Powerful historical trends are converging on our time. Humanity is exiting the youthful phase of growth and transitioning to maturity, including ecological maturity, demographic maturity, and economic maturity.

With the tripartite collaboration of the public sector, business sector and civic society, many cross-sector social innovative projects have become effective ‘bridge-builders' to respond to issues and reconcile differences.

Building an empathetic and healthy community needs every one’s effort, including local organisations and individuals.

Storytelling can be a powerful way to build a knowledge hub on social innovation to promote community engagement and digital social network across Asia.

The roles of governments, funders, and social innovators are often given much weight in social innovation. However, intermediaries also play an indispensable role in building the social innovation ecosystem.

Now more than ever, “Trust” will play a key role in solving the world’s social and environmental challenges - from aligning a common purpose in cross-sector partnerships and practising honest conversations between people from diverse backgrounds, to fostering confidence in our leaders, institutions and communities for long-term change, as well as in renewing a sense of hope in an increasingly unknown future.

The upheaval caused by COVID-19 is all around us. The verse “there is a time to hug, and a time not to hug” has a new meaning during the pandemic. However, we are in this together - and we will get through this together.