Nipun Mehta has provided the material for many NPD posts through his wonderful Daily Good blog. I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with him several years ago and greatly admire his service orientation. I believe service is the antidote to greed and can help transform a “me” into a “we”mentality. Nipun is also the founder of ServiceSpace.org, a nonprofit that works at the intersection of the gift-economy, technology and volunteerism.  His popular TED talk “Designing for Generosity” provides an overview of their work and guiding principles.

You might also enjoy reading an edited transcript of a Baccalaureate address he gave to the 2012 graduating class at the University of Pennsylvania. If you know any graduating seniors, you might want to pass it along to them. It might serve them well on their coming life adventure.

–by ActionforHappiness.org, Original Story, Apr 14, 2012

From Karmatube.org

What would the world look like if we designed for generosity? Instead of assuming that people want to simply maximize self-interest, what if our institutions and organizations catered to our deeper motivations? This compelling TEDx talk explores this question and introduces the concept of Giftivism: the practice of radically generous acts that change the world. The video is charged with stories of such acts, ranging from: the largest peaceful transfer of land in human history, to a pay-it-forward restaurant, to a 10-year-old’s unconventional birthday celebration, and the stunning interaction between a victim and his teenage mugger. With clarity and insight, it details the common threads that runs through all these gift manifestations, and invites us to participate through everyday acts of kindness — in an uplifting global movement.

Using the environment not as an exploitable resource, but as a source of inspiration

by Andy Isaacson
From UTNE

Five years ago, while he was harvesting mussels on the Pacific coast, Kaichang Li, a wood science and engineering professor at Oregon State University, marveled at how the mollusks were able to cling to shoreline rocks even when they were being pounded by ocean waves. Later, munching on a bowl of tofu, Li started to think about how the small threads the mussel uses to anchor itself contain a protein that functions as a sort of adhesive. He had a revelation: Amino acids could be added to soybeans—a protein-rich, locally abundant crop (not to mention a tasty lunch)—to create a water-resistant, all-natural bonding agent.

Read more…

Read more about Biommicry:

http://janinebenyus.com

http://chirp.wildcenter.org/gallery/moi/index.html?gclid=CKHntP2qm64CFeIQNAodOUoSLA#mother-of-invention

We shared this before but for those that missed it here it is again and for those who’ve seen it before, a great reminder…