Strong communities, such as the traditional communities based on kinship ties in the Pacific Island
countries, generate bonding social capital. Often, these communities are also the main social service providers because governments tend to be relatively weak, especially in remote rural areas. Strong civil societies, on the other hand, can generate bridging social capital and, depending on the receptivity of the government, linking social capital. Having a strong—or vibrant, organized and independent—civil society implies that citizens of different backgrounds work together to express their needs, exercise their rights and improve their communities in dialogue and cooperation with the state. The ideal scenario is for countries to be characterized by both good governance and strong civil societies.

http://www.socialinnovationawards.com/

http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/skoll/Home.htm

http://www.skollworldforum.com

on going independent study topics

社会创新项目（英文转换推敲中）：
The Social Innovation Initiative aims to call up, discover, promote and assist young adults (18-45 years old) who have strong sense of social responsibility，entrepreneurial spirit, and desire for innovation to be social innovators and social entrepreneurs. The initiative promotes cross sector collaboration to provide platforms of learning and practice, experience sharing and exchanges for the young changemakers, so that their creativity and passion is transformed into action to solve social problems, thereby advancing social development.


The Initiative aims to motivate civic engagement through the promotion of social innovation, and to help young changemakers to transform their creativity and passion into effective actions that brings sustainable solutions to social problems, thereby advancing social development.

o To motivate youth civic engagement through the promotion of social innovation
o Everyone to achieve/realize the unity/ harmony of personal and social values through innovation.
o Nurturing social innovators who take action to bring on sustainable solutions for social problems.


专业相关的独立论文选题，美国为基础，有一些中国的比较，目前在考虑的一些方面：
农民工，城市流动人口，人口迁移 （migration, immigration, and the social challenges)
可持续农业， 农夫菜市，环境资源 (sustainable agruiculture/ organic farming, farmer's market, urban enviornmentalism)
城乡发展结合，城市地域主义，城市公共空间 (rural urban transition, Regionalism, public space)

“The only bright spot, as the conference got under way came from Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier. Eager to calm concerns that his country’s economy would not avoid recession, Mr. Wen struck an unabashedly upbeat tone.

“I can give you a definitive answer,” he said. “Yes, it will; we are full of confidence.””
"我们有责任向世界传递信心、勇气和希望。"

中国在世界舞台上开始担当领导者的角色，领导者代来希望、目标和信心。