Southern Innovator and the GSSD Expo | 2011 - 2014

Beginning in 2011 and ending in 2014, each issue of Southern Innovator was launched at the annual Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo) run by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC). The issues (there were five) would connect with that year's Expo theme and were intended to reinforce the solutions presented at the Expo, as well as those solutions discovered through research for the influential United Nations e-newsletter Development Challenges, South-South Solutions. An Expo was not run in 2015 for the following reason: U.S. Finds Macau Billionaire Guilty in U.N. Bribery Case. 

Studies have shown the importance of reading to real change. Not just online, but in paper form. The retention of information and knowledge is greater when a person reads something in a book or a magazine. Another factor is quality design (which makes the published material both attractive and effective). Trashy, gaudy or slap-dash design, while it has its place and context, is not suitable for well-funded, transparent, public organizations seeking to communicate across borders in a professional manner. Southern Innovator was designed following the UN and UNDP design guidelines at the time, while also adhering to the UN Global Compact and the UN Consultants Remuneration Guidelines. The content was also written to follow those guidelines as well as the Plain English Campaign, which seeks to reduce the presence of "gobbledygook, jargon and misleading public information". On top of this, the magazine benefited from experience: the experience of one of Iceland's top graphic designers and illustrators, the team based at the UNOSSC in New York who oversaw the editing and proof reading, and the researcher, editor and writer who has led many successful and award-winning publishing ventures, including during "one of the biggest peacetime economic collapses ever".   

Southern Innovator Issue 1: Mobile Phones and Information Technology was published in 2011 and launched at the Expo in Rome, Italy.

Southern Innovator Issue 2: Youth and Entrepreneurship was published in 2012 and launched at the Expo in Vienna, Austria.

Southern Innovator Issue 3: Agribusiness and Food Security was published in 2012 and launched at the Expo in Vienna, Austria.

Southern Innovator Issue 4: Cities and Urbanization was published in 2013 and launched at the Expo in Nairobi, Kenya (the first time in Africa).

Southern Innovator Issue 5: Waste and Recycling was published in 2014 and launched at the Expo in Washington, D.C.

© David South Consulting 2017

Southern Innovator and Development Challenges, South-South Solutions | UNOSSC Client

Since 2007, DS Consulting has been working with the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) in UNDP (formerly the United Nations Development Programme’s Special Unit for South-South Cooperation), tracking the most exciting event of our times: the rise of the global South as an economic powerhouse. Learn more about South-South cooperation from Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South%E2%80%93South_cooperation.

On top of documenting the trends and new players shaping this fast-changing world, DS Consulting worked on developing Southern Innovator, launched in May 2011. Southern Innovator (ISSN 2222-9280) is designed by Icelandic graphic designer Sólveig Rolfsdóttir and is intended to showcase innovation-led ways people across the global South are making money and fighting poverty. It is being distributed around the world and online.

“As a communicator, UNOSSC uses a variety of tools to promote, advocate for and share information on South-South cooperation. These tools, which have enabled partners to take leadership and ownership roles, show results and claim credibility, include the annual United Nations Day for SSC, exhibitions at the GSSD Expo [Global South-South Development Expo], Southern Innovator, the quarterly multi-agency “South-South in Action” and the Creative Economy Report.” Compilation of Case Studies on Management of South-South and Triangular Cooperation, March 2015, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Strategic framework of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, 2014-2017

In 2013, the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Office for Project Services had this to say:

"In providing secretariat services to the High-level Committee, UNOSSC will provide Member States with evidence-based research and analysis on trends, opportunities and challenges to South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation through reports prepared in collaboration with other United Nations organizations, including the annual reports of the Secretary-General on the state of South-South cooperation, biennial reports to the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, policy briefs, public statements, advocacy e-newsletters, the Southern Innovator magazine and many other publications on South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation, as resources permit."

View the PDF of the Strategic Framework for South-South Cooperation here: http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/cooperation/en/south_south/docs/unossc_strategic_framework_2014-2017.pdf

Two e-book compilations are also available showing key documents and artwork from the magazine since 2011.

