It has been a pleasure to be a part of the Innovations in International Philanthropy Symposium. I, and many others, hope that events like these will influence those that we need to, in the way we need to, to bring about the large-scale, systemic changes we require in our global systems. Solomé Lemma and I had a great conversation, in which she asked powerful questions that gave me pause for reflection.

We are in our most consequential decade as a species. What we do in this time will determine what kind of future we will leave behind for our children – or whether they will have one at all. We have run out of time for incremental tinkering and primarily treating the symptoms of problems. During the global financial crisis of ‘08-’09, those in power pushed for system protection, system maintenance and system recovery when what was urgently needed then and even more urgently needed now is system innovation, system redesign and system transformation. It is time we hold corporate and political power to account for having delayed action for so long when the science has been so clear.

In our approach, though, we must empower people with possibilities, not immobilise them with depressing projections of our future. While our situation is dire, we have much to build on as we continue the struggle.

Read the full article about intersectionality at The Philanthropic Initiative.