Shaping the future together
Are we living through a human existential crisis – is this time of risk also a time of opportunity to drive even greater impact faster?
The pandemic has been mirrored by restlessness and a desire for change – a global interrogation of what really matters at a personal level and greater self-realisation. But at the same time the pendulum has swung from centre – the world is more polarised, with geopolitical powershifts, wars, civil unrest, economic turmoil.
The Sustainable Development Goals – our blueprint for change to create a better and more sustainable future for all – have been set back two decades by COVID-19. To reach these goals, to create lasting impact, to accelerate, we need to transform the way we do things. We need to change but change with purpose.
Change is what social impact organisations strive for, but it is also often where we fail. Are the right things a priority? Do we recognise the urgency for change as well as the need for it? Are we – as organisations and as individuals within them – part of the solution or part of the problem?
The rhetoric is that change takes time, but it is our job to interrogate this notion. Why does significant change take so long? How can we accelerate our impact? How do leverage momentum? Are we doing everything we can?
Every person at IFC 2022 is driven by a strong sense of purpose. But most of us have also felt constrained and held back by the ties of bureaucracy. The power to create that change and to accelerate our impact is in this room. By being here, we are committing to Shaping the Future Together, to doing the right thing and to doing it better. What we change, how we change it, and who we collaborate with is up to you. Let’s not miss this opportunity!