The growing problems of the world -- from climate change, conflict, poverty, water scarcity, infectious disease to economic stagnation -- are not too hard to solve. Rather progress is stalled because our model is wrong. The good news is that traditional state based institutions such as the UN, the International Monetary Fund or the G8 summits are being supplemented and even eclipsed by non-state networks of civil society, the private sector, government and individual stakeholders.

Call them Global Solution Networks.

Hear rising Seattle-based hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis discuss with John Norris their soaring popularity following their self-released debut, The Heist, which shot into the #1 spot on iTunes and debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts without the support of a traditional record label. Their single “Thrift Shop” held #1 on the Billboard Top 100 chart for four weeks with a wildly popular music video (123 million+ views on YouTube) on heavy rotation on BET and MTV2.