From 11-12 September, global philanthropists and thought leaders gathered in Hong Kong to debate solutions to global inequity and pathways to a more sustainable future for all. Philanthropy, with its proven ability to catalyse change and deliver impact, was a major focus.

Convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the third Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum, held at the West Kowloon Cultural District, brought together more than 1,600 delegates from around the world, including close to 70 eminent speakers and over 180 representatives of regional and global foundations. Among them were philanthropic, academic, business, social sector and government leaders.

‘Over the past three years, we are seeing inflation outpacing wage growth, new technologies replacing old job types, climate change disproportionately impacting the vulnerable and rapid urbanisation creating uneven distribution of resources. This is a global challenge that requires collective action across borders and calls for deeper international dialogue that learns from both East and West,’ said The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chairman Michael Lee. ‘We hope this will provoke in-depth discussions on fair access to economic opportunities, education and healthcare, and build impetus and motivation for building fairer societies in the future.’

Delivering the first keynote address was 2019 Nobel Laureate in Economics Professor Abhijit Banerjee from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who spoke on the topic of ‘Balancing economic growth and equity goals’.

For the second keynote, Professor Banerjee was joined by former Prime Minister of Thailand Abhisit Vejjajiva and Professor Justin Yifu Lin, Dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics, Peking University and former Chief Economist of The World Bank. They discussed emerging East and West welfare models and how regional welfare models can be transformed to meet the changing needs of today’s world.

In the third keynote discussion on ‘Reimagining megapolises of tomorrow to cope with climate change’ featuring Christiana Figueres, Co-host of ‘Outrage + Optimism’ and former United Nations Climate Chief, and award-winning author Dr Amitav Ghosh. The speakers discussed best practices for creating resilient and sustainable megapolises in the face of increasing climate risks. They also highlighted the essential role of philanthropy in driving change by accelerating finance across boundaries and sectors.

In part one of the final keynote, John Shiels, Chief Executive Officer of the Manchester United Foundation joined Jess Markt, Disability Sport and Inclusion Specialist of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and jockey Karis Teetan from The Hong Kong Jockey Club to explore the emergent role of arts, culture and sports in bridging inequality. Part two of the final keynote featured Academy Award-winner Ke Huy Quan, who shared how the arts can be a powerful tool to challenge stereotypes and promote diversity. He also gave advice to aspiring artists, including how they can incorporate philanthropy into their creative endeavours.

Leaders from global philanthropic institutions such as The Rockefeller Foundation, the Temasek Foundation, the Wellcome Trust and others joined the plenary sessions to discuss ‘Post-pandemic preparedness: Driving global collaboration through philanthropies’.

In his opening address, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chairman Michael Lee introduced the new Institute of Philanthropy (‘IoP’), a major new initiative from The Hong Kong Jockey Club. Conceived as a ‘think-fund-do’ tank, the IoP aims to promote philanthropic thought leadership at local, regional and global levels, which the Club has committed an initial sum of HK$5billion (US$640million) to fulfil this mission.

Interviews

Dr Gabriel Leung, Executive Director, Charities and Community of Hong Kong Jockey Club

Dr Gabriel Leung explains to Alliance the vision behind the forum and the establishment of the ‘Institute of Philanthropy’ – announced on the first day, as well as how to collaborate with other philanthropic platforms in Asia. Read more…

Naveen Rao, Senior Vice President, Health Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation has a long history supporting the establishment of modern public health systems in Asia. Hence the presence of Naveen Rao, Senior Vice President of the foundation’s Health Initiative, at the Philanthropy for Fairer Societies conference in Hong Kong. Rao spoke at a plenary that focused on global philanthropic collaboration to prevent and prepare for future public health crises. Read more…

Session reports

Shaping the future of philanthropy: Insights from next-gen philanthropists

The largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history is just beginning. Amounting to nearly US$40 trillion in wealth, it creates an opportunity for the next generation of donors to be more significant than ever. That prompted the panel discussion ‘Engaging the next generation: Mobilising wealth for good’, which brought together representatives of next-gen philanthropists and philanthropy advisors.

Moderated by Kithmina Hewage, Senior Advisor of the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society, the session revolved around two fundamental questions: How do next-gen philanthropists differ from their predecessors, and what strategies can effectively engage and support them in their philanthropic endeavours? Read more…

Embracing an ageing society: ‘We are all in this together’

The session on the topic of ‘Embracing an ageing society’ took place on the second day at the beautifully designed Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Ageing populations are sharply on the rise, and more than half of the world’s population aged 65+ will be living in Asia by 2025. Individuals who require long-term care for both chronic diseases and daily activity are also forecast to quadruple in number by 2050. Read more…

Empowering marginalised communities: Navigating the layers of invisibility

The panel discussion ‘Serving the underserved’, as part of the third Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum, brought together a diverse group of experts from around the world. The session, moderated by Bernard Charnwut Chan, Chairperson of The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, explored the multifaceted challenges faced by marginalised communities as they try to access economic opportunities within urban settings.. Read more…

News and announcements

The Hong Kong Jockey Club establishes Institute of Philanthropy, to boost philanthropic thought leadership

The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced the establishment of the Institute of Philanthropy (‘IoP’) at the opening of the Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum 2023 on 11 September at the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.

Convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the third Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum brought together close to 70 prominent speakers and 1,600 thought leaders and delegates from around the world. Among them were philanthropic, academic, business, family offices, social sector and government leaders. The opening ceremony was officiated by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chairman Michael Lee. Read more…

Jockey Club’s Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum closes with call for global multi-level collaboration

The third Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum, convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, concluded successfully at the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong. The two-day forum, held from 11 – 12 September 2023, had attracted more than 1,600 delegates from around the world, including close to 70 eminent speakers and over 180 representatives from regional and global foundations, who shared the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Read more…

For more information about the Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum visit: https://www.citiesphilanthropy.com/