From words to action:
Five maxims for social innovation
This is how we can create communities in a new way.
From words to action:
Five maxims for social innovation
This is how we can create communities in a new way.
A maxim is a rule of thumb – a principle that guides how we make change happen. The maxims for social innovation are a foundation for action. They create the right conditions for social innovation to happen and grow.
Five maxims for social innovation
The five maxims create the framework for strong and qualified interaction between people and strategic–political processes – and thus for real action and development. The maxims are closely linked and mutually supportive. Together, they point to how we, in a Danish context, can integrate social innovation into the actions that are crucial for creating positive social change. Each of the five maxims serves as a perspective on what it takes to succeed – but their full strength arises from the interaction between them.
Source: Anne Vorre Hansen, Anders Folmer Buhelt, and Clara Dawe: “Collective action – how social innovation can (once again) bring us together to shape our society.” (2025, Djøf Publishing)
Put the five maxims for social innovation into practice in your own organisation
For each maxim, a series of reflection questions have been developed to guide the conversation about how you and/or your organisation with social change.
Learn more about maxims and social innovation
The maxims were developed by Anne Vorre Hansen, Anders Folmer Buhelt, and Clara Dawe from the Academy's secretariat and described in the book "Collective Action – How Social Innovation Can (Once Again) Bring Us Together to Create Our Society" (Djøf Publishing, 2025).
The book provides a thorough introduction to social innovation as a field of practice and research and highlights the fundamental need for change in our social model. Based on the major and complex challenges we face as a society, the reader is also given concrete suggestions on how social innovation can be a lever for social change in a Danish context.
Through historical examples, contemporary cases, and a survey of the social innovation landscape in Denmark and internationally, "Collective Action" shows how Denmark has good conditions for social innovation and that there is untapped potential.
