The recent European Foundation Centre (EFC) annual gathering held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in June 2012 provided a well-attended platform for the discussion of aspects of peace and social justice. Representatives of Charitable Trusts and Foundations from across Europe and beyond considered a wide range of issues including, among other sessions:
- Effective Investment in Post Conflict Countries;
- A Path to Social Justice – Reaching Europe’s Invisible Children;
- How Can Philanthropic Investment in Education make a difference in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?
- Local Philanthropy and a Peaceful Transition to Economic and Social Justice in the Arab Region.
The Plenary sessions, that attracted over 600 delegates, heard from both local community activists from Northern Ireland, as well as Jeff Raikes of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Piero Gastaldo from the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation in Italy. The guest speaker at the concluding Plenary session – Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa – silenced the delegates with his thoughtful and challenging contribution, which both recognized the positive role of philanthropy as well as calling on it to continue to take risks in the interests of social justice and conflict transformation.
Located in Belfast, which itself is a city that has seen many years of conflict, the EFC delegates were introduced to a wide range of local activists through attendance at five Thematic Evenings that were organised in community venues. The Themes identified were – Children and Young People; Diversity; the Contribution of Arts and Culture; Social Enterprise and Engagement; and Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation. This section of the programme was a new venture to the EFC conference format and enhanced the level of engagement with the local context.
The Foundations for Peace Network hosted a session on ‘When the Global Meets the Local: Philanthropic Interventions in Community-based Peacebuilding’, which highlighted how taking the time to listen to local voices in areas of conflict can fine tune the contribution of independent philanthropy in often sensitive and delicate situations. Both Ambika Satkunanathan (Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust, Sri Lanka) and Karen Yarza (Fundacion Comunitaria de la Frontera Norte, Mexico) outlined the complex dilemmas of acting as indigenous funders in contested societies. Table discussions, facilitated by FFP representatives, ensured participation in addressing the many issues raised. A number of these issues – such as philanthropic risk-taking – were reflected in other conference sessions.
What was clear from the Belfast conference was that a number of philanthropists were interested in hearing about the challenges of effecting social change in areas of conflict. They were also open to new voices and to accepting that complexity must be recognised for what it is – a source of both difficulties and opportunities. For the Foundations for Peace Network the challenge remains to identify learning from their diverse circumstances and to translate it into practical strategies that interested philanthropists can relate to and adopt. Opportunities, such as that presented to FFP at the EFC workshop, must continue to be created to enable experiences and learning to be shared and developed between the local and international philanthropic communities. The 2013 EFC Conference will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark. – Avila Kilmurray, Director Community Foundation for Northern Ireland And Member of Foundation for Peace (Originally posted on the Foundations for Peace Website: http://www.foundationsforpeace.org/newsletter/a-european-platform-for-pe…