2017 Global Philanthropy Forum Conference to Focus on Trust & Civil Society

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 11, 2017 /3BL Media/ – At a time of division and acrimony in the U.S. and beyond, the annual Global Philanthropy Forum (GPF) Conference will convene top philanthropists, social investors, business executives, government leaders and activists to consider ways to rebuild societal trust and cohesion. The conference kicks off next week on April 18-20 in Washington, D.C., and will focus on the theme “Trust & Legitimacy – Solving Problems Together.”

Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group, and Jane Wales, Founder of the GPF and CEO of the World Affairs Council, will open the conference and kick off discussions about the role of social trust. Former Secretary of State, Madeleine K. Albright, and McNulty Prize laureates will lead a conversation on the components of building trust in communities around the globe.

Additionally, three citizen leaders, including Alaa Murabit, SDG Global Advocate and High-Level Commissioner for The United Nations, Nicola Benyahia, Founder of Families for Life, and Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, Co-Founder and Executive Director of International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), will discuss the role individual citizens can play in preventing or ending violent conflict and rebuilding societal trust in the process.

Why does trust matter now?

“Trust is our most valuable asset. It provides the societal glue on which democracy and well-being rely. Without it we can’t solve large problems together,” said Jane Wales in describing the conference themes. “Yet trust is at an all-time low. Philanthropists from the U.S., Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America will be coming together to consider the role that philanthropy and civil society can play in building social capital in their countries,  advancing social cohesion, and empowering communities and citizens to address problems and seize opportunities together.”

How will trust be rebuilt? Break-out sessions will explore some of the below sessions and topics:

• Advancing pluralism: Speakers will discuss ways to combat identity politics in Africa, Asia, Europe and the US.” Included in the roster are:
  
  • Nobel Laureate Ouided Bouchamaoui, member of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet
  • David Miliband of the International Rescue Committee
  • David Tolbert of the International Center on Transitional Justice
  • James Goldston of the Open Society Foundations, and
  • Robin Wright of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson Center
• A Healthy Start: Early Childhood Development: Panelists share interventions that contribute to healthy development and address the lasting effects of toxic stress faced by children worldwide. Speakers include:
  
  • Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save The Children
  • Randa Grob-Zakhary, Global Head of Education at Porticus Foundation
  • Deogratias Niyonkiza, Founder of Village Health Works
  • Joan Lombardi of the Bernard Van Leer Foundation, and
  • Ashish Karamchandani of FSG
• Strategic Philanthropy: Philanthropic leaders will explore the sources of legitimacy and efficacy of the philanthropic sector, and the ways they work to “get stuff done.” Panelists include:
  
  • Julia Stasch, President of The MacArthur Foundation
  • Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of the  Rockefeller Foundation
  • Her Royal Highness Princess Lamia Al Saud, Secretary General of the Alwaleed Foundation, and
  • Patrick McCarthy, President of the Annie E. Casey Foundation

The full agenda can be found here: https://www.philanthropyforum.org/conference/gpf-2017/agenda/.

Follow the #GPF17 Conversation:

• Livestream: All plenary addresses will be streamed during the event at www.philanthopyforum.org/live
• Twitter: Follow @gpforg and the #GPF17 hashtag
• Facebook: See updates on www.facebook.com/GlobalPhilanthropyForum
• Videos: Daily video highlights will be available at www.philanthropyforum.org/conference

Media interested in covering or attending this event can reach out to Jessica Jeng (email: jjeng@we-worldwide.com, phone: +1.212.551.4818).

About the Global Philanthropy Forum
A project of the World Affairs Council, the Global Philanthropy Forum aims to build a community of donors and social investors committed to international causes, and to inform, enable and enhance the strategic nature of their work. Through an annual conference and special events, the GPF connects donors to issues; to effective strategies; to potential co-funding partners; and to emblematic agents of change from around the world. By building, and continually refreshing a lasting learning community, the GPF seeks to expand the number of philanthropists who will be strategic in pursuit of international causes.