By Alliance President Terry Gips
Every once in a long while I’ve felt privileged to experience an event giving real hope, that takes me out of my daily Alliance work, reminding me there’s a much larger tribe of inspiring, world-changing people sharing a big vision and committed to making it a reality. That’s what I discovered in Oxford, England at the Skoll World Forum, attended by 1500 delegates, mega donors and Skoll Award winners from nearly every country, plus a global online audience. Each person I met was kind, fascinating and visionary, while making a profound difference in the world.
In just the first day, I saw the powerful, disturbing film The Grab and attended the uplifting, unforgettable Opening Ceremony. It featured talks by such luminaries as Irish-Anglo poet David Whyte (one of my favorites), Sonia Guajajara (Brazil’s first Minister of Indigenous Peoples), Wanjira Mathai (whose mother founded the Kenyan Green Belt movement), Mary Robinson (Ireland’s former Prime Minister), Jacinda Ardern (NZ former Prime Minister) and music with Grammy Award-winning Mexican singing sensation and social justice advocate Lila Downs.
The Incredible Gift of Jeff Skoll
This was all made possible thanks to the vision and hard work of billionaire Jeff Skoll, the first employee of eBay who created the Skoll Foundation. He also created Participant Media (using the power of stories to “ignite possibilities,” such as An Inconvenient Truth and 20 other Academy Award-winning social and environmental change films) and Capricorn Investment Group (sustainability investment leader “solving pressing environmental and social issues while building sustainable wealth”). Skoll has shown it’s possible for one person to use their resources, privilege and power to address our greatest challenges.
The vision of the Foundation is to “live in a sustainable world of peace and prosperity for all.” It “catalyzes transformational social change by investing in, connecting, and championing social entrepreneurs and other social innovators who together advance bold and equitable solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.” How’s that for inspiring AND putting its money where it has impact? Its wide-ranging programs seek to strengthen health systems and prevent pandemics, promote effective governance, mobilize action for a sustainable planet, create inclusive and sustainable economies, pursue justice and equity and assure information integrity.
Screening of Participant’s Powerful The Grab
I was riveted by Participant Media’s soon-to-be-released (June 14) exposé, The Grab, by filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Blackfish) with Center for Investigative Reporting journalist Nate Halverson, along with the discussion that followed. It features his gripping, undercover and often dangerous discoveries of the money, influence and alarming covert, climate-induced global rush to control our most vital resources — land and water for growing food. He shows they are being secretly grabbed in the US, Africa and other countries by governments like China and Saudi Arabia, commercial enterprises and even illegal military actors with mercenaries.
The Incredible Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony and the entire Forum was an amazing, heart-warming, yet honest and sobering, perfectly-executed Tour de Force. Following the touching, deeply personal poetry by brilliant Irish-Anglo poet and philosopher David Whyte, there was a discussion with Sônia Guajajara, Brazil’s first Ministry of Indigenous Affairs. She said, “We must re-forest the minds of people around the world,” emphasizing that “Indigenous people make up 5% of the world’s population but protect 82% of the world’s biodiversity.” She added, “Our goal is 0% illegal deforestation by 2030.”
She was joined by Wanjira Mathai, the African head of the World Resources Institute, whose mother founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya. Wanjira shared that her mom always spoke about the tradition of having a “Granary of God” where everyone contributed to a common granary to support those who had a poor harvest. She said, “Culture is coded wisdom,” and we need “extraordinary, courageous and often female leadership.”
Outspoken Former UN High Commissioners for Human Rights Mary Robinson and Ra’ad Al Hussein
My brother Don Gips, the head of the Skoll Foundation, interviewed former Irish Prime Minister Mary Robinson and her fellow former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on the challenges and possibilities of peace and addressing climate. Robinson shared how she publicly challenged the head of COP28 about its lack of calling for an end to fossil fuels and won a compromise. She emphasized, “We need to connect to a cleaner energy, safer world. We need to know our power.”
Robinson also mentioned how “In my first night as Prime Minister, I put a light on in my window for all those who had to leave Ireland” due to economic hardship or discrimination. It then spread throughout the country. She called for us to now have a global symbol, the dandelion, as “it’s nature, very resilient and regenerative.” Robinson said, “It’s not enough that each of us is doing it alone anymore. We need to connect and use our power…We spend $1.8 trillion on fossil fuels. We need to shift the money.”
Al Hussein began with startling comments: ”We’re in a state of terminal stupidity…Those who are keeping the rules aren’t strong enough to enforce them. There are no referees…People can’t distinguish between a lie and the truth.” Yet, he pointed out that, “Things can happen,” as we are seeing in places like Turkey and Poland.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Moves the Audience
Then New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took the stage and captivated the audience with her frank, inspiring, intimate and often heart-wrenching experiences. She recounted the various, horrific challenges she had to face as Prime Minister, from wildfires and volcanic eruptions to a White Nationalist’s mass shooting incident at two Mosques, which led to her successful effort in only 6 days to pass a national ban on assault weapons. And within two months, Ardern convened a nationwide gathering and signed the Christchurch Call to Action to stop violent extremism. As she said, “I wanted my legacy to be kind.”
Ardern recounted how she unexpectedly and reluctantly fell into legislative leadership. She went on to run for Prime Minister and insisted that her campaign would be “relentlessly positive…We won’t attack the person,” only their policies. She said that unfortunately, “Kindness is often coupled with weakness,” and acknowledged, “I’ve always suffered from imposter syndrome.” She added, “I chose to be a human first and leader second…I’ve always been a cryer and hugger. Those traits I value.”
She brought the audience to tears and received a lengthy standing ovation with her conclusion: “We teach our kids kindness and generosity but at some point we stop expecting that of our leaders…Don’t lose your expectation that we can do better.”
A Dancing, Musical Conclusion by Grammy Award-Winner Lila Downs
The Opening Ceremony concluded with Grammy Award-winning Mexican recording artist and social justice advocate Lila Downs who shared about overcoming the shame of her indigenous roots and then embracing it in her songs as a proud voice for her culture. She pointed out, “I can be loving despite hate and anger.” She got everyone up and dancing as she performed some of her biggest hits, including her poignant ode to all those who’ve been disappeared in Mexico, which included their photos.
And that was just Day One and leaves out the wonderful networking that took place in the pubs and restaurants. If you’re inspired, you can see the highlights here on the Skoll YouTube channel. Stay tuned for Day Two and Three with Amal and George Clooney.