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2007 - Madrid
Foundations for Europe: The New Challenges for Global Philanthropy
June 1st - 3rd 2007 | Madrid, Spain
Some 600 delegates from 54 countries attended this exciting event which explored what independent funders can do to tackle today’s major global challenges. The conference sought to show how foundations can play a central role as catalysts, developing solutions together, while recognising that they cannot deal with their issues in isolation from today's global concerns.
In addition to a special plenary to discuss foundations' role and involvement in responding to the climate change challenge, the programme comprised 31 sessions which tackled a diverse range of issues. In the demographic sessions, the focus was mainly on issues of migration, refugees and minorities. Sessions on global issues in philanthropy dealt with issues ranging from the environment, energy, and sustainability to gender, research, health and disabilities. Delegates discussed topics such as national foundation tax law, corporate governance and accountability, values, public-private partnerships, corporate social responsibility and NGO benchmarking at the organisational change and response sessions.
Before the conference a further 16 pre-conference events were hosted by organisations including the EFC European HIV/AIDS Funders Group, the EFC Donors Associations and Foundations Networks in Europe (DAFNE) and the European Partnership for Global Health.
Do read about this event in greater detail through the highlights listed below and by browsing the links on the right.
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Conference Highlights
- At the Opening Plenary, Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, examined the causes of and solutions to the current massive movements of people. He asked foundations to deploy their strengths and get more involved in the global challenges of migration and refugees.
- Pedro Alonso, of the Centre for International Health at the University of Barcelona's Hospital Clinic, said that research and development for new drugs and vaccines is crucial in the fight against tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria, and that the statistics on spending and development are discouraging.
- Following remarks by Jennifer Morgan of E3G, in the Climate Change Plenary, Uday Khemka from the Nand and Jeet Khemka Foundation, said that foundations will see the impact of climate change on their activities in future and offered a four-point strategy for those who were thinking of tackling the climate change challenge.
- Keynote speaker, Barry Gaberman, who retired from the Ford Foundation in 2006, called for organised philanthropy to unite and “craft a more effective, more thoughtful and more content-rich collaboration”. He went on to review seven key issues facing philanthropy in Europe and the USA.
- At the Closing Plenary, EFC Vice-Chair, Emílio Rui Vilar, of Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, stressed the need for existing issues to be reframed in a global context, saying that European foundations should play their part by deploying more of their resources to activities outside Europe and accept greater responsibility.
- This year’s conference saw the introduction of the first EFC photo competition entitled “Every Picture Tells a Story.” Open solely to members, the competition received 74 entries from which 13 finalists were selected by a jury of EFC members. Delegates chose the winning entry, “Getting Ready for School” submitted by the Bernard van Leer Foundation, and was announced by Isabelle Schwarz of the European Cultural Foundation at the Closing Plenary.
- At the Closing Plenary, the Raymond Georis Prize for Innovative Philanthropy was awarded to the late Ray Murphy for his excellence in philanthropic work. The award was accepted by Mr Murphy’s wife, Caitriona O’Driscoll, who thanked everybody for “honouring and remembering" her husband. Following the presentation, William White, of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, announced that The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, in conjunction with Philanthropy Ireland, would sponsor a yearly lecture series on philanthropy dedicated to Mr Murphy.
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