From May 18-21, 2003, Synergos will convene its fourth annual Global Senior Fellows Meeting in Oaxaca City, Mexico. The Global Meeting will bring together thirty-five representatives from emerging foundations in sixteen countries and will focus on the theme of Exploring the Link Between Foundations and Social Justice.
The fourth annual Global Senior Fellows Meeting, taking place in May 2003 in Oaxaca City, Mexico, will address the question of how foundations can promote social justice. Many foundations around the world may be described as "charitable" in nature -- providing direct services and working within social structures as given. The Oaxaca Community Foundation is the local host. We thank the Ford Foundation for its generous support of the meeting.
While respecting the contribution that charitably-oriented foundations can make in providing direct services to needy individuals and groups, the Global Meeting will explore how foundations can go deeper than addressing the symptoms of complex social issues.
Participants -- thirty-five representatives from emerging foundations in sixteen countries -- will be challenged to consider how foundations can use their natural advantage as intermediaries to address underlying issues that continue to lock in poverty and related problems from generation to generation. The Global Meeting will aim to spark a thoughtful and action-oriented dialogue on the ultimate purpose and possibilities of foundations' work.
Senior Fellows, members of Namibian environmental organizations and Synergos staff at the 2002 Global Senior Fellows meeting hosted by the Rössing Foundation in Windhoek, Namibia.
In addressing the meeting's overall theme, the gathering will be divided into three logical components, each tackling a different, but related, set of issues:
- Destinations -- Defining social justice and philanthropy's role in advancing it
Questions Considered: What would a socially just world look like? How can we define social justice? What is the role of citizen action, foundations and other actors in advancing social justice? How to measure the impact of social justice philanthropy? What are the principles of philanthropy oriented towards social justice. - Strategies -- Approaches can foundations apply to advance social justice
Strategies Addressed: Public Policy Development, Partnership and Collaboration, "Bridging" Leadership, Relationships with Grantees and Communities, Working with Indigenous Communities, Media Strategies - Capacities -- Internal abilities foundations need to implement the strategies
Capacities Explored: Endowments, Governance, Evaluation, Management, Communications
Participation in the Global Seniors Fellows meeting is limited to the current Fellows, staff and board of our host and its partners, and Synergos staff. For more information about the Senior Fellows program, contact:
John Heller
Deputy Director, Foundation Building
The Synergos Institute
jheller@synergos.org
February 11, 2003