Back From Cannes, Back to Work | 3 June 2012

Issue 2 of Southern Innovator was officially launched during the High-Level Meeting on South-South Cooperation at the United Nations in New York from May 22-25. The global roll out has begun and the magazine is available for distribution and sharing.

I briefly took in the 2012 Cannes Film Festival last weekend. It was a privilege to see the spectacle and join a film party. I also had the opportunity to see a snapshot of the global South’s creative economy through its many filmmakers displaying their films in the Cannes marketplace. Even I was surprised by the number of films set in Inner Mongolia and on the theme of Mongolian history! I will be approaching some of these people in the coming weeks to see if we can collaborate for the upcoming Cities and Urbanization issue of Southern Innovator (Issue 4).

I also had the opportunity to meet the representatives of the Kenyan Department of Film Services and hope I can visit them sometime soon.

A TV reporter at the Cannes red carpet.

Issue 3 is also busily underway. The theme is Agriculture and Food Security and a timely one, with the global population hitting 7 billion this year. Various options are being considered for the cover and they can be seen below. As is the case with all issues of Southern Innovator, sponsors can either choose to fund the issue’s production costs, advertise on a page or collaborate in the production of a supplement to be inserted inside each issue. Southern Innovator offers sponsors a great opportunity to reach a global audience and one that is on the cutting edge of change and innovation.

Southern Innovator Issue 2 Being Printed and Readied for Global Launch | 15 May 2012

The presses rolled this week for Southern Innovator Issue 2. The magazine will shortly begin its global launch. Southern Innovator is also looking for a special sponsor or two for the magazine. And it is possible to advertise in the magazine but space is limited.

Southern Innovator Issue 2 rolls of the presses in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Southern Innovator's Graphic Designer and Illustrator, Solveig Rolfsdottir.

Southern Innovator Expanding in 2012 | 8 May 2012

Southern Innovator magazine is moving forward for 2012. Issue 1 launched in May 2011 in both its electronic and print versions. The response since then to the magazine has ranged from readers valuing the stories and information profiled, to other readers admiring the sharp graphic design and illustrations. Southern Innovator‘s second issue went online in March 2012 and the print version is slated for release in May 2012 (contact southerninnovator@yahoo.co.uk to get copy orders in early). The third issue is currently in production and issues four and five will also come out in 2012. Contact the Southern Innovator team to find out more about how to sponsor the magazine, advertise in the magazine or to receive copies for distribution.

Looking Back Over the Past 6 Years | 5 April 2012

I was asked to pull together a brief summary of what has been achieved since work began on the e-newsletter in 2007. While it can be difficult to gauge some aspects of this work – and resources are limited – it is possible to sketch a journey from a very different place back in 2007. This was just the beginning of the global economic crisis, and for many people, the turbulence of the following years has come as a big shock.

What has been noticeable is how far-reaching many of the ideas featured in the e-newsletter have been. What seemed fringe and marginal, is now front-and-centre in much of the world’s media. Think of the noise now generated about Africa and technology. The e-newsletter has tried to balance catching the drift of new trends with seeking out a common element of human resilience and innovation in the face of enormous obstacles and challenges. It is this aspect that seems to cross borders so well. Human ingenuity and creativity in the face of hardship is a compelling story.

Since 2010, in collaboration with Icelandic graphic designer and illustrator Sólveig Rolfsdóttir, we have tried to express this innovation culture in a visual form. It feels like we have more started on a journey still than come to its end. Like we have only just scratched the surface and have so much more to learn and experience.

Southern Innovator's Graphic Designer and Illustrator, Solveig Rolfsdottir.

Issue 2 of Southern Innovator has Launched | 23 March 2012

While it was just an idea in December 2011, Southern Innovator’s second issue has come to life and is now live online (ISSN 2227-0523). Its theme is youth and entrepreneurship. With global youth unemployment levels continuing to rise, fresh thinking of the kind found in Southern Innovator‘s second issue is urgently required.

Southern Innovator‘s second issue has many new features to help readers and make knowledge-sharing easier. The magazine’s design is also closer to the original vision conceived back in 2010 in collaboration with Icelandic graphic designer and illustrator Sólveig Rolfsdóttir.