental retardation.” To many, the simple solution to dealing with the disabled was to send them to institutions for their lives, this was not an option for Szekeres. Many of the institutions that Szekeres could have placed Tibor in were merely there to keep the patients out of trouble, and did not take anything beyond their barest needs into account; she wanted to change that. Szerkeres created her own place for the mentally and physically disabled to live and work, called the Alliance Industrial Union, or Alliance for short. While in state-run institutions the residents were often locked up and/or tranquilized, the higher-functioning residents of Alliance lived in their own apartments with little supervision, those who could not live on their own share a house with other residents and staff members, called helpers. Residents at Alliance were also given jobs that they were paid for, many of which were in manufacturing, according to their abilities. While institutions were generally structured in a manner similar to prisons, Alliance was structured much like an ordinary town, complete with its own restaurant. Also unlike many other institutions that treated their adult residents as children and regulated nearly every aspect of their lives; Alliance residents could act like autonomous beings, and adhered only to rules that were nearly the same as those one might encounter in any other town. Another nontraditional aspect of Alliance was that they encouraged and assisted their residents to move out of Alliance and into towns and support themselves (if they were able, of course).

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