Speaker: Jeff Skoll

Founder, Skoll Foundation, Participant Media, Skoll Global Threats Fund, Capricorn Investment Group

Jeff Skoll is a philanthropist and social entrepreneur. As Founder of the Skoll Foundation, Skoll Global Threats Fund, Participant Media and Capricorn Investment Group, he is bringing life to his vision of a sustainable, peaceful and prosperous world. The first President of eBay, Skoll developed the company’s inaugural business plan and led its successful initial public offering. On December 30, 2011, Skoll was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.

2012 SESSIONS
 

Opening Plenary 2012 Skoll World Forum

Location: New Theatre, Oxford

Opening Plenary of the 2012 Skoll World Forum.

OPENING VIDEO
Murmuration

OPENING REMARKS AND MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Stephan Chambers, Director of the MBA, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford; Chair of the Standing Committee, Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
Peter Tufano, Peter Moores Dean, Saïd Business School

THE SPIRIT OF CHANGE
Jeff Skoll, Founder, Skoll Foundation, Skoll Global Threats Fund, Participant Media, Capricorn Investment Group

UNEXPECTED FACTS ABOUT A POPULATION IN FLUX
Hans Rosling, Professor of International Health, Karolinska Institutet; Co-founder, Gapminder Foundation, Sweden

INNOVATION IN TIMES OF FLUX: OPPORTUNITY ON THE HEELS OF CRISIS
Judith Rodin, CEO, Rockefeller Foundation
Patrick Meier, Director of Crisis Mapping, Ushahidi
Roger Martin, Dean, Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto
Soraya Salti, Senior Vice President of Middle East/North Africa for Junior Achievement Worldwide, INJAZ Al-Arab

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Eva Ayllon and Band

Speakers: Peter Tufano, Eva Ayllon, Hans Rosling, Soraya Salti, Roger Martin, Stephan Chambers, Judith Rodin, Jeff Skoll, Patrick Meier

Jeff Skoll at the Opening Plenary to the Skoll World Forum 2012

From: Opening Plenary 2012 Skoll World Forum | With: Jeff Skoll
 
2011 SESSIONS
 

Opening Plenary 2011 Skoll World Forum

What better way to kick off the 2011 Skoll World Forum than with inspiring music? That’s what Baaba Maal, Senagalese singer and guitarist, did when he sang in the Opening Plenary. Master of Ceremonies Stephan Chambers, Director of the Said Business School and Chairman of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, warmly welcomes attendees.

Jeff Skoll talks about how we are “fighting for our collective future…for sustainable growth, peace and prosperity for everyone. For the most part, humankind created these seemingly intractable global problems… Whether it’s climate change, education, water scarcity or human rights. The only way we’re going to survive as a species is to pull together in our collective self interest.”

Ngaire Woods, Professor of International Political Economy and Academic Director of the Blavatnik School of Government at University of Oxford, talks about scaling up and collaborating.

The opening plenary concludes with a great panel on microfinance. Some of the top in the field share what works, what doesn’t, and why microfinance is so crucial in the world. Moderator was Jonathan Lewis, Founder and Chair of Microcredit Enterprises and panelists were Alvaro Rodriguez, Chair of Compartamos Banco and Roshaneh Zafar, Managing Director of the Kashf Foundation.

Speakers: Baaba Maal, Stephan Chambers, Jeff Skoll, Ngaire Woods, Jonathan Lewis, Alvaro Rodriguez Arregui, Roshaneh Zafar

Jeff Skoll – The Power of the Collective – Skoll World Forum 2011 opening remarks

From: Opening Plenary 2011 Skoll World Forum | With: Jeff Skoll
Hi, thank you very much for those kind words, Stefen. And good evening every one and welcome to the eighth annual Skoll World Forum on social entrepreneurship. I'm very excited about this years forum and I like to start by acknowledging a couple of very special guests. Please join me in welcoming one of the truly great heroes of humanity, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

You don't want to miss tomorrow night's award ceremony where we celebrate the incredible life of the Archbishop. Would you also please join me congratulating our dear friend, mentor, and the godfather of social entrepreneurship, Bill Drayton, on the thirtieth anniversary of Ashoka. Well, my job's done.

And to all of you who have come to Oxford to shear your insights, innovations, and ideas for accelerating large scale impact. Thank you, and welcome.

I'd like to kick off this year's forum with a quote from one of my favorite Oxford philosophers. I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind, some come from ahead, and some from behind. But I bought a big bat, I'm all ready, you see, now my troubles are going to have troubles with me. These are the words of Theodore Geisel, who attended Lincoln College here at Oxford in the 1920's.

Show of hands. How many of you have heard of Theodore Geisel? Well, quite a few I see. But you may remember him better by his pen name, Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss was Theodore Geisel's invention so that he could freely write his own brand of humor and his own take on the human condition. He didn't just break the rules of writing stories, he created his own rules to make his mark in the world. And I can't think of a better emblem of social entrepreneurship than Dr. Seuss.

After all, social entrepreneurs also make their own rules to create a better world. Like Dr. Seuss, social entrepreneurs have purpose, courage and a firm determination to combat the troubles that we all face. Simply put, social entrepreneurs are the ones who carry a big bat. And there are plenty of people in the room tonight who carry a mighty big bat.

Andrea and Barry Coleman's big bat is to use motorcycles to deliver healthcare in rural Africa. Carlos Sussa and Berdo Verissimo's big bat is satellite monitoring of the Amazon. And Bart Weetjens big bat is actually a big rat that detects landmines. And it's in honor of all the big bats here today that I would like to continue another Skoll World tradition where we make a gift to the leadership of the Skoll Center at Oxford.