Southern Innovator Magazine from 2012 to 2014: A compilation of documents from the magazine's recent years

Southern Innovator Magazine from 2012 to 2014: A compilation of documents from the magazine's recent years 

Southern Innovator Magazine from 2011 to 2012: A compilation of documents from the magazine's early years 

From 1997 to 1999 I headed the UN's Communications Office in Mongolia. This was a time of great change and crisis in the country. In 1998, I wrote an update on the unfolding political crisis. Mongolia Update - Coverage of 1998 Political Changes can be downloaded here. Some highlights from this briefing include an introduction to the new prime minister (and now current president) and an explanation of the turbulent forces behind Asia's newest democracy. A lively account of this time is Wild East: Travels in the New Mongolia by Jill Lawless. For a thorough account of Mongolia's transition experience, try reading Modern Mongolia: From Khans to Commissars to Capitalists by Morris Rossabi.

Curated content is now also online. This includes:

Mongolia Crisis 1997 to 1999 Resources

GOSH Child Health Portal 2001 to 2003 Resources

 

© David South Consulting 2017

Update on Monday, March 9, 2020 at 3:56AM by David South

The stories featured in the United Nations e-newsletter Development Challenges, South-South Solutions (2006-2014) have been cited in many books and papers. One example is Autonomous Systems in the Intelligence Community: Many Possibilities and Challenges by Jenny R. Holzer, PhD, and Franklin L. Moses, PhD in Studies in Intelligence Vol 59, No. 1 (Extracts, March 2015). Read the full article here: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-59-no-1/pdfs/Studies-Extracts.pdf

Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Unclassified).

Autonomous Systems in the Intelligence Community: Many Possibilities and Challenges by Jenny R. Holzer, PhD, and Franklin L. Moses, PhD in Studies in Intelligence Vol 59, No. 1 (Extracts, March 2015).

Autonomous Systems in the Intelligence Community: Many Possibilities and Challenges by Jenny R. Holzer, PhD, and Franklin L. Moses, PhD in Studies in Intelligence Vol 59, No. 1 (Extracts, March 2015).

Southern Innovator Issue 5 Being Printed and Readied for Launch | 15 February 2014

Southern Innovator‘s fifth issue is being printed and will soon launch. It is a significant milestone for the magazine since its first launch in 2011. The magazine has been able to gather stories on innovative solutions to the many challenges facing the global South in the 21st century. Distributed around the world and featured at the Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo), it offers a unique opportunity to directly reach the current generation of global innovators.

It is a missed opportunity to not support Southern Innovator at this critical time while the magazine’s profile grows.

Issue 6 will cover the theme of Science, Technology and Innovation.

An infographic from Southern Innovator Issue 5. The cover of Issue 5.

Southern Innovator Goes Forward with Issues 4 and 5 and an Expo in Kenya | 19 September 2013

As I write, Issue 4 of Southern Innovator is at the printer and being readied for its formal launch (ISBN 978-0-9920217-0-2). Issue 5 (ISBN 978-0-9920217-1-9) is in production and being readied for its launch at the Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo) to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from 28 October to 1 November 2013.

At this point, Issue 6 is also in the works and scheduled for release in 2014.

This next phase for the magazine is critical: the magazine has developed a reputation for chronicling a growing innovation culture in the global South. It is reaching highly influential readers around the world, many of whom are leaders in their countries and communities. In short, it is a powerful communications tool for reaching these individuals.

It is now possible to sponsor the magazine (sponsorship helps to pay for the printing of the magazine) or to fund relevant inserts to be included in the magazine to help our readers. Southern Innovator is a cost-effective tool for reaching a large audience spanning many cultures, countries and communities.  The magazine, for it to continue to be successful, requires adequate funds to cover the costs of research, editing, design and printing. Why not include supporting Southern Innovator in your plans to reach innovators in the global South?

Issues 4 and 5 in Heavy Production in Next Two Weeks | 6 December 2012

 

As the year comes to a close, the next two issues of Southern Innovator are in production. Fired up by the many innovators met at the Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo) recently held in Vienna, Austria, the magazine will feature some of their ideas and innovations. Recent trips to South Korea and China have also heavily influenced these issues.

Southern Innovator is both designed and printed using 100 per cent renewable energy. It is part of the philosophy underpinning Southern Innovator to challenge ourselves to do things differently, better and to strive to be open to new thinking and ways. Already, it is possible to look back over the past couple of years and see some of the innovators we first profiled now overseeing globally scaled-up initiatives and innovations.

We look forward to 2013 with great enthusiasm and hope we can scale up the Southern Innovator project to the next level.

A page showing the many online resources available associated with Southern Innovator.