Empathetic Innovations: Connections across Boundaries

Several motivations may guide quest of a creative person for solving real life problems either faced by oneself or by others. Honey Bee Network has been documenting and valorizing grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge practices for over two decades. In this paper, I review some of the lessons emerging from the innovations triggered by a feeling of internalization of somebody else’s pain [samvedana] exactly as one’s own. The concept of empathetic innovations resonates with the Gandhian philosophy in a very intimate sense. Way back in 1924, Gandhiji had announced a prize of Rs. one lakh to improve the design of charkha [spinning wheel]. When burden becomes responsibility and when concern triggers creativity, we encounter Gandhian spirit in action. He was a great action researcher. In the first part, I summarise the journey of Honey Bee Network, the evolution of SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions) on the advice of Policy and Perspectives Committee of IIMA, and establishment of Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN) as a follow up of International Conference on Creativity and Innovations at Grassroots held at IIMA in 1997. Later, NIF (National Innovation Foundation) was set up with the help of Department of Science and Technology in 2000 to build a National Register of Grassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge besides bridging formal and informal science. Recently, the NIF has become a grant-in-aid institution of DST. Nine key issues discussed in the paper to amplify the concept of empathetic innovations are: Why does not adding value to people’s knowledge and creativity excite majority of young and old institutional scientists?; Does wealth necessarily improve the propensity for risk taking and innovation or the lack of it, i.e., can poverty also be a trigger for innovation? Is frugality fungible?; Whether the nature of motivation influences the incentives or disincentives for diffusion?; Should national science, technology and innovation system be fertilized by the grassroots innovations in a fundamental manner?; Do Gandhian methods still matter? Why did Gandhian institutions fossilize in the last six decades?; Will Incorporating innovations in the curriculum not trigger creativity early in life?; Will creating mobile and stationary museum of innovations help in transforming the minds? and Will Gandhian advice to youth for social engagement be still valid?