Most people know about corruption in high places. In fact, most people have experienced it first hand on many occasions. In a recent survey of Management Malpractice, over 95 percent of those surveyed said they had been mismanaged, manipulated, and/or abused in the workplace by those in authority over them. Abuse of power is rampant in our institutions and organizations and governments. Social injustice, plain and simple. So how do we change things?

President-elect Barack Obama won election to the highest office in the land last month, in part, because he promised to change things, lots of things. And most people, including those who didn't vote from him, sincerely hope that his administration will be able to accelerate our emergence from the current recession while making the world a safer, better place. But make no mistake, four years from now, Barack Obama's reelection will depend on only one thing: did he provide the necessary leadership to change the short-term circumstances and long-term prospects of the people in this country. But will his leadership be enough? Probably not, even if he surpasses our expectations. So what more must we do?

For today's blog, let's focus on the artists and writers and musicians and filmmakers among us. According to four British journalists from The Observer, politicians and national governments will always play a crucial role in the forging of social change, but "heartfelt pleas for social justice are better received through novels, movies, and music. Artists can excite, anger, and mobilize as they articulate what it is to be poor, landless, and victimized." Phillip French, Kitty Empire, Jonathan Heawood, and Stephen Bayley show us how the arts have "energized campaigns and pioneered change," in the past. I consider their article a useful contribution to this dialogue, go to:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/21/humanrights.popandrock

As this topic of Social Change and The Arts is revisited in future blogs, I hope you will send in your comments. Social change is inexorable, thank God.