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May 14, 2009
European Foundation Centre
European Foundations Focus on Ways to Fight Global Poverty
Grant makers and philanthropists worldwide have a great deal to learn from each other, particularly from those in poor countries, said speakers at the annual conference of the European Foundation Centre here.
The theme of the conference, which has drawn some 700 participants from dozens of countries, is “Fighting Poverty: Creating Opportunities.”
The opening plenary, set in a state-of the-art hall in Rome’s Parco della Musica, featured a videotape of José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, who gave good wishes to the conference.
But the session’s most fiery talk by far was by Sibongile Mkhabela, who has served as chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, in South Africa, for the past 10 years.
“The world continues to be in a terrible state despite our efforts—are we making any progress?” she asked.
Ms. Mkhabela expressed “a heightened state of anger at the situation.” “We are sometimes like madpeople,” she said, “using the same development and antipoverty methods again and again.”
While Ms. Mkhabela said that she and other activists are tired of “the old, tired entrenched traditions [of development aid]”, indigenous groups—including community foundations, mutual-aid associations, and the like—in South Africa and other democratic countries can provide both inspiration and critical guidance on what poor communities actually need.
Ms. Mkhabela said that nonprofit groups in poor countries need control over their own destinies, and that grant makers everywhere should heed the warning. She said that groups would resist being “moved from HIV/AIDS, to malaria, to women’s issues” at foundations’ whims.
“I want to create a new generation of leaders,” said Ms. Mkhabela. “While it’s extremely important, I don’t want to just feed a few children.”
— Marty Michaels
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