The long awaited annual meeting of KoneKtor, Philanthropy East Forum, formerly Grantmakers East Forum (GEF) was hosted in Warsaw, on 27–29 September 2022. The Forum gathered participants, representing grantmaking foundations, bilateral donors, international organisations, NGOs, activists, and corporate funders.
This year it was celebration the 25th Anniversary of their Thematic Network!
The conference created a space to Learn, Reflect and Connect. We explored the role of foundations in supporting resilience of activists, civil society organizations, and communities that are building democracy.
The war, the pandemic, political and economic insecurity, climate disasters, migrations, and systemic racism have exacerbated the world’s and Europe’s problems since the last meeting of GEF in Georgia in the fall of 2019. As organizations, activists, and communities in civil society adapt to a world increasingly defined by uncertainty and unpredictability, their resilience is a key to creating democratic, peaceful, and just societies as well as to holding the line on backlash and attempts to roll back the progress and rights.
During the meeting, through interactive formats designed for peer-learning, open discussions, and knowledge sharing, participants had examined resilience from different perspectives – those of individuals as well as those of communities, taking place both online and offline. And the impact and value it all has for democracy at the time it is being challenged.
During the session ‘Rebuilding Ukraine: Connecting needs on the ground with philanthropic giving’, moderated by Delphine Moralis, CEO of Philea, representatives of the NRFU together with experts on democratic transformations, education and mental health, arts and culture discussed reconstruction needs as well as transparent, efficient and innovative ways to invest in the future of Ukraine.
We are grateful to the organizers of the event for the opportunity tp learn about the best practices of other countries and share our experience, receive such large-scale support and to be heard.
