European Foundation Centre holds annual conference in Belfast
Over 500 foundation professionals are gathering in Belfast from 6 – 8 June for a major conference on philanthropy held by the European Foundation Centre (EFC). The 23rd EFC Annual General Assembly and Conference is the first held in the UK for almost 20 years and this year’s conference focuses on the role of philanthropy in achieving peace through social justice.
Jeff Raikes, CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is a key speaker addressing delegates at the event. Albie Sachs, South African judge and human rights activist, will provide the keynote address of the closing plenary. A local focus on securing peace through social justice is provided by Jackie Redpath, CEO of Greater Shankill Partnership, and Geraldine McAteer, CEO of West Belfast Partnership.
As a former conflict zone, the capital of Northern Ireland provides an apt location for discussing the impact of philanthropy on peace and reconciliation.
John R. Healy, Conference Host Committee Chair and Chairman of Philanthropy Ireland, said: “Belfast has emerged from thirty years of conflict to establish itself as an exciting destination. The city provides the perfect location for lively discussions on how philanthropy can help divided communities resolve their differences.”
The three-day conference includes sessions on risk-taking in philanthropy; a role for foundations in the Israel/Palestine conflict; how foundations can introduce a focus on gender to their work; and the opportunities for philanthropy to address climate change issues.
Avila Kilmurray, Director of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, commented: “A key area for debate will be how to evaluate philanthropy’s impact in times of austerity. There are daily reminders of how the current financial crisis is having a devastating effect on the economic, social and political stability of our society. That makes it all the more important that foundations understand their own impact.”
Research into the evaluation of foundations’ working practices undertaken by Judith Symonds, David Carrington and Karen Weisblatt is to be presented at the conference. David Carrington is also writing an article on evaluation and learning, in the practice of philanthropy, for the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s 2011/12 Yearbook to be published in July 2012.
In 2011, the PHF Social Justice programme awarded a grant of £5000 to the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland to support the EFC annual conference 2012. The EFC is an association representing over 230 public-benefit foundations and corporate funders active in philanthropy in Europe and beyond.