Foundation for Social Inventions
Encyclopedia
The Foundation for Social Inventions of the USSR was founded in 1986 by Gennady Alferenko
, a social innovator and entrepreneur, to launch initiatives for turning Russia into an open civil society.
In 1986, Mikhail Gorbachev
contacted Gennady Alferenko after reading his article on a national campaign to facilitate innovators and change-makers, and asked him to set up a national fund promoting social innovation
s. Alferenko established the Foundation for Social Inventions at the Komsomolskaya Pravda
newspaper, as a readers' voluntary association.
The Foundation invited the newspaper's 20 million readers to send their proposals for social inventions. In the first year, more than 30,000 innovative ideas were received, for which an all-Union computerized idea bank was created. Some promoted citizen diplomacy
, others focused on domestic social problems. Alferenko then invited people to donate money in support of the best ideas. An easy to remember all-Union unified bank account number 708 was established to enable financial and material contributions. Response was enthusiastic. For example, 9.7 million rubles were collected for the "Duty" (Dolg) project to build a center for physical and social rehabilitation for veterans of the Afghanistan war
.
, supported the idea and provided organizational support. Initial funding was provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund
, Ford
, and Charles Stewart Mott
foundations. Coopers & Lybrand had been the Foundation’s auditor. FSI had offices in Juneau
, San Francisco, and New York City
.
was a private spaceflight
conceived in 1992 with the aim of increasing trade between Russia and USA. The flight was followed by a Russian-American entrepreneur
exchange program promoting development of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia. During the course of the program, over 10.000 young unemployed people had been sent for 4-6-week internships in the United States for developing entrepreneurial skills and gaining experience.
partnered with FSI in a first-ever, non-governmental citizen exchange program, Soviets Meet Middle America. Over a two-year period, 400 Soviet citizens in small groups of four persons traveled to 265 American cities where they stayed in some 800 private homes, and were interviewed by thousands of American newspapers, radio and TV programs.
. FSI, with a structure designed to create self-propagating communities of support for entrepreneurs and innovators, had a unique mandate to launch new organizations under its auspices, and used it to establish and provide organizational and financial support to over 300 non-governmental organizations, including the Union of Chernobyl Liquidators
, the Folk Warriors Association of Social Programmes, whiched focused on helping miners and their families, the Russian Union of Afghanistan Veterans, the Flight Safety Foundation International, Stas Namin
Centre, and Interfax.
Gennady Alferenko
Gennady Alferenko is a Soviet and Russian social innovator; in 1970 he established Terpsichore, the first local community organization registered as a legal entity in the USSR; in 1985 he established the Foundation for Social Inventions of the USSR, and in 1987, the foundation for Social...
, a social innovator and entrepreneur, to launch initiatives for turning Russia into an open civil society.
In 1986, Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
contacted Gennady Alferenko after reading his article on a national campaign to facilitate innovators and change-makers, and asked him to set up a national fund promoting social innovation
Social innovation
Social innovation refers to new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that meet social needs of all kinds - from working conditions and education to community development and health - and that extend and strengthen civil society....
s. Alferenko established the Foundation for Social Inventions at the Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda is a daily Russian tabloid newspaper, founded on March 13th, 1925. It is published by "Izdatelsky Dom Komsomolskaya Pravda" .- History :...
newspaper, as a readers' voluntary association.
The Foundation invited the newspaper's 20 million readers to send their proposals for social inventions. In the first year, more than 30,000 innovative ideas were received, for which an all-Union computerized idea bank was created. Some promoted citizen diplomacy
Citizen diplomacy
Citizen diplomacy is the political concept of average citizens engaging as representatives of a country or cause either inadvertently or by design. Citizen diplomacy may take place when official channels are not reliable or desirable; for instance, if two countries do not formally recognize each...
, others focused on domestic social problems. Alferenko then invited people to donate money in support of the best ideas. An easy to remember all-Union unified bank account number 708 was established to enable financial and material contributions. Response was enthusiastic. For example, 9.7 million rubles were collected for the "Duty" (Dolg) project to build a center for physical and social rehabilitation for veterans of the Afghanistan war
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
.
Foundation for Social Innovations USA
In 1989, Alferenko established the Foundation for Social Innovations, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit in USA. Henry Dakin, chairman of the Dakin Company and philanthropist, and Peter Goldmark, then President of the Rockefeller FoundationRockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, supported the idea and provided organizational support. Initial funding was provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund , , is an international philanthropic organisation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family. It was set up in New York City in 1940 as the primary philanthropic vehicle of the five famous Rockefeller brothers: John D...
, Ford
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, and Charles Stewart Mott
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is a charitable foundation founded in 1926 by Charles Stewart Mott of Flint, Michigan. Mott was the leading industrialist in Flint through his association with General Motors....
foundations. Coopers & Lybrand had been the Foundation’s auditor. FSI had offices in Juneau
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
, San Francisco, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Space Flight Europe-America 500
The Space Flight Europe-America 500Space Flight Europe-America 500
Space Flight Europe-America 500 was a goodwill mission conceived in 1992 as the first private spaceflight by the Russian Foundation for Social Inventions and TsSKB-Progress, a Russian rocket-building company, to increase trade between Russia and USA, and promote use of technology once reserved only...
was a private spaceflight
Private spaceflight
Private spaceflight is flight above Earth altitude conducted by and paid for by an entity other than a government. In the early decades of the Space Age, the government space agencies of the Soviet Union and United States pioneered space technology augmented by collaboration with affiliated design...
conceived in 1992 with the aim of increasing trade between Russia and USA. The flight was followed by a Russian-American entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
exchange program promoting development of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia. During the course of the program, over 10.000 young unemployed people had been sent for 4-6-week internships in the United States for developing entrepreneurial skills and gaining experience.
Friendship Flight '89
In 1989, The Foundation sponsored 11-year-old Tony Aliengena's flight across the Soviet Union with stops in towns, normally closed to foreigners. That was one of the many projects FSI sponsored in an effort to open closed Soviet societies through people-to-people diplomacy.Soviets Meet Middle America
In 1988, Sharon Tennison's Center for Citizen InitiativesCenter for Citizen Initiatives
The Center for Citizen Initiatives is the brainchild of an American citizen, Sharon Tennison, who in the early 1980s determined in a period of desperation to try to reduce tensions between the two superpowers...
partnered with FSI in a first-ever, non-governmental citizen exchange program, Soviets Meet Middle America. Over a two-year period, 400 Soviet citizens in small groups of four persons traveled to 265 American cities where they stayed in some 800 private homes, and were interviewed by thousands of American newspapers, radio and TV programs.
Umbrella function
In the U.S.S.R., people had difficulties in forming private associations because there was no law that would allow for the creation of a non-governmental organizationNon-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
. FSI, with a structure designed to create self-propagating communities of support for entrepreneurs and innovators, had a unique mandate to launch new organizations under its auspices, and used it to establish and provide organizational and financial support to over 300 non-governmental organizations, including the Union of Chernobyl Liquidators
Liquidator (Chernobyl)
Liquidators , or "clean-up workers", is the name given in the former USSR to people who were called upon to work in efforts to deal with consequences of the April 26, 1986, Chernobyl disaster on the site of the event...
, the Folk Warriors Association of Social Programmes, whiched focused on helping miners and their families, the Russian Union of Afghanistan Veterans, the Flight Safety Foundation International, Stas Namin
Stas Namin
Stas Namin is a Russian-Armenian musician, composer, and record producer; artist and photographer; theatre and film director and producer; entrepreneur, promoter, and businessman...
Centre, and Interfax.