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May 14, 2009

European Foundation Centre
Glitzy Setting Sparks Criticism at Foundation Meeting

One topic of discussion on the conference’s opening day was the planners’ choice of a gilded, opulent conference site set high above Rome on 15 acres of gardens. The European Foundation Centre says that the Hilton Rome Cavalieri was “chosen because it is one of the only hotels in Rome capable of hosting such a large conference.”

But many participants had misgivings about the issue, or had discussed it with fellow attendees. The choice of venue was somewhat ostentatious given the conference theme of ending poverty, said Haki H. Abazi, a program officer at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Mr. Abazi is also a board member of the Trust for Civil Society in Central & Eastern Europe, in Sofia, Bulgaria, and said that when that organization searched for its next conference site, it chose an old factory in Bratislava, the Slovak Republic.

Meanwhile, Marilyn D. Clancy, senior consultant to the Headwaters Group, a philanthropic-services company in St. Paul, said she felt the hotel and the lunch with wine and all the perks served to participants were apropos. “Italy is about eating and drinking well, and to Italians, this isn’t decadent,” she said, referring to the conference hosts, the Fondazione Rome.

Ms. Clancy added: “Most people here today aren’t suffering, but they are working for those who do. This could be taking place in a tent in the desert, but the mindset would still be, how can we lift others up and give the poor more?”

— Marty Michaels

Thursday May 14, 2009 | Permalink

Comments

1. Reply from the European Foundation Centre

   I would like to respond on behalf of the European Foundation Centre (EFC). Being based in Brussels, we depended on the advice and support of our Italian members and partners to help us organize our annual conference in Rome. In this case, we needed to find a venue where we could hold not just plenary sessions with up to 700 attendees, but also parallel sessions — with as many as 5 or 6 sessions happening simultaneously.

   Nevertheless, we completely understand that many delegates were uncomfortable with discussing the fight against poverty in a luxury hotel. Indeed, we had anticipated in advance that this apparent contradiction would be an issue. These concerns were also shared and discussed by members of the EFC’s Governing Council and Management Committee.

   The decision has already been made that next year’s EFC Conference will be held at a less ostentatious venue. We are looking to hire a modern facility in the center of Brussels, and we hope to offer delegates an even wider choice of hotel accommodation (including less expensive options).

   The EFC recognises and endorses the idea that philanthropy should be seen as going together with frugality, especially in the current economic situation with all the negative social impacts we are seeing in all parts of the world. This point was also made by our President, Dr. Emilio Rui Vilar, at our Annual General Assembly on May 16th.

   The choice of theme for our Rome Conference was based on the EFC’s strong desire to contribute to a truly global discussion of issues around poverty, bringing together a whole range of public and private actors including political leaders, foundations and other civil society organisations from across the world. This is of course an ongoing effort that cannot be limited to any one activity or event. But we do hope that our Conference has inspired participants and provided a starting point for new initiatives and partnerships that will help to achieve positive change.

   We would invite everyone to read about the outcomes of our Rome Conference at the EFC website and especially to check out our video blog where you can see highlights from the plenary sessions — including a panel discussion on the link between migration and poverty.

   We understand that accurate information and free media – including fair comment and criticism – are essential for any productive discussion of major social challenges, and so we would also like to thank Marty Michaels for doing such an excellent job of reporting on our Conference for philanthropy.com

   Ben Carlin
   Communications Officer
   European Foundation Center
   Brussels, Belgium
   bcarlin@efc.be

   — Ben Carlin    May 17, 10:20 AM    #

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