Exploring the link between migrant giving and social change
Migration is becoming increasingly popular among Asian populations; can it also be an agent of social change? APPC's upcoming Diaspora Conference seeks to answer this question and more.
APPC’s 2007 Biannual Conference seeks to uncover the relationship between migrant giving and the development of their communities of origin, particularly the use of social investing and migrant volunteerism to build and strengthen ties with one’s homeland.
The conference, entitled “Diaspora Giving: Agents of Change in Asia Pacific Communities?”, will look at the potential role of migrants as agents of change in their communities of origin. The conference will bring together different players in the field of diaspora philanthropy to identify ways by which they can work together to make giving by migrants a more transformative practice.
These players include government bureaucrats, associations of migrant communities, philanthropy support organizations and other organizations serving or providing conduits for giving by migrants. In addition to this, an examination of best practices, mechanisms and the national and regional environments for diaspora philanthropy is also directed towards identifying other initiatives to support and sustain effective and transformative giving by migrants to the region.
This is APPC’s fourth biannual conference on philanthropy and is scheduled to be held in October 2007 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Why diaspora giving?
Transnational migration is an increasing trend with an ever-broadening impact. Alongside official reports on remittances, on which many developing countries’ economies rely quite heavily, are reports of significant charitable giving by migrants. However, these are noted more by anecdotal incidence than actual quantitative data.
Diaspora philanthropy is marked by strong personal, cultural and community ties. Traditionally, giving by migrants has been characterized by its ad hoc nature, with most donations benefiting programs related to education, local infrastructure and calamity funds.
Recent studies, however, suggest that a growing number of migrants are beginning to develop a preference for a more strategic practice of philanthropy. This type of giving, also called “philanthropic social investing” is becoming an emerging driver of development in the migrants’ communities of origin.
The potential for diaspora philanthropy to have a substantial impact to the development of the Asia-Pacific region cannot be underemphasized. The top three migrant sending countries – China, India and the Philippines – are all located in Asia. The movement towards social investing reflects a possible role for migrants as instruments of social change in their communities of origin, as they begin to fund more long-term projects and actively seek ways to increase their participation and engage their home communities.
For more information on our 2007 Biannual Conference, please contact Alexie Ferreria at alexie@asiapacificphilanthropy.org This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .
Philanthropy and volunteerism: Thai national agenda for 2007
"Philanthropy and Volunteerism" is the national agenda for this year, the Thai government announced last 29 January. This follows over four years of advocacy by local civil society groups, who expressed hope that this would open up increased opportunities for creating policies that were conducive to and encouraging of charitable giving.
The government has appointed a committee, headed by Minister of Social Development and Human Security and former APPC Governing Council member, Paiboon Wattanasiritham, to direct this agenda. A working group tasked with defining the strategies and crafting the policies that result from this national agenda, has also been formed. Among the members of this group is APPC Board Member Sukich Udindu, who is active in corporate philanthropy work.
The group’s initial project is the establishment of a Center for Philanthropy and Volunteerism for Social Affairs, which they hope to develop into a platform to support and promote philanthropy and volunteerism in the country, as well as serve as a link to international philanthropy networks like APPC.
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Synergos Fellows form global action team on social justice philanthropy
The Synergos Senior Fellows have formed a global action team on Promoting Local Philanthropy for Social Change, Class of 2004 Senior Fellow Fely Soledad shared at the Philippine Philanthropy Steering Committee meeting last January 17.
The Local Philanthropy for Social Change Team is one of several Global Action Teams organized by the Senior Fellows. This Team seeks to encourage increased philanthropic giving, especially among high net worth individuals, to social justice causes. The Global Action Teams hope to fulfill their objectives through research, dialogue and creative thinking.
The Synergos Institute is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of effective, sustainable and locally based solutions to poverty. The Fellows are a global peer learning and practice network of over 50 leading professionals from the field of organized philanthropy that provides on-site peer consulting and other services to community development foundations. Senior Fellows come from around the world but especially represent experience in foundation building from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
China Giving Circles launched
Grantmakers without Borders and The Clarence Foundation have partnered to catalyze giving circles focused on philanthropic support to China. A giving circle is a group of up to 15 donors who pool their time, talent and resources to learn and make international grants together.
The giving circle members will be part of a community of caring people who share an interest in the future of China and want to see that it develop in a sustainable way.
