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​The Better Century Awards are meant to support truly systemic innovation that not only address issues at a surface level, but instead address 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.
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Culture & Community
Example(s) of potential nominee for this category:
CreativeTime
Activity region: Global
Creative Time is a nonprofit organization that commissions and presents public art projects, events, and exhibitions in the United States and around the world. They work with artists to create socially engaged and politically relevant artwork that challenges the status quo and encourages public dialogue.​
To learn how to become a nominee + nomination form:
For Economics & Employment, 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 unemployment, adult vocational education and retraining, access to adequate and appropriate technology (including the implications and opportunities of virtual reality/metaverse).
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Economics & Employment
2.
Example(s) of potential nominee for this category:
Sama
Activity region: Global
This startup annotates data for artificial intelligence. They are among the first businesses to employ "impact sourcing" to digitalize poverty alleviation. Impact sourcing means that a big part of the organization's personnel structure is based on teaching computer skills to people from disadvantaged countries while giving them a fair wage. Sama provides dignified, internet-based work to people living in poverty.
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.​
Education & Media
3.
Example(s) of potential nominee for this category:
Tostan International
Activity region: Global
Headquarters: Dakar-Yoff, Senegal
Tostan International is a nonprofit organization based in Senegal that works to empower communities through education and human rights-based development programs. They focus on issues such as health, education, governance, and economic growth, particularly in rural African communities. Tostan is known for their community-led approach to development and their efforts to end female genital cutting and child marriage.​​
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
Example(s) of potential nominee for this category:
Kosmos Energy Innovation Center
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Activity region: Sub-Saharan Africa
Headquarters: Accra, Ghana
Kosmos Innovation Center is an incubation center operating in Ghana, Senegal, Mauritania, Côte d’Ivoire that promotes entrepreneurship and innovation in the agriculture, technology, and energy sectors. Kosmos provides training, mentoring, and seed funding to young entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions that address the challenges faced by these industries.
​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.
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5.
Environment, Food & Water
Example(s) of potential nominee for this category:
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Crop Trust
Activity region: Global
Headquarters: Bonn, Germany
The Crop Trust is a nonprofit organization based in Germany that works to safeguard the world's crop diversity for future food security. The organization maintains the world's largest collection of crop seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and works with partners worldwide to collect, conserve, and share genetic resources for crops.
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
Example(s) of potential nominee for this category:
Medic
Activity region: Global
Medic is a nonprofit organization that provides open-source software solutions for healthcare organizations in low-resource settings. Their software is designed to support community health workers, clinical staff, and health managers in delivering high-quality care and managing health information. They focus on improving healthcare access and outcomes in underserved communities around the world.
7.
Housing
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.
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Example of potential nominee for this category:
Mahila Housing Trust
Activity region: South Asia
Headquarters:, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Mahila Housing Trust is a nonprofit organization based in India that works to empower women by providing them with secure housing and promoting their access to land, housing finance, and property rights. They work with low-income women and their communities to develop affordable and sustainable housing solutions and advocate for gender-inclusive housing policies.
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.
Example(s) of potential nominee for this category:
Gapminder
Activity region: Global
Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden
Gapminder is a Swedish nonprofit organization that promotes global development through data visualization, research, and education. They provide free access to data and tools that help people understand global trends and encourage a fact-based worldview. They work to fight misconceptions and promote a fact-based understanding of the world's social, economic, and environmental challenges.
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.
Example(s) of potential nominee for this category:
Religions for Peace
Activity region: Global
Religions for Peace is a global interfaith organization that promotes peace, justice, and harmony among people of different religions and cultures. They bring religious leaders and communities together to engage in dialogue, joint action, and advocacy on issues such as conflict resolution, human rights, and sustainable development. They have a presence in over 90 countries and work to build bridges between religious communities worldwide.
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 labour markets; ethical or governance considerations and mechanisms; misinformation and social manipulation via technology; racial/ethnic/gender inequity and geographic inequities/the digital divide.
Example(s) of potential nominee for this category:
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e-NABLE
Activity region: Global
e-NABLE is a global community of volunteers who use 3D printing technology to design, create and distribute free 3D-printed prosthetic hands and arms to people in need, especially children. They work to develop low-cost and customizable solutions to improve accessibility to prosthetic devices and increase independence and quality of life for people with upper limb differences.