An international Initiatives of Change (IofC) conference at Asia Plateau, India in February 2020, will focus on urgent challenges our societies face, and on the personal qualities needed by all who wish to make a difference. The conference will feature programs and people who lead social innovation in their own countries. It promises to be a laboratory for exciting developments!
Discussion topics and in-session workshops include:
- Inner work: Who do I need to be to help meet the world's needs?
- Sustainability: What will we do to make our world sustainable?
- Democracy: How do we make democracy real? Do we hold ourselves as accountable as we hold our leaders?
- Trust: How do we build trust across the world’s divides?
- Inclusivity: How can we work for a society where all feel included and able to contribute, whatever our wealth, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, and ability?
The conference program will showcase examples of social innovation and innovators from Ethiopia's Human Rights Commission, Ukraine's participatory budgeting process, and India's 'Department of Happiness' in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Human rights in Ethiopia
In 2005 Dr Daniel Bekele was imprisoned, following his leadership in monitoring Ethiopia’s parliamentary elections. Recognised as a prisoner of conscience, he was released after two years. Later he became Executive Director of the African Division of Human Rights Watch.
Now he has been chosen by the new Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, to strengthen human rights in Ethiopia. As Dr Bekele writes, ‘There are many complicated challenges but I remain hopeful that we will continue to consolidate the reform agenda.’
Participatory budgeting in Ukraine
Also participating will be a group who are strengthening grassroots democracy in Ukraine. Thanks to their work, 200 Ukrainian towns and cities are allocating funding for projects chosen by their citizens through a program of direct voting.
The program, known as participatory budgeting, was initiated in Ukraine by Dr Kostya Ploskyi, Chair of Foundations for Freedom (as IofC is known in Ukraine). ‘Participatory budgets integrate citizens and government officials,’ he explained, ‘and develop the ability to hear each other's needs. This can help understanding and trust to grow.'
Now the program has expanded into Georgia and Moldova. ‘We want to help create networks between countries and continents,’ said Leonid Donos, who heads the program. He and his Ukrainian colleagues will discuss this and other social innovations at the Asia Plateau conference.
'Department of Happiness' in India
In India, IofC has also been at the heart of much social innovation. One example is the IofC connection with the development of a Department of Happiness in the state of Madhya Pradesh, which works with schools, government departments, and local communities to promote life skills as well as tools, events, and expertise for increasing governance quality.
How to take part
Asia Plateau, the Initiatives of Change conference centre, is a 68-acre campus in Panchgani, a town in the Western Ghats 250 kms south of Mumbai, the nearest international airport. The nearest railway station and domestic airport are in Pune, and taxis travel the 100 kms to Panchgani in about two hours.
The conference will start at 4.00pm on Friday 7 February, and finish at 1.00pm on Tuesday 11 February. Asia Plateau is at an altitude of 1,300 metres, and it is advisable to bring warm clothing.
The cost of attending the full conference, 7 – 11 February, will be US$200/INR14000, which includes accommodation and meals. For those who are unable to attend the full conference, the cost is US$40/INR2800 per day.
Further information about Asia Plateau can be found at in.iofc.org. For further information about the conference, please email in.events@iofc.org