Giving circle participants will engage in an in-depth, hands-on learning process led by staff from Grantmakers Without Borders and The Clarence Foundation and assisted by a range of expert guest speakers. Members will pool their funds together and consider a portfolio of grassroots organizations based in China that are addressing issues of the environment, HIV/AIDS, education, or other interests of the group. The giving circle hopes to be a personally engaging process in which participants receive mutual support for their grant making while combining resources to make the greatest impact.
For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Marc Manashil at marc@theclarencefoundation.org This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .
Philanthropreneurs at the World Economic Forum
“Philanthropreneurship” was a new buzzword in Davos this year, as business leaders and philanthropy experts came together to discuss the merits of the business approach to giving.
At the panel discussion entitled, “From Private Giving to Social Investing: The New Philanthropreneurs,” participants noted that philanthropists should actively find ways to put their money to good use and ensure that their contributions would go a long way.
Panelists included Sally Osberg, CEO of the US-based Skoll Foundation, who shared their experiences in funding programs by social entrepreneurs; Barbara Stocking, director of Oxfam GB, who underscored the importance of accountability mechanisms for organizations on the receiving end of philanthropic contributions; Julio Moura, Chair and CEO of GrupoNueva in Chile who spoke on social projects as part of a company’s core business; and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chair and CEO of the Ayala Corporation in the Philippines, who presented examples of merging corporate social responsibility into their business strategy.
Traditionally ad hoc philanthropic giving, where donors adopt a hands-off approach in the way that their contributions are spent, does not seem to appeal to this new breed of philanthropists. Stressing that a strategic approach to giving is underscored by the gravity of problems faced by today’s global citizens, these “philanthropreneurs” believe that investing in programs and projects with concrete plans for achieving impact and choosing organizations that are able to maximize their resources is the best way to ensure that their contributions are well-spent. For them, philanthropy is hands-on, dynamic, and results driven, an approach that requires a clear definition of roles, parameters of project success and accurate measuring of results.
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Carnegie Endowment launches global think tank
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace today announced its transformation into the first multinational - and ultimately global - think tank. The Endowment also announced contributions of more than $20 million in support of its new vision.
“There are two fundamental reasons why we are re-defining our mission. One is globalization, thus our operations overseas will ensure that we remain effective in a global marketplace of ideas where a single national outlook is inadequate. The second is the urgent need for the United States – as the sole superpower – to understand the interests of others if it is to successfully pursue its own,” said Jessica T. Mathews, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
In a two-day series of events to publicly launch the new vision, Carnegie announced that it has added operations in Beijing, Beirut, and Brussels to its existing offices in Washington and Moscow, pioneering the idea that a think tank whose mission is to contribute to global security, stability and prosperity requires a permanent international presence and a multinational outlook at the core of its operations.
“Whether opening operations in China, fighting for a reasonable NGO law in Russia, seeking new life for nonproliferation through universal compliance, or using technology and translation to communicate in the Islamic world, MacArthur relies on Carnegie to bring forth actionable policy prescriptions that promote global security,” said MacArthur Foundation President Jonathan Fanton of Carnegie’s new vision.
For more information about the Carnegie Endowment, please visit www.carnegieendowment.org
Ashoka announces new fellows
Ashoka, a global association of social entrepreneurs, has announced that the following individuals have been chosen as the newest Ashoka Fellows:
- Abdel Fattah (Abed) Abu Sour of the Palestinian Territories advocates for art as a peaceful alternative in the midst of daily violence;
- Krystyna Zytecka of Poland works with the police to develop a network of support centers for victims of domestic violence throughout rural communities;
- Dune Lankard of the US provides economic incentives and support for conservation of the land central to his tribal culture in Alaska;
- Maria Baryamujura of Uganda is an advocate of community-based tourism, helping rural communities develop attractions such as home stays and cultural events;
- Ricardo Soto of Peru has created a revolving fund offering loans for children’s school costs to combat low rural education rates; and
- Mohamaddi Siddiqui of Nepal promotes women’s rights by highlighting social justice and equality found in religious teachings.
Ashoka Fellows are social entrepreneurs recognized by Ashoka to have innovative solutions to social problems and the potential to change patterns across society. They demonstrate unrivaled commitment to bold new ideas and prove that compassion, creativity, and collaboration are tremendous forces for change. Ashoka Fellows work in over 60 countries around the globe in every area of human need.
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For more information, visit www.ashoka.org.
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