Redwood City, California, April 14, 2008—
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, joined other strategic partners at the Global Philanthropy Forum, an annual gathering of leading donors that are committed to supporting global causes such as poverty, disease, climate change, social exclusion, and armed conflict. This year’s theme was “Human Security, Human Rights, and the Shared Responsibility to Protect.”
The forum convenes leading philanthropists from around the world annually for an intense three-day meeting to address key challenges that cannot be solved by one state or one sector. Forum members are joined by on-the-ground advocates from the developing world, social entrepreneurs, business leaders, and policy practitioners to chart strategies for impact and collaborate on addressing the issues. Fundraising is not allowed.
The forum aims to build a community of committed donors and social investors. It also seeks to increase the number of philanthropists who will be strategic in pursuit of global causes.
“This is the future of philanthropy—a trust of social and intellectual capital, from seasoned philanthropic veterans to those new in the field, who address global concerns in new ways,” said Jane Wales, Founder and President of the Global Philanthropy Forum. Wales is also CEO of the forum’s parent organization, the World Affairs Council of Northern California.
Mary Porter Peschka, IFC Senior Operations Officer, noted that the conference’s theme was particularly timely given that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She also spoke about the important contribution that private sector development can make to a developing country's recovery and stability. Other speakers included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Laureate; Mary Robinson, former UN Commissioner for Human Rights; Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic; Larry Brilliant, Google.org; Samantha Power, scholar; and Annie Lennox, singer. Some 500 of the world’s best known and most effective philanthropists also attended the event.
IFC has worked closely with the Global Philanthropy Forum over the past three years. In 2005 IFC was the forum’s lead presenter and moderator for a panel discussion on public investment in private entrepreneurship. IFC became a member in 2006, and last year it became a strategic partner alongside the Skoll Foundation and the Avina Foundation.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, fosters sustainable economic growth in developing countries by financing private sector investment, mobilizing private capital in local and international financial markets, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. IFC’s vision is that poor people should have the opportunity to escape poverty and improve their lives. In FY07, IFC committed $8.2 billion and mobilized an additional $3.9 billion through syndications and structured finance for 299 investments in 69 developing countries. IFC also provided advisory services in 97 countries. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
.