PATHFINDER is delighted to partner with Global Policy House for a high level investment summit in Nairobi and online from July 12th to July 18th 2022.
The summit will bring clarity and insight into the transformational role that Blockchain4Africa, Cryptocurrency, Decentralised Finance, the Metaverse can play in growing Africa and supporting the AfCFTA.
Learn more about the summit and how to register here.
InvestAfrica22 #CBDCAfricaWeek22 #KenyaRetreat22
COP26 just wrapped up. The event had tremendous attention because by now we are well aware that without sweeping, urgent action, climate change will cause catastrophic disruption to our lives, and our world. Every such summit has failed before this one, to accomplish what needed to be done, which further added pressure. So, did we deliver this time? The simple answer is, no.
Sure; throughout COP26, several initiatives addressing climate resilience were announced, to drive progress towards our shared goal of keeping 1.5ºC within reach. Unfortunately, details and requisite funding were missing. In fact, COP26 saw a great deal of climate pledges, with countries promising to end and reverse deforestation, phase out coal, and reduce methane emissions. Across the board however, policy, planning and funding fell short of these goals.
“Everyone was committed to saving the planet, but there were highly diverging views about how to do it. A welter of announcements on everything from coal to methane to forests dominated the opening days. Large numbers were discussed and ambitious targets were set”. – Ian Scoones, Professorial Fellow, Institute of Development Studies
Certainly there were some worthy efforts. Last week, for instance, Edinburgh City joined over 30 cities in the Climate Champion’s Race to Resilience campaign. The UN-backed initiative also launched a metrics framework that allows cities, regions, businesses and investors to measure the progress of their work in building resilience to climate change. Over 2.3 billion people and 100 natural systems and over 100 countries are so far covered by the work being carried out by the Race to Resilience’s partner initiatives.
Private enterprises too, got further engaged. We too believe it is imperative that businesses lead by example. In fact, as a partner of the We Mean Business Coalition, PATHFINDER is one of the 800 businesses to sign the Open Letter to G20 leaders, with asks on 1.5ºC alignment, energy and finance. Building climate resilience is actually critical for small businesses to remain viable, but they often lack the time, funding, staffing and immediate incentives to take action. Large corporations are increasing decarbonization demands for SMEs in order to meet their own net-zero targets by tackling emissions in their supply chains. Corporates and governments must work together to support SMEs and incentivize the transition, ensuring no one is left behind. But even the private sector needs clear, ambitious policies to drive this objective further and faster.
“The announcements from governments so far on climate action are heading in the right direction. There’s a ratcheting up of ambition but it’s not going far enough.” – Rasmus Valanko, Leading systems transformation at We Mean Business.
Citizens, and youth in particular, were seen protesting in cities around the globe, demanding our leaders put aside special interests and do what is necessary to save the world. It is after all, ordinary citizens and youth especially, who must suffer the worst consequences of a heated planet.
Canadian environmental youth activist, Ta’Kiya Blaney Chegajimixw, spoke of her frustration with this year’s summit, “I’ve been inside these spaces since I was eight. Back then, I ripped up the COP declaration, and I will rip up today’s. Nothing has changed inside this space; it is a performance; it’s an illusion; it’s for convincing the public that something is happening. The climate agreements are actually trade agreements. It’s a way of salvaging global economies based upon colonialism and the extraction of our territories without interrupting them.” – Ta’Kiya Blaney Chegajimixw, Tla’amin Nation Canada, Environmental Activist
It is indeed past time for all nations to demonstrate climate ambition that reduces the degradation of our environment, and (dare we say) reverses it. That we will see enduring damages is certain. How much damage exactly, is something we can still control. We have yet to plan exactly how we will respond to this damage. We do know however, that the solution is to work collectively. That includes our citizens, our enterprises, and our leaders.
References:
COP26: Two worlds talked past each other — or never even met (theconversation.com)
PATHFINDER has been selected for the prestigious Emerging Innovators Bootcamp, by Ashoka and the American Express Leadership Academy. 100 people are chosen to attend from around the world, 20 of whom are from North America. It’s still a bit hard to believe that we were chosen to participate in this incredible event!
This is big for us; just to put it in perspective, Ashoka Fellows become world leaders and win Nobel Peace Prizes. So for them to have even noticed us and chosen us for such a selective event is validation of our passion and work. We’re just so amazed and so excited! See here for the complete list of this year’s participants.
For more on what we’ve been up to check out our latest newsletter!
PATHFINDER has a very busy fall ahead, with engagements spanning across Canada and the US (stay tuned for more)!
One of the opportunities we’ll be involved with is the Social Venture Institute at Hollyhock, B.C. this September. SVI is a practical, problem-solving alternative “business school” within a confidential and supportive setting. This program is for CEOs, Executive Directors, Founders, key staff, social entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders of all kinds.
We look forward to joining other mission-based entrepreneurs from across sectors and generations for a five-day, dynamic gathering to share goals, challenges and successes.
Hollyhock exists to inspire, nourish and support people who are making the world better.
We can’t wait!
I recently attended the 13th Annual Human Rights Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. I didn’t quite know what to expect but it turned out to be a pretty cool event. There are always the opportunities to chat, connect and network with others in the field at such gatherings of experts and supporters. But there were two people in particular, who were intimately acquainted with suffering and brutal abuse, who had the most unexpected responses to their experiences; and these people brought me to tears. Here are their stories.
