Thoughts from the Arab Foundations Forum Meeting, Cairo, Sept 2012
In the wake of the Arab spring, the Arab Foundations Forum met in Cairo on September 16 and 17, 2012 to discuss how they could maximize philanthropic resources in times of change and austerity.
It was clear from the start of the conversations that the answers were not in giving away funds but in “investing in the right field”, in “fundamental transformation and systemic socio economic change”. The answers were “not about the money”, they were about “sustainable value”.
That “money alone is seldom the answer” was clear. What then, was the answer?
Here are some thoughts that emerged from the discussions.
“Dig deeper”: In a session on adapting a human rights approach to philanthropy Dr. Elie Abouaoun of the Arab Human Rights Fund stressed on “analysis of the root causes of poverty including power relations”. The feasibility of this approach in effecting sustainable change was driven home by Anne-Sophie Schaeffer of the Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF) through the example of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights. Anne- Sophie illustrated how a look into the root causes of the social protests in Tunisia Mining Basin in 2008 highlighted the socioeconomic disparities in development policies, and patronage redistribution and paved the way for the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights to adopt a strategy that was conducive to sustainable change. The strategy which resulted from the analysis of the root causes included i) strenghening of mechanisms for community empowerment ii) strengthening of governance structures and mechanisms of dialogue iii) promoting changes in practices and laws.
In a session that stressed on a social justice approach and lens to grant making in order to increase the effectiveness of philanthropic resources, Dr. Barbara Ibrahim of the John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement , American University in Cairo, stressed on a four-pronged framework for grant makers to uproot problems i) look at the historical context of a problem ii) look at which group is being discriminated iii) look into institutional structures that are maintaining the problem and iv) look at who are the power players that keep it in place.
“Build on the inherent vibrancy of communities”: The meeting hosted two sessions that emphasized this point. The session on community foundations moderated by Jenny Hodgson of the Global Fund for Community Foundations illustrated that philanthropy which invested in programmes but also in building and nurturing relationships with and within the community allowed for better and sustainable development. Speakers Marwa El Daly, of the Waqfeyat Al-Maadi Community Foundation, Beulah Fredericks of the Community Development Foundation Western Cape and Hania Aswad of Naseej Foundation stressed through the experience of their community foundations that philanthropy was not just about financial giving but also about what one can contribute as an individual in the collective development of their community.
In the session on social justice philanthropy, Hillary Gilbert from the Community Foundation for South Sinai reiterated the point through her work with the Bedouin community, the most marginalised in the region. Hilary shared how the work of her Foundation is about giving voice to the community and about creating safe spaces for them to share and participate in change.
“Take a holistic approach”: Speaking at the session on social justice philanthropy Halima Mahomed of Trust Africa and the Working Group on Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace stressed on ‘long-term change’ as a key framing priority for philanthropy. She urged against polarizing issues of social justice, human rights and development; and of creating dichotomies between different types and levels of giving, making the case for a holistic approach to philanthropy that supports broader contextual change while still allowing space to respond to the more immediate issues, when required to feed into that broader change. Shahida El Baz speaking at the same session further cautioned against polarity saying that “as long as there is social injustice, human rights will continue to be violated” urging participants to not think of human rights and social justice as separate from one another.
We hope these conversations will continue to be explored at future AFF meetings.
Read more about the AFF Meeting 2012 in Alliance Magazine here and here .
Fore more information about the Arab Foundations Forum visit their website .