philanthropy in times of crisis and transition: catalyzing forces of change
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What are the best options and strategies for philanthropy – especially foundations and private charitable institutions – to help build and sustain open and more equitable societies, especially during and emerging from socio-political crisis? What lessons have been learned from foundation activity in support of previous democratic transitions? How can those lessons be captured and translated to support current and new efforts in the future? These were key questions that were taken up in a special forum on “Philanthropy in Times of Crisis and Transition: Catalyzing Forces of Change” of Salzburg Global Seminar, in cooperation with the John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at the American University in Cairo (Gerhart Center) and Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT).TRANSCRIPT
SESSION REPORT 499
Philanthropy in Times of Crisis and Transition:Catalyzing Forces of Change
Philanthropy in Times of Crisis and Transition: Catalyzing Forces of ChangeSession 499
Fellows
Elie Abouaoun
Senior Program Officer North
Africa and Iraq, United States
Institute of Peace, Lebanon
Hakan Altinay
Nonresident Senior Fellow, The
Brookings Institution, Turkey
Myrna Atalla
Managing Director, Alfanar, USA
Tariq Cheema
CEO, World Congress of Muslim
Philanthropists, USA
Mark Freeman
Executive Director, Institute for
Integrated Transitions, Canada
Neville Gabriel
Executive Director, Southern Africa
Trust, South Africa
Shelagh Gastrow Executive Director, Inyathelo: The
SA Institute for Advancement,
South Africa
Peter Goldstein Director of Communications,
InterMedia, USA
Ingrid Hagen
Director Strategy and Strategic
Funding, Cordaid, USA
Luma Hamdan Executive Director, Arab
Foundations Forum, Jordan
Rania Hamoud Managing Director, Mansour
Foundation for Development, Egypt
Hisham Hellyer Fellow, The Brookings Institution,
UK
C.R. Hibbs
Visiting Practitioner, Stanford
University, USA
Tatjana Hlavata Senior Manager, Via Foundation,
Czech Republic
Barbara Ibrahim Director, American University of
Cairo, USA
Rhonda Jones Assistant Professor, North Carolina
Central University, USA
Wairu Kinyori Programme Officer, Kenya
Community Development
Foundation, Kenya
Moukhtar Kocache Independent Consultant, UK
Isabella MatambanadzoIndependent Consultant, Zimbabwe
Stephen McCormick President, Skillful Means Inc., USA
Anja Mihr
Professor, Utrecht University,
Germany
Christom Mkhize CEO, Uthungulu Community
Foundation
Inga Pagava Senior Consultant, CAF Russia,
Russian Federation
Stephanie Smith Consultant, Compton Foundation,
USA
Lenka Surotchak Director, Pontis Foundation, Slovak
Republic
Martina Tvrdonova Director, WellGiving, Slovak
Republic
Mariyan Zumbulev Project Director, Central European
University, Bulgaria
Observer
Ivona Frkalova
Program Coordinator, Public
Affairs Section, US Embassy in
Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Salzburg Global Seminar Staff
Clare ShineVice President & Chief Program
Officer
Nancy SmithProgram Director
Ginte StankevicuiteProgram Associate
Robert FishAssociate Drector of
Communications
Louise HallmanEditor
Sofia AzarProgram Intern
Participants of Session 499
Philanthropy in Times of Crisis and Transition: Catalyzing Forces of ChangeSession 499
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Introduction
What are the best options and strategies for philanthropy – especially foundations and private charitable institutions – to help build and sustain open and more equitable societies, especially during and emerging from socio-political crisis? What lessons have been learned from foundation activity in support of previous democratic transitions? How can those lessons be captured and translated to support current and new efforts in the future? These were key questions that were taken up in a special forum on “Philanthropy in Times of Crisis and Transition: Catalyzing Forces of Change” of the Salzburg Global Seminar, in cooperation with the John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at the American University in Cairo (Gerhart Center) and Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT). A diverse range of donors, philanthropy practitioners, and transition experts came together to share experience, deepen the knowledge base, and to help formulate some of the most challenging questions that confront philanthropy in supporting transitions. Their insights have informed a new guide produced by the Gerhart Center and IFIT, “Disproportionate Outcomes in Times of Transition: A Framework Guide for Foundation Grantmaking in the Aftermath of War and Dictatorship”.Additional information on the Salzburg program can be found online: www.SalzburgGlobal.org/go/499 “Philanthropy is
