Sometimes I have those evening that I get re-inspired about my work in the world and the people that stand by my side and do even bigger work. Last night that was Jason Clay, WWF vice-president who “works with big corporations to transform the global markets they operate in, so we can produce more with less land, less water and less pollution.”

Watch this and get inspired by the entrepreneurial commitment to changing the world, with bold courage and open thinking.

Who will follow up his work, and how can we support this great effort?

After getting incredibly inspired I take responsibility as a consumer and I commit to the following:

Buy only vegetarian, organic & natural food

Buy as local as possible, make a real effort

Always buy the the fair trade alternative

Buy nothing that I don’t need

Always separate and reduce my waste

Recycle as much as possible

Minimize water and energy usage

Buy only natural cosmetics and detergents

Share sustainable solutions and practices with my network

Inspire others to take initiative

Join as many global actions as possible

Organise and support local events and actions

What else should or could I commit to? Invite me in the comments!

connectivity

In the beginning of the year I was part of an initiative called Connectivity. An initiative that had a physical form in the 2006 conference and carried on as a network until I proposed a second conference in July 2008. I became the initiator of this project and invited many young people into the vision. In this project review I do not want to go into the process of Connectivity, but rather into the effect it has had on my development as a YIP participant.

When the project crumbled in an ownership conflict in November 2009 I found myself floating in nothingness, acknowledging the change in my life and in peace with the series of events that led up to this conflict. Although I felt disappointment and anger as active forces within me, I did not allow these feelings to come to the surface. I had to completely reorientate myself towards social change work, and that happened through the people around me at YIP, the strong supporting community I was a part of. I found inspiration in supporting others at YIP as a mentor and knowledge base.

Looking back on the Connectivity process I recognize a pattern of restricted commitment to a vision that was never completely genuine. I was highly committed but restricted by the disability of others and myself to let go of expectations and opinions. The project was influenced by deep disagreements and mental models that could not be resolved though conversation. It made me very aware of the human disability to let go, both of myself and others. This project was a blessing and a curse. Is has taught me more then any other project so far, especially about the difficulty of working in network organizations.

Within YIP however, I found a commitment to keep talking, to carry the conversation through the darker and more difficult periods. It showed me that in order to successfully bring an initiative into the world, its is highly important to either have a strong local team, or a connected and dedicated international team.

social media

During the year I also focused on Social Media for YIP, and I launched a YIP Twitter account on www.twitter.com/YIPsweden. This account follows all YIP participants, contributors and network partners and has 133 followers on June 7 2010.
I also hosted a YIP Marketing/Social Media day in January 2010, when we got together with everyone to spread the word through mainly Facebook. We added more then 1000 fans/members to the YIP Facebook page and group. After that I have maintained the updating of these platforms to keep the momentum going, and felt a commitment to fuel the online conversation. Up until today I have been active on the web for YIP and also Sense Festival.

For me this is an important part of my experience at YIP, and an attempt to make holes in the bubble of Ytterjärna, engaging YIP participants into a conversation with the YIP network. My work has had it’s fruits in the online and offline network, as I contributed to expending the YIP network towards kaospilots, MSLS, Knowmads, the HUB, Art of Hosting, Fanzingo and many more. Maybe I have also been able to inspire future participants?

pietradelmundo

On the 1st of February 2010 I launched pietradelmundo, a social enterprise emerging from a question:

How can I continue to do what a love to be doing, being able to financially sustain myself?

My dream is that in the time after YIP I will be able to naturally flow in inspiring projects and learning opportunities, being able to support myself. All of this under the ‘umbrella’ of positive social change towards a fair, resilient and regenerative society that sustains a living natural planet.

In the weeks of identifying the need and purpose of pietradelmundo I have been looking into myself to map the gifts, skills and talents that I can offer the world. I identified three main areas where I feel strength and capacity in offering my abilities:

pietradelmundo is Pieter Jacobus Daniël Ploeg as social innovator, host, social media consultant, social gathering organiser and backstage event co-creator.

I facilitate participatory change processes and collaborative design sessions. I host and harvest conversations that matter in communities for social innovation and positive social change. In need for change?

I offer to be your guide in the social media landscape on the web. I develop personal and professional websites, blogs, online marketing strategies, social network presence and online collaboration. Want to be on-line to be more off-line?

I co-organise a wide variety of social gatherings. Conferences, meetings, camps, performances, festivals, theatre productions. I tend to co-create and co-imagine.

The challenge is to make this possible without having to manage an enterprise, or having to much financial risk in innovation.

The opportunity is to create a balance between financial sustenance and creative ‘imagineering’.

This project incorporates a learning aspect by making the process 100% transparent to the network and community. This happens live on my website/blog where I showcase all the steps it takes to develop this. » www.pietradelmundo.nl

In pursuing the start-up of this initiative I looked into all the different areas of starting an enterprise: the visioning, registration with the tax-company and chamber of commerce, bookkeeping, budgeting, corporate design, client communications, etc. For the corporate design I worked with Maira Rahme and she helped me with a handwriting fond, many different symbols and icons for the logo and design, and a color palette

This project has brought me about five clients in the various areas, and supported me with a financial profit of about € 1000,- which has been invested in social projects of my own.

To allow myself the art of giving, 1% of all my income goes to the 1%Club.

YIP Project Synthesis

Synthesizing the projects I have been engaged in during YIP, and that also includes the Global Wake-Up Call Flashmob, 350.org 24th Oct, OASIS Copenhagen/COP15, World as a Garden & Sense Festival, I start to see the emerging patterns in my gifts to the community.

“I am the bus driver.” After a very intense project I serve the world best driving a van full of tired and happy people, taking care of everyone else with a strong responsibility and not too much interaction.

I am content when I get up early in the morning, clean the kitchen, pick flowers, do the dishes, prepare the breakfast table, make fresh coffee with foamed milk for everyone in the kitchen of Tallevana. (our student housing at YIP)

I am most happy when I can give from the background or the backstage, without asking for much in return.

My gesture towards the projects I am involved in is to see the opportunity far ahead, to invite other people into the dream and to then make sure the road is paved.

I leave YIP in a fragile flow of not having a project like Connectivity, but with a clarity about myself that is rich and strengthening. Whatever comes is the right thing, and as long as I stay true to myself the universe will conspire.

August 2009               »           December 2009              »             May 2010

This is usually the killer question. Why should you come to me? What makes me better then others?

To be honest: It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to come to me. I do not even try to be better then others.

What I offer is commitment and passion, inspiration and transparency, clarity of purpose and a young perspective. Moreover: it will always be me. pietradelmundo is not a mask. pietradelmundo is Pieter Jacobus Daniël Ploeg, working for the world.

What makes me unique is that there is only one Pieter Jacobus Daniël Ploeg on the entire planet. And that is me.

And I would like to work the world with you.