While we began this year's Global Philanthropy Forum Conference with a giant in forgiveness, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, we concluded with giants in moral outrage: musician Peter Gabriel, scholar and self-acknowledged "genocide chic" Samantha Power and the author of the phrase "Responsibility to Protect", Gareth Evans. Each spoke in measured, yet powerful ways to a rapt audience ready to give, invest and act.
But before hearing from these passionate and reasoned souls, we were reminded of the power of modern communications by three innovative philanthropists - Former E-bay CEO and Participant Productions Founder Jeff Skoll, of the Skoll Foundation; Brizio Biondi-Morra, President of Fundacion AVINA in Latin America; and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, who created her own foundation after helping to shape Google.org. Jeff founded his Hollywood studio to produce films with a purpose: An Inconvenient Truth, Fast Food Nation, Good Night Good Luck, Syriana, and has won many an award as a result. Calling former Vice President Al Gore "the George Clooney of Climate Change," Jeff reminded us that what was once a nerdy power-point delivered by Gore to scientific audiences when I worked with him in government, was now transforming public attitudes, alerting all to the climate crisis. Jeff also told the story of using the film North Country to bring attention to the case Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co, up for renewal in Congress--a class-action lawsuit on sexual harassment in the workplace. With the awareness brought by the film, the renewal passed.
In response, a newly awakened public is mobilizing, using web-based social networks to build momentum and effect change. This awakening applies to human rights issues, civil conflict and even efforts to shore up failing states. Sheryl spoke of a student in the battered country of Colombia, who used Facebook to mobilize one million individuals to march against FARC in the streets of Bogotá. Her remarks put a crisp frame on similarly powerful examples offered in a Wednesday session featuring Sean Blagsvedt, CEO of Babajob.com; Sean Parker, Chairman of Project Agape; and Nancy Lubin, CEO of Do Something.
But the mobile phone will be "the light" asserted philanthropist and musician Peter Gabriel. “Here comes an engine that can change the world--wherever the darkness shows its face, 10,000 little lights are switched to on.” Peter has already demonstrated the power of a simple camera placed in the hands of those who witness human rights abuses, an initiative of Witness, an organization Peter founded. "Communication is our most powerful tool to end conflict," he quietly told a breakfast session of over 500 donors. With modern technology, we can expose more information, more quickly, and unify more people to halt human rights violations. "It is very hard to walk away from human rights abuses when you can see, hear, and experience them through the recording of others," Peter said. We must amplify many voices to get the attention of people of conscience--and force governments and bullies to change.
Accountable governments are required to protect human rights, preventing conflict and meet basic needs. K.Y. Amaoko, President of the African Center for Economic Transformation in Ghana; Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of CIVICUS based in South Africa; and Ashraf Ghani, Chairman of the Institute for State Effectiveness and former Finance Minister of Afghanistan each spoke to the role for philanthropy in promoting good governance in a conversation moderated by Elizabeth Farnsworth of the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. Kumi argued that policies associated with the "War on Terror" had given license to autocrats in the developing world who ask why they should be held to a different standard. He further called for greater gender representation, arguing that most governments have only a tiny percentage of women in senior positions. Ghani argued that, "one has to be able to have a different view of governance - governance is not central government, it is across all sectors." Juan Dumas, a social entrepreneur in the audience, articulated the difficulty of funding governance projects because it does not tug at our heartstrings or provide easily measurable outcomes in the way that other projects do. Naidoo responded that philanthropists must work to unify their actions on this topic, thereby reducing costs and increasing impact -thus making the effort more appealing to funders.
Julia Ormond, the actor turned activist spoke passionately about human trafficking and modern day slavery. Over 27 million documented slaves existed, perhaps the tip of the iceberg. Eleven percent of the global economy comes from illicit trade, a portion of which is in people. Criminal networks are collaborating for the first time to orchestrate the trafficking. Yet there is no organized transnational response. "The solution is not building bigger barriers and higher fences. It is in protecting others. Rather than building walls, we should build roads, schools, hospitals." Julia said that this is not an issue that needs enormous pools of money, but it does require policy advocacy. She urged reconsideration of farm and cotton subsidies that distort the world market and, in her view, drive the need for child labor and trafficking.
Gareth Evans and Samantha Power brought the conference to a close. Gareth is former Foreign Minister of Australia and - as a private citizen--co-authored the commission report that coined the phrase and advanced the norm of the "responsibility to protect," also known as R2P. He spoke of ending "conscience-shocking" atrocities, and stood before us as an example of what one determined person can do. Gareth has used the International Crisis Group he leads to provide the analysis on which the international community can act if it garners the will. An analyst, it is his mission to build the political permissions for actions on behalf of those upon whom armies, bandits and militias have preyed in trouble spots around the globe. He emphasized that R2P turns the notion of the "right" to intervene on its head, asserting instead an obligation to do so when prevention fails. Samantha Power of Harvard has used her platform at The New Yorker to call leadership and public attention to acts of genocide around the world. An advocate for humanitarian intervention when diplomacy fails, she has documented the failure of our country and so many others to act when crimes against humanity occur. She outlined the normative, geopolitical and domestic barriers to governmental action.
However, Samantha spoke to the philanthropists present as "up-standers" rather than bystanders in the face of violence, describing them as "flame-catchers" who were "effects-oriented" and "at the forefront of the endangered people's movement". Rather than take the compliment, the assembled philanthropists took the challenge and left determined to do more. In the Q&A session, philanthropists Adele Simmons and Darian Swig had each provided concrete examples of steps these donors could take. Notes were being taken by many, and I have since received multiple emails suggesting that this year's Global Philanthropy Forum Conference may provide the "tipping point" in the words of several to galvanize philanthropic action to address violent conflict and state failure.
One can only be heartened--and invigorated--to both learn more and do more. In so doing, we will probably bear in mind the words of father and son teams John and Ocean Robbins, Richard and Clay Rockefeller who took part in a panel on intergenerational giving. Richard quoted one scribe as having said we must find a balance between saving the world and savoring the world--for both are worthy.
Next spring the GPF will be in Washington DC where we believe a new administration will face multiple crises which no single sector can fully address. Philanthropy, including "new philanthropy," stands ready to partner with the public and private sectors to advance the common good.
Jane