Philanthropy and the common good

The atomisation of society, an economy based on competition and growing distrust of politics and of institutions in general: these are some of the factors that have led to a diminished commitment to the common good (broadly, anything that benefits and is shared by all members of a given community). Yet, thus broadly understood, pursuit of the common good should be a necessary step in producing more equitable societies and a planet that continues to be habitable.  

But the devil is in the detail. There is more disagreement than agreement about what comprises the common good.

Questions we will explore in the webinar include: 

- Is the common good any more than an abstraction?
- Who defines it?  
- Whose responsibility is it to secure it and, more particularly for today’s discussion, what role does philanthropy have in revivifying the notion and helping to secure its various elements, especially where philanthropy itself is one of the institutions facing scepticism?  
- Can philanthropy’s commitment to this issue help to restore its legitimacy and the necessary behaviour to become a societal norm for the future?

Speakers

• Bruce Sievers
  Haas Center for Public Service
• Hafsat Abiola
  President, Women in Africa
• Dorothy Chan
  Head of Philanthropy Services and Advisory, HSBC

Notes

This webinar is being hosted by Alliance. It starts at 2.30pm UK / 5.30pm UAE.

You can register here.