As many of you know the sport of Cricket is played in over a hundred countries. And at the Skoll Foundation, our social entrepreneurs' work in over 126 countries. So, it seemed fitting that this year's gift be none other than a big bag that represents the global significance of social entrepreneurship so Stephen if you would like to rejoin me here.

It's with gratitude, admiration, and hope that I present this big cricket bat to our partners at the Skoll Center for social entrepreneurship.

Now we all know that just
like playing cricket, saving the world is a team sport. Even with the biggest bat, you aren't going to win without well coordinated team of coaches, fielders and other players working together towards a common goal.

The purpose of the Skoll World Forum is to bring together current and prospective teammates to shrink playing fields and to make progress against the worlds most pressing problems. Unfortunately what we are doing here is not a game, not by any stretch of the imagination. The challenges we confront, are far more complex, the adversaries are far more fierce, the stakes immeasurably greater.

We are fighting for our collective future not for national pride. The trophy were playing for is sustainable growth of peace and prosperity for everyone and everywhere. For the most part, human kind created these seemingly intractable global problems. These are not natural disasters, their wholly unnatural disasters that affect us all.

Whether it's climate change, education, water scarcity or human rights. The only way we're going to survive as a species is to pull together in our collective self interest. That's why I want to recognize not only the social entrepreneurs in the room today. I also want to welcome representatives from the policy sector, finance sector, academic, private and public sectors. You are the ever so essential coaches, fielders and batters.

In fact, you may very well carry a big bat of your own.

One case in point, is our dear friend, Muhammad Yunus. Through his invention of microcredit and the Grameen bank, Professor Yunus is responsible for lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Yet today, as we all know, Yunus stands to be removed from his post by the government of Bangladesh.

We at the Skoll Foundation, stand firmly behind Yunus and offer our unequivocal support. And you'll hear more about Yunus in a moment. The point is that even these game changing social entrepreneurs can not do it alone. They need you. They need your insights, your access, your influence your

 resources and your commitment. Large-scale change through collaborative action is not a new idea. We've done it be. for the Marshall plan after World War 2, the ban on ozone depleting chemicals in the 1970's, and the global effort to eliminate small pox are all examples of what can happen when we work together.

Cooperation across sectors is what drives the pioneering work of many social entrepreneurs here this week. For example the Marine Stewardship Council collaborates with fisheries, seafood companies, conservation groups, and the public to promote the best environmental choices in sea food. The Half the Sky Foundation has a unique partnership with the Chinese government and children's hospitals to care for thousands of orphan children and the Visayan Forum Foundation partners with Phillipian government and private shipping companies to eliminate human trafficking.

I believe that this level of collaboration must become the new normal where policy makers, CEOs, philanthropists, and social entrepreneurs work side-by-side to tackle these big difficult problems and perhaps that's the game changing innovation we need most, the will to make it so. On that note, I'd like to close with one more quote from our favorite Oxford philosopher "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot nothing is going to get better, it's not."

I'm thankful that you are those caring people and that we will have the chance to share and care about the world together over the next few days. Thank you all for being here.
 
2011 SESSIONS
 

2011 Skoll Awards For Social Entrepreneurship

The Skoll Foundation invites you to revisit the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship where we honour the 2011 Awardees and to celebrate all those who are working to create a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

2011 Awardees included Rebecca Onie of Health Leads, Madhav Chavan of Pratham, Ellen Moir of New Teacher Center and Ned Breslin of Water For People.

Featuring remarks by and the awarding of the Skoll Global Treasure Award to:
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond M. Tutu, Chair, The Elders

Musical performance by:
Peter Gabriel and Baaba Maal

Speakers: Archbishop Emeritus Desmond M. Tutu, Baaba Maal, Rebecca Onie, Madhav Chavan, Ellen Moir, Ned Breslin, Sally Osberg, Peter Gabriel, Jeff Skoll

2011 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship Ceremony

From: 2011 Skoll Awards For Social Entrepreneurship | With: Jeff Skoll, Sally Osberg, Rebecca Onie, Ellen Moir, Ned Breslin, Madhav Chavan
Social entrepreneurs don't generally set out to incite protests or topple despots, but they are revolutionaries none the less. They understand that wars can be waged by a thousand cuts, that crimes against humanity occur when millions of children die of diarrhea or tetanus. When medicine fails the poor, when education squanders young educators and sacrifices its young.

And they refuse to accept that this is reality, the status quo, just the way things are, they know better and they set out to make it so. The 2011 Skoll Award winners we honor tonight offer scalable proven solutions to these toughest of problems, and to the unacceptable conditions of poverty and injustice that breed and sustain them.

Jeff, would you please join me on stage for our awards presentation? First up, Rebecca Onie. Health Leads. Rebecca Onie recognize the compounding effects of poverty on illness designed a protocol and set about to cure a sick system. With Doctor Barry Zuckerman and Boston Medical College, Rebbecca founded Health Leads to bridge the health gap between medicine and social work.

Health Leads expands the capacity of clinics and hospitals, to meet the underlying needs of poor patients. Doctors prescribes the support services along with medication and Health Leads volunteers connect patients to sources of food, housing, job training. In other words, to sources that can accelerate their healing and keep them healthy. Within 90 days the majority of patients served by Health Leads have secured at least One essential resource, an 83% of its volunteer graduates have gone onto jobs or advanced studying the fields whit health and poverty.

Rebecca Onie, Health Leads.


In October of 1985, I walked in to the waiting room of a chaotic busy urban clinic. The TV I distinctly remember play this endