Contact: Lynne Smit
Communications Lead, Catalyst 2030
Email lynne.smit@lesacommunications.org

“At Catalysing Change Week 2021, we will unite experts, social innovators, and representatives from the private sector and governments to showcase, listen to and come to understand one another. Participants in the event will be able to tap into the collective wisdom around systems change while forging partnerships across countries, regions and sectors,” said Jeroo Billimoria, spokesperson and one of the movement’s co-founders.

Catalysing Change Week 2021 will host 120 online sessions over five days, covering all major time zones. Session presenters will include Catalyst 2030 Award winners and finalists who will bring their own distinct contributions to the programme, as well as Catalyst 2030 members and changemakers from around the globe.

The Week will build on the success of Catalysing Change Week 2020 which had an audience of over 4,000 individuals. Together, participants represented more than 1,600 organisations across 131 countries.

This year’s themes reflect the priorities of the movement in this unique period of our global history. The Covid-19 pandemic has the potential to delay the achievement of the SDGs by 50 years or more. It is in this context that the creation of a space for the world’s top social innovators to interact, co-create and share best practices is even more important.

The sessions will be structured around these three key themes.

Connect. As a core principle in our Theory of Change, we serve as honest brokers who foster connections between various stakeholders in our ecosystem. Our objective is to create an environment that enables collaboration and co-creation as we, together, seek to address the most pressing issues of our time.

Celebrate. Celebration is a great way to encourage, inspire and re-energise each other as we go about our work. We showcase best practices, creating a ripple effect as other stakeholders adopt these practices in addressing their specific challenges.

Accelerate. We bring key stakeholders together to create tangible outcomes for policy making. This is particularly relevant as we engage with governmental stakeholders. As outlined in our Embracing Complexity, Getting from Crisis to Systems Change and New Allies reports, social entrepreneurs’ collaborations with governments are key to bringing about change and achieving the SDGs at local, national, and global levels.

The overarching goal is to foster an improved understanding of the conditions that best allow social entrepreneurs and their allies to thrive. This understanding will then be translated into tangible policy recommendations and programmes that can be implemented globally.

To achieve this goal, Catalysing Change Week 2021 has six key objectives.

1. Celebrate positive systems-change models
2. Build commitment to systems change work in policymaking
3. Showcase practical problem-solving abilities within the network
4. Bring the voices of unheard people to the conversation
5. Accelerate efforts to achieve the SDGs by 2030
6. Learn from all network members and build capacity

Registration for Catalysing Change Week 2021 is free.

For more information, visit https://catalyst2030.net/about-the-campaign/

Download the overview document here.

World’s leading social entrepreneurs launch “Catalysing Change Campaign”, highlighting innovative actions and partnerships required to address global social, economic and health needs arising from the COVID-19 crisis

Policymakers, funders, public invited to join 30 April and 1 May virtual sessions focusing on the rapid changes needed to support food security, healthcare, education, sanitation and hygiene, leadership and other critical issues in our inter-connected world

(28 April 2020) – In response to the COVID-19 crisis, this week leading social entrepreneurs from around the world are launching a “Catalysing Change Campaign,” to focus on the rapid changes needed to support food security, healthcare, education, sanitation and hygiene, mental health, leadership and other critical global social needs.  The campaign will launch 30 April and 1 May, with a series of virtual sessions on these and related pressing topics, hosted by social entrepreneurs who are working on the frontlines of these issues in locations ranging from India, the Philippines and Colombia, to the United States, the United Kingdom and Spain.

The campaign is led by Catalyst 2030, a global community of social entrepreneurs, funders and other social change innovators and partners, including Ashoka, Echoing Green, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and the Skoll Foundation.

“With COVID-19, we are experiencing a generation-defining crisis, which necessitates an urgent response to this unprecedented set of circumstances,” said Jeroo Billimoria, multi-award winning social entrepreneur and Catalyst 2030 founder member. “As many of our systems fail, it is critical that we reimagine these systems to rapidly address life-changing social, economic and health needs around the globe, which underscore the inter-connectedness of our world.”

Community leaders, policymakers, funders, thought leaders and the public are invited to join the virtual sessions and participate in discussing and supporting a COVID response in their own communities.  Information on the sessions and registration links are available here: LINK EXPIRED  Follow Catalyst 2030 on Twitter @Catalyst_2030 and use the hashtag #Catalyst2030.

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About Ashoka
For 40 years, Ashoka has identified and supported the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs who work at addressing the root causes of a problem.  With nearly 4000 Fellows in 90+ countries, Ashoka has supported them in transforming institutions, mindsets and cultures to support changemaking for the good of all. Learn more at ashoka.org

About Catalyst 2030
The Catalyst 2030 is an emerging global community of social entrepreneurs, funders and other social change innovators that believe collective action and bold, new strategies are needed to address the crises of our time. Joining forces with communities, governments, businesses, and others, Catalyst 2030 members are impacting the lives of millions. Learn more at catalyst2030.net.

About Echoing Green
Echoing Green has been on the frontlines of solving the world’s biggest problems, raising up the transformational leaders willing to speak truth to power and challenge the status quo. The organisation finds emerging leaders around the world with the best ideas for social innovation as early as possible and sets them on a path to lifelong impact. Learn more at echoinggreen.org.

About Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship identifies the world’s leading social entrepreneurs that implement innovative and pragmatic solutions to social problems by tackling the root causes and creating social transformation. The Schwab Foundation is a sister organisation of the World Economic Forum. Learn more at schwabfound.org.

About the Skoll Foundation
The Skoll Foundation drives large-scale change by investing in, connecting, and celebrating social entrepreneurs and the innovators who help them solve the world’s most pressing problems. Its portfolio includes 116 organizations and 144 social entrepreneurs around the world. Learn more at skoll.org.

Contact info@catalyst2030.net for more information.