Exploring how we can shape a better future, together.
Dr Daniel Kyereko, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in Education and Social Justice with the Department of Education at the University of York As we think about what social change for public good might mean in responding to some of our societal challenges, migration offers an important place to reflect. Perhaps we need to look … Continue reading Human Movement Is Not New. So Why Is Migration Still a Problem?
Susie Syme, Environmental Science graduate, University of York and winner of the 2026 Changemaker of the Year at York SU’s Student Life Awards When you hear the word CHANGEMAKER, I think it’s easy to instantly think of the David Attenboroughs, Malalas, and Obamas of the world – those big figures, or those associated with international … Continue reading What “Changemaking” Really Means for Gen Z: How Student-Led Action Drives Real Social Change
Martin O’Neill, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of York Last week saw the launch in York of the report of the Community Wealth Building Commission for York and North Yorkshire. At a moment when Andy Burnham is promising a radical decentralisation of economic power from Downing Street, the report offers a timely example of what … Continue reading Community Wealth Building in York and North Yorkshire: a blueprint for devolving economic power
Rebecca Gowland, Executive Director, Patriotic Millionaires International How to deliver change – what levers can we pull? There are around a million people working in the voluntary sector in the UK. So many of us are engaged in a mission to change the narratives and policies delivered for our society and I’ve done a bit … Continue reading Take risks and do it all
Nina Caspersen, Professor of Comparative Politics and the Associate Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Social Sciences. The world as we know it is changing before our eyes, as the scaffolding underpinning the international order has come under sustained attack. Long-established norms are undermined, warfare is increasingly seen as a legitimate policy instrument, and belligerent … Continue reading Researching and Teaching Peace in Times of War – Promoting Social Change amidst Global Disorder
Danielle Walker Palmour. Director, Friends Provident Foundation For any charity or organisation that holds private resources in service of a public mission, one question sits at the heart of its legitimacy: what does it mean to pursue social change when you are also part of the very systems you seek to transform? The more resources … Continue reading “See, hear and feel the system”: What social change for public good means when you’re part of the power structures you’re trying to change
by Mark Freeman, Professor of Finance and the Associate Dean (Partnerships, Engagement, and International) for the Faculty of Social Sciences. I sometimes find myself questioning the prevailing wisdom within universities on how we might best drive social change. Within many of our departments, there is a deep-seated belief that the most noble and effective way … Continue reading Profit for Social Change