Chain Reaction – connect, collaborate, commit for social change
11 November 2008 (Updated 19 November)
Major London event attracts international crowd
On 17/18 November 2008,
an international crowd assembled on London's Southbank to share learning and
generate new ideas for social change.
The Chain Reaction event saw social leaders and community activists rub shoulders with policy makers, business leaders, young people and individuals from around the globe.
Part of the Prime Minister’s Council on Social Action, Chain Reaction is built around a very simple idea: that none of us on our own can change the world. Not governments, not businesses, not charities. We succeed when we work together.
The line-up for the two-day event included world class speakers, practical workshops, art sessions, films and conversation. Amongst those in attendance were Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and Mike Foster MP, Minister for International Development, who met with young people, including members of the Platform2 programme, to hear about their experiences of volunteering in developing countries (see photo above).
Highlights
from the first day included a video link-up with Richard Branson, in which he
addressed the question "Can entrepreneurs change the world?" as part of a
vibrant debate chaired by Dragons' Den's Peter Jones. To coincide with the
launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Professor David Grayson of Cranfield University launched
a new, specially commissioned work on cross-sector collaboration. And Mark
Thompson, Director General of the BBC, was also present, to talk about the role
of the media in helping to achieve social change.
The second day kicked off with a keynote speech from the boundary-crossing Dr Victoria Hale, founder of the world’s first non-profit pharmaceutical company. Later on, a discussion about the financing of social change chaired by former Vice President at the World Bank Rachel Lomax saw contributions from a panel of experts including Bernard Horn, Chair of Social Finance. The two-day fiesta wrapped up with the presentation of the Beacon Fellowship Awards, given to people who have made exceptional contributions in the field of philanthropy.
Visit the
Chain
Reaction website for more information. Also, watch Chain Reaction on
YouTube
to see films from the event.
Links
- Get involved - How you can help in fight world poverty