like acupuncture. If we’re good and put needle in right place, we’re effective. If not, we just annoy people!”Hakan Altinay, Senior Fellow for global economy and development, Brookings Institution
Full article: http://philanthropynews.alliancemagazine.org/philanthropy-as-acupuncture-its-all-about-where-you-put-the-needle/Fellows of Session 499 – Philanthropy in Times of Crisis and Transition: Catalyzing Forces of Change
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Philanthropy in Times of Crisis and Transition: Catalyzing Forces of ChangeSession 499
“ If it were not indigenous, then it would have an automatic question mark over it until it could be proven that all was ‘kosher’. ”
A Fellow’s Reflection
Hisham Hellyer Non-resident Fellow, Brookings Institution
This seminar took place against a very interesting backdrop – a conference on philanthropy in the Arab world, at a time when so much political and social activity was taking place in the most populous Arab country. Egyptians at the conference were constantly checking news back in Cairo, and the conference itself seemed to constantly refer back to political developments in Egypt. All of that actually provided an opportunity for the seminar – to root more abstract discussions into real life, practical examples that were unfolding on the ground in real time.
Those discussions saw several points come up repeatedly. The first was the need for philanthropic organizations that operated in the region to take into account the regional suspicion of non-indigenous organizations. Over the course of the previous few years, the work of foreign organizations in Egypt in particular, but regionally as well, that dealt with any social or political issue increasingly had to face questions regarding their independence. The accusation that many had to deal with was essentially around their collaboration with ‘foreign agendas’ – for this reason, presumably, opinion polls collected in Egypt in the months after the uprising indicated that the majority of Egyptians opposed the presence of foreign NGOs. When it was presumed that this opposition was aimed at foreign NGOs carrying out political work, more research was done – and even apolitical civil society organizations were considered to be suspicious.
That sense of national pride, however interpreted, was brought up in the seminar often – it relates not only to philanthropic work in the region, but also to institutions and organizations such as the International Monetary Fund. If it were not indigenous, then it would have an automatic question mark over it until it could be proven that all was ‘kosher’.
Another issue that was brought up, relating to the indigenous and authenticity question, related to the ‘securitization’ of philanthropy within the region. The basic assumption being – if we (the West) wish to escape threats to our security, then we should contribute financial muscle to avoid that, by sponsoring individuals, groups and institutions to keep that from happening. That has happened on a local, national, regional and an international level, and leads to more issues with regards to local organizations receiving funding, fearing that they might be part of a broader agenda that they are uncomfortable with.
A larger way of looking at this same issue, which also came up quite often in the seminar, related to the quandaries of engaging in the local, but with the knowledge
Philanthropy in Times of Crisis and Transition: Catalyzing Forces of ChangeSession 499
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of the international, and how these link to each other. How much local knowledge actually directly feeds into the strategies on the ground, and how much (or the scarcity of it) is actually down to staffing decisions on the ground. This is key, particularly when many local partners begin to feel that if trouble happens in country, the foreign NGO or organization will simply pack up and leave, essentially deserting them in problematic situations (this happened, for example, to the staff at NDI in Egypt). There are safety issues pertaining to people working with existing organizations as members within them, as well as people working with those organizations from within other organizations.
In general, best practice seemed to be, particularly where countries in the region are growingly concerned with sectarianism and polarization, the stimulation of processes that are wide-ranging, enable good process, and actively non-sectarian or partisan. Funding sources should be purposely diverse, and funds should be created around specific issues. Impact on the local stage should be demonstrated, so as to engender trust, and ensure that the right people know about that impact, so that they feel valued.
