SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 2011 Global Philanthropy Forum conference marks the tenth annual convening of some of the world’s most influential philanthropists and social investors, who will gather to discuss the latest challenges and innovations in global giving. The conference will feature leaders from business, government and some of the world’s best-known foundations, along with technology visionaries and social entrepreneurs.
Participants at the 2011 conference will consider “turning points”, underscoring those moments of inflection when an established physical or social order gives way to the new. Conference speakers and participants will identify and discuss the many opportunities that turning points provide, if the right choices are made, focusing on finding new directions in challenging times.
This year’s distinguished gathering will feature individuals who have made a significant commitment to philanthropy, especially those who have established family foundations, along with leaders of private, public and corporate foundations. In presentations and breakout sessions, speakers will share their expertise on how to leverage resources for greater impact, develop cross-sector partnerships, invest in market-based solutions, and much more, to address the growing challenges of our time.
Select sessions will explore:
- How people are using disruptive connective technologies in a human rights context, to achieve social goals, and to enable open innovation and crowd-sourcing solutions;
- How an emerging impact economy can drive social and economic change for the benefit of all, discussing the challenges currently facing microfinance, new opportunities in distributed manufacturing, and the evolving role of business beyond the bottom line;
- How philanthropists, foundations, NGOs and others are collaborating to pool funds and expertise for greater impact, partnering to tackle specific issues such as climate change, and applying mobile technology solutions to address public health challenges;
- How philanthropy is developing in China and India, focusing on how philanthropists, civic leaders, local NGOs and others are preparing to “leapfrog” more traditional forms of giving to become “new philanthropists” and how their philanthropic initiatives reflect the needs and cultures of these emerging global giants.
Among the more than 100 speakers confirmed to address the 500 conference participants are: Ben Affleck, Founder, Eastern Congo Initiative; Brizio Biondi-Morra, President, Fundacion AVINA; Paul Farmer, Co-Founder, Partners in Health; Malcolm Hayday, Founder & CEO, Charity Bank; Chris Hughes, Founder & Executive Director, Jumo; Mirza Jahani, CEO, Aga Khan Foundation; Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank; Tim O’Reilly, Founder & CEO, O’Reilly Media; Jeff Raikes, CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Ken Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch; Sima Samar, Chairperson, Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission; and Andrew Zolli, Curator, PopTech!
Additional highlights include:
- The 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize will be awarded to Handicap International at the Global Philanthropy Forum Conference. Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General for UN Women, will deliver a special address at the Prize Dinner;
- PBS NewsHour special correspondent Elizabeth Farnsworth will moderate a conversation among four members of the Giving Pledge: Tashia and John Morgridge, TOSA Foundation; Lorry I. Lokey, Chairman and CEO Emeritus, Business Wire; and David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Managing Director, The Carlyle Group.
Please contact Julie Jacobs at jjacobs@wacsf.org or 917-608-5813 to register and to discuss story ideas or request an interview with Global Philanthropy Forum President and Co-Founder, Jane Wales, or Conference speakers.
A full list of speakers can be found at:
http://www.philanthropyforum.org/forum/Speakers_2011_(draft).asp?SnID=779320479
About the Global Philanthropy Forum
The Global Philanthropy Forum (GPF) is a project of the World Affairs Council of Northern California. It 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, a summer seminar, special events and conference call programs, 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.
President and co-founder Jane Wales launched this effort in 2001 in partnership with leading Silicon Valley philanthropists who shared a conviction that individuals are not only capable of advancing human security, environmental stewardship, and improved quality of life, but that they must.