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The Better Century Awards are meant to support truly systemic innovation that doesn’t just address issues at a surface level, but instead addresses the root causes, potentially breaking an ongoing cycle or disrupting an ongoing, problematic chain of events. As a global awards program, the Better Century Awards are ideally given for systemic solutions or initiatives that do not operate in isolation, but rather take into account and tackle a multitude of interrelated issues.
CATEGORIES
1.
For Culture & Community, we are looking for systemic innovations that address areas such as (but are not limited to): the democratization of artistic creation; new artistic media/technologies; the economics of art; ethnic, racial and gender identity and equity in culture; cross-cultural communication and cooperation; new social/cultural movements; digital culture; virtual reality/metaverse implications and opportunities; and new or adapted forms of entertainment; issues related to digital community, structural challenges related to crime and justice systems as well as safety and security innovations for communities, and, other issues relating to the structures, traditions, and social innovations of people living and working in groups.​
Culture & Community
For Politics & Governance, we are looking for systemic innovations that address issues such as (but are not limited to): Rising income inequality within and between societies, Unequal access to capital, living wages
Employment discrimination and inequity Technological unemploymentAdult vocational education and retraining
Access to adequate and appropriate technology (including the implications and opportunities of virtual reality/metaverse)
Other innovative governance systems, governance reform, corruption, political gridlock, partisanship, misinformation, outdated political structures and institutions, structural challenges to civic engagement (such as voting), apathy and cynicism in the public realm, as well as anti-democratic movements.
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Economics & Employment
2.
For Education & Media, we are looking for education-, communications-, and media-related innovations (technology-based or not), as well as other systemic innovations that address problems such as (but are not limited to): antiquated/mismatched/inadequate educational systems and strategies, unequal access to education, the lack of universal standards for education, insufficient prioritization and funding of education, the lack of access to free education, issues related to social media, "manipulated reality" technologies and disinformation, surveillance technologies, and/or other issues related to media.
3.
Education & Media
For Energy, we are looking for innovations in areas such as (but are not limited to): renewable energy, non-renewable energy impact mitigation, energy industry employment transitions, energy efficiency, energy storage, nuclear fusion energy and energy infrastructure.
4.
Energy
For Environment, Food & Water, we are looking for systemic innovations that address areas such as (but are not limited to): industrial changes for lower climate footprints, environmentally focused legislation and policy, environmentally focused finance, environmentally focused public education campaigns, environmentally focused technological innovations, environmental movement building, sustainable agriculture, regenerative agriculture, food and water insecurity, access to clean water, desalination innovation, and lifestyle/cultural change.
5.
Environment, Food & Water
For Health, we are looking for innovations in areas such as (but are not limited to): personalized medicine, unhealthy modern lifestyles, proactive health vs reactive health, healthcare as a right, longevity science, global pandemic responses, mental health innovations and policies, and other systemic solutions relating to human wellness.
6.
Health
For Housing, we are looking for systemic innovations in the areas such as (but are not limited to): affordable housing, sustainable and regenerative housing, new forms of living arrangements, housing construction, housing retrofitting, housing as a right, public infrastructure, safety and security for housing and communities, and, architectural innovations with systemic implications.
7.
Housing
8.
Policy & Governance
For Policy & Governance, we are looking for systemic innovations that address issues such as (but are not limited to): innovative governance systems, governance reform, corruption, political gridlock, partisanship, misinformation, outdated political structures and institutions, structural challenges to civic engagement (such as voting), apathy and cynicism in the public realm, as well as anti-democratic movements.
9.
Religion & Spirituality
For Religion & Spirituality, we are looking for systemic innovations that address areas such as (but are not limited to): bridge-building across religions, new forms of spirituality, religious radicalism, religious discrimination, religious freedom, religions and the climate crisis, spiritual awareness vs religious identity, consciousness raising, and digital forms of religious and spiritual expression.
10.
Science & Technology
For Science & Technology, we are looking for (but are not limited to): scientific and technological innovations in information technology, communications technology, biotech/health, energy, materials, space, etc.; as well as systemic innovations related to the lack of investment capital; insufficiently educated/experienced or mismatched labor markets; ethical or governance considerations and mechanisms; misinformation and social manipulation via technology; racial/ethnic/gender inequity and geographic inequities/the digital divide.