Every month Alliance regional representatives provide a report on the latest happenings in philanthropy from their region. Below is roundup for June 2024
Stanford Social Innovation Review(SSIR) Japan Relaunched
By Fan Li, East Asia Regional Representative
SSIR Japan was introduced in 2021 by Social Investment Partners, a venture philanthropy organization in Tokyo that invests in social enterprises. It launched with a print version of translated SSIR articles and original contents from Japan, website and reader’s community events in 2022.
In Fall 2023, Social Investment Partners announced the closure of SSIR Japan. In April 2024, SSIR Japan was relaunched by the Center for Impact Economy at the Graduate School of Leadership and Innovation at Shizenkan University in Tokyo.
The new SSIR Japan will offer both translated and original stories exclusively online. The new publisher of SSIR Japan, Uo Masataka, is the head of Center for Impact Economy at Shizenkan. He is also the President of Japan Fundraising Association that represents AVPN Japan.
India Planning Commission launches two initiatives to foster innovation
By Aarti Mohan, South Asia Regional Representative
NITI Aayog, under its Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), has launched the ‘AIM – ICDK Water Challenge 4.0’ and the fifth edition of the ‘Innovations for You’ handbook. The AIM – ICDK Water Challenge 4.0, in collaboration with the Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK) at the Royal Danish Embassy in India, aims to address critical water-related challenges through inventive solutions.
Selected teams will form the Indian cohort for the global Next Generation Digital Action program, engaging with young talents from nine countries. Participants will showcase their innovations at the Digital Tech Summit in Copenhagen, scheduled for October 30-31, 2024.
The second initiative, ‘Innovations for You,’ is a coffee table book series highlighting the endeavors of SDG Entrepreneurs in India. The fifth edition features 60 entrepreneurs from various parts of India, contributing to societal betterment through sustainable innovations. The call for applications for these initiatives commences on June 10, 2024, with the deadline set for June 20, 2024.
Mission Director AIM, Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, emphasized the importance of these initiatives in driving innovation and sustainability in India, while Minister Counsellor Soren Norrelund Kannik-Marquardsen highlighted the collaborative effort between Danish and Indian entrepreneurs to address global challenges.
Lviv hosts the Ukraine-Poland Forum
By Magdalena Pękacka, Eastern Europe Regional Representative
The Ukraine-Poland Forum is a sustainable platform for discussions and reflections on Ukrainian-Polish relations and the factors that influence them. The format of the Forum promotes dialogue between representatives of civil societies of the two countries who are interested in strengthening bilateral relations between the societies of Poland and Ukraine.
The previous XV Forum was held in December last year and was devoted to the consequences of the change of power in Poland and the EU’s decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, in particular, for bilateral Ukrainian-Polish relations.
This year’s Forum was held after the elections to the European Parliament and the approval of the EU’s negotiation framework with Ukraine. Accordingly, the program of this Forum was aimed at discussing opportunities and challenges, main topics and issues that may affect Ukrainian-Polish relations in the context of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
The Forum was attended by experts from non-governmental and governmental think tanks, academics, representatives of NGOs, the Polish government, former diplomats, and members of the parliaments of Ukraine and Poland.
Rockefeller Foundation announces its Big Bets Climate Fellows
By Agustin Landa, Latin America Regional Representative
The inaugural class of Big Bets Climate Fellows was revealed by the Rockefeller Foundation. Sixteen leaders, with projects based in Ecuador, Panama, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic were chosen in the organization’s first year to advance solutions meant to reverse the climate crisis and accelerate opportunity throughout Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with an emphasis on the Amazon Basin.
As part of The Rockefeller Foundation’s billion-dollar climate plan, the Big Bets Climate Fellowship was created. Fellows will have access to professional development, networking, and programming opportunities while they strive to execute and scale their audacious climate solutions.
Mozambique hosts 2nd National Conference on Community Philanthropy
By Ese Emerhi, West African Regional Representative
The 2nd National Conference on Community Philanthropy was held in Maputo, Mozambique from June 5-6, 2024. Recent discussions among donors and INGOs have focused on the question of how to share and devolve power and resources in less top-down and more collaborative ways that engage, rather than alienate communities, and that build on, rather than by-pass or undermine the assets that already exist.
This emerging willingness among some donors to envisage a ‘shifting of power’ process raises a key question for Mozambique: are we ready? Is civil society in Mozambique necessarily more rooted and legitimate than INGOs? Re-routing flows of money from the global North directly to southern partners is only part of the solution. To truly #ShiftThePower, it is essential to acknowledge, mobilize, and aggregate assets existing within communities. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that mobilizing local resources is an essential strategy for having local people express their views, claim their rights, and strengthen the link between CSOs and the citizens they serve.
Over the two days of the conference, to nurture a movement for community philanthropy in Mozambique, the conference aimed to give a platform to organizations, groups, and individuals quietly engaged in community philanthropy, often creating astonishing results. This was the space to share experiences and good practices, collaborate on new initiatives, and raise awareness nationally of the power of community philanthropy to support local development.
South Africa- The Convening: Embracing Pause for Insightful Futures
By Tarisai Jangara, Central and Southern African Regional Representative
The Ford Foundation Southern Africa hosted, “The Convening,” a gathering which was centered around the theme “Embracing Pause for Insightful Futures.” Participants reflected on the current political context in South Africa and its significance for civil society and society in general. Various speakers shared insights on the formation of coalitions in multiple countries across Southern Africa. South Africa formed a coalition government after the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party lost its parliamentary majority in the May elections. Additionally, discussions focused on the integration of healing and trauma-informed practices into civil society initiatives and systems, as well as the application of design thinking principles to address societal challenges.
During the event, there was a dialogue about the importance of fostering effective collaboration within the philanthropy sector. The discussions highlighted the value of breaking down silos and promoting interconnectedness among organizations and individuals in the philanthropy sector. Emphasis was on the power of collective efforts and shared resources to drive positive and sustainable impact within the philanthropic landscape.
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