From 27 to 29 April, the Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium hosted WINGS’ first regional Peer Learning Event of 2009. Held in Hong Kong, the two and a half day event was attended by 12 WINGS network participants from Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand.

The hosting of the event is aligned with the objectives of APPC’s Corporate Philanthropy Programme, which is to convene leaders of organizations involved in corporate philanthropy in Asia Pacific to discuss issues and share ideas on how to do better philanthropy.

The event’s title was ‘Engaging Corporations’, under which participants discussed the further promotion of the value of corporate social responsibility and corporate giving. The discussions examined in particular ongoing initiatives of WINGS network participants in the Asia Pacific region that are relevant to corporations and identified opportunities for grantmaker associations and support organizations to enhance services to corporations. Participants were also asked to develop action plans for tangibly applying insights and learning from other Asia Pacific organizations to their own.

APPC Board Member Darwin Chen, who officially welcomed participants to the event, described it as timely for corporations in an Asia that is in the throes of the current financial crisis. Results of the event and resource materials from participants will be used to update and expand the internet-based mapping of the definitions, concepts and practices of CSR and corporate initiatives worldwide carried out by WINGS in 2007. Further, the insights of participants will be used in developing a toolkit for WINGS network participants who wish to engage corporations.

APPC has been WINGS’ host organization in Manila since January 2007.

For more information
info@asiapacificphilanthropy.org  
http://www.asiapacificphilanthropy.org