In his youth, Augustine Brian of Papua New Guinea was the victim of horrible violence at the hands of the police. Aghast, many of his family and community had gathered to confront the perpetrators. Mr. Brian however, had no appetite to escalate the situation. Instead, as his broken body recovered, he searched for solutions that would make a more lasting impact. That’s when he read an article by Nelson Mandela that, according to Mr. Brian, inspired him completely and showed him the way. He began educating himself on Human Rights. During his study, he found that an organization called Youth For Human Rights International would send him free materials to teach and train others on the subject, so he made the request. He didn’t actually believe anyone would send him anything, for free at that, and in Papua New Guinea. But shortly after, Mr. Brian received his training materials in his mailbox.
Armed with knowledge and educational tools, he approached the leaders of the police department, asking if he may conduct educational workshops on Human Rights. The police, seemingly unaware of the concept, agreed and humored Mr. Brian, perhaps even recognizing the opportunity to diffuse a volatile situation peacefully. So Mr. Brian began teaching the local police in Papua New Guinea, about Human Rights and their importance. Not only did he capture the interest of his audience, he was signed on for more such training, and he continues to work with the police in his country to this day.
The most powerful part of the story was when Mr. Brian spoke of how the very policemen who brutalized him approached and surprised him by asking for his forgiveness. He was brought to tears that day. That’s when Mr. Brian’s efforts began to lead somewhere good. And several years later, he would be in New York City, at the Headquarters of the United Nations, recounting his story to hundreds of strangers from around the world, as they awarded him the Human Rights Heroes Award for 2016. There was not a dry eye in the room.
Sayed Mahmood Kazmi is no stranger to conflict, having grown up in the tumultuous Indian state, Jammu & Kashmir. But when he was a boy, he survived a suicide bombing in a Pakistani mosque. What might such a traumatic event do to a child, one wonders? Now a young man, Sayed stood at a podium at the United Nations. And much to our surprise, upbeat and engaging he addressed his “fellow gentlemen” when he asked why they were absconding in the fight for gender equality. “Its not their fight,” he said, speaking for women, “it’s our fight!” Sayed spent his moment in the spotlight speaking for the women in his world, pleading with men to see them as equals and fight for them so we could all, one day soon, live in equitable harmony. The spirit of this young man, having survived so much, standing for an entirely different issue, inspiring people, believing in their inherent goodness was so moving that we cried, clapped and cheered. He was quite literally wonderful up there.
Youth for Human Rights International, the organization behind the event, are remarkable. Founded on the commitment “to teach youth about human rights, specifically the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and inspire them to become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace”, the organization has come far and impacted many since its 2001 conception. Most people have no idea what exactly their human rights are, let alone realize they have 30 of them. It isn’t difficult to imagine that the world would be a more equal and harmonious place if we could do a better job of educating generations of our youth.
Attending the event was a powerful experience, with compelling thoughts, ideas and convictions from young people around the world. And hope. There was a lot of hope.
By noon, I was in tears. Not because horrible things have happened and continue to happen, and to children no less. I was in tears because I was struck by the realization that these people – most too young, who had lived through such horrible things, who had been victims themselves, who had overcome so much – were so very full of hope, they were consumed by it! How, I wondered? They had so much hope for the future, and such great plans! Their incredible strength brought me to my knees. And it reminded me why I’ve set out to do what I have. Because, in the end, all we have is our collective humanity; when times are tough and things seem the most desperate is when we must fight to protect this humanity.
-Shivani
Today is one of the most important days of the year, a day we celebrate women. On this special day, we are excited to be taking part in a number of Women’s Day related events:
This morning at the Surrey Business School at the University of Surrey, Jess was on their MBA business breakfast panel discussing women in the workplace.
She’ll also be a guest speaker for the Business Women in Surrey’s (BWiS) Rising Stars Awards Gala in Surrey this evening.
PATHFINDER is honored and excited to be meeting with some very inspirational women across various fields!
I recently attended Impact Bazaar, the first of its kind by Impact Hub in New York City. I wasn’t sure what sort of conference I was signing up for, exactly. There wasn’t much information online and the event was scheduled to last over two months. But not only did I find the experience to be useful, engaging and fun, I also found it difficult to leave at the end of my two weeks there!
Impact Hub NYC is a subsidiary of MissionHUB, the organization responsible for the hugely popular SOCAP series. Over time, MissionHUB has established Impact Hubs in San Francisco, Berkeley, New York, DC and Philadelphia, and they exist to “support social entrepreneurs and impact investors in building sustainable businesses that drive long-term social and environmental change.”
Impact Hub NYC is a certified B Corporation. It’s “a coworking & events space for a community of entrepreneurs, activists, creatives, and professionals taking action to drive positive social and environmental change.”
Impact Hub NYC’s Impact Bazaar was well attended. There were organizations big and small, from around the country and a few from further away. It was a close and informal setting for the most part. And it was always cheerful. But what really set Impact Bazaar apart from other such conferences is the fact that it was so accessible. Admission was only $10/day and it bought access to most events, the work space, and good, fair-trade, coffee. Lunches, a range of ethically made products, and specialized engagements were available for sale.
Throughout the event, there were a variety of meetings, presentations and workshops by experienced, committed professionals. In general, there was this unmistakable sense of camaraderie. Everyone involved seemed genuinely dedicated to being helpful. Certainly, the opportunities for intimate networking were impressive.
My own favorite part of the conference was the people. I met (and learned much from) some great people at Impact Bazaar. These people were full of helpful expertise, contagious energy, and promise for the future we have the power to create, together.
Since this was the first such conference, I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I suspect this will become an annual thing, where lessons learned along the way will be applied for bigger and better events. Over time, I have no doubt that more participants and impressive names will join the roster. What I’d love though, is for this unique, open and accessible culture of Impact Hub NYC’s to thrive.
-Shivani
PATHFINDER 