Faith-based organizations in the region also came up for discussion at this meeting, which have taken on renewed interest from the point of view of international donors. These organizations often operate within their own networks, and non-religious organizations might be unaware of them, or not have sufficient access in order to pursue further.
“ Funding sources should be purposely diverse, and funds should be created around specific issues. Impact on the local stage should be demonstrated, so as to engender trust, and ensure that the right people know about that impact, so that they feel valued. ”
Hisham Hellyer speaking at the session
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Philanthropy in Times of Crisis and Transition: Catalyzing Forces of ChangeSession 499
There was a strong feeling that international donors are not there to solve problems in countries, nor get involved in political changes – if anything, international donors should be there as the last resort. But if they do get involved, then their game place should be to ensure local investment takes over as soon as possible, prioritizing social progress and catalystic change.
Philanthropy needs to act politically – but not in politics. In other words, assist in good governance measures, but not from a partisan point of view – they should support new structures, create capacity, but ensure it is not for one group alone to benefit from. They must also consider – is it better to engage with existing NGOs and support them strategically, or get involved directly? One contributor used the idea of acupuncture – if philanthropy is meant to be a catalyst, then it is not a function of size, but similar to sticking a needle in the right place. If not the right place, you may just annoy people uselessly.
Sometimes, there are tensions between local needs, local staff (even if foreign staff), and the foundation/institution that pays the bills. Some staff might try to find imaginative ways of getting around bureaucracy that is simply unhelpful and cannot fulfill the needs of the mission – but they are only able to do that after thoroughly exploring the terrain, developing social capital, and even fighting within the institution. That ought not to be necessary, and more trust given to those in the know on the ground.
This is a key moment in the region’s history, and there is a sense of hope for change. Philanthropy should capitalize on that hope and sentiment – because it could die quickly. It might be risky, but in order for change to be really effective, there has to be an attempt to engage directly, sooner rather than later; the energy for cataclysm may dissipate soon. In doing this, the networks may have to be widened – diaspora communities can be of great help, especially when many of them are returning to their countries in the region, hoping that change can come. Philanthropic institutions may already have links with them through other networks, and they should be leveraged.
“ Philanthropy needs to act politically – but not in politics. ”
Schloss Leopoldskron, Salzburg, home of Salzburg Global Seminar and venue of session 499
Philanthropy in Times of Crisis and Transition: Catalyzing Forces of ChangeSession 499
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Salzburg Global Seminar is grateful to the following donors for their generous support of Session 499
Ford Foundation
The F.B. Heron Foundation
Additional scholarship support:
Capital Group Companies
BMWF
Oesterreichische Nationalbank
Claudio X. Gonzalez
This session was developed with input from Arab Foundations Forum, and in cooperation with John D. Gerhart
Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at the American University in Cairo, and the Institute for
Integrated Transitions.
Salzburg Global Seminar would like to thank the Session speakers for their assistance in developing this program and for generously donating their time and expertise, and to all the participants that contributed their intellectual capital and superior ideas.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nancy SmithProgram Director
Ginte StankevicuiteProgram Associate
Clare ShineVice President and Chief Program Officer
ABOU T THE REPORT CONTRIBU TOR:
Hisham Hellyer is a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution and director of the VC Group, a political advisory and commercial research consortium. Dr. Hellyer was previously Gallup’s first MENA-based senior practice consultant and senior research fellow at the University of Warwick, UK. A United Nations Alliance of Civilizations global expert in Arab politics, pluralism, religion and security issues in the West and the Arab world, Dr. Hellyer was appointed as deputy convener of the United Kingdom taskforce on tackling radicalization and extremism after the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005. He also served as the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s first economic and social research council fellow, within its Islam team and counter-terrorism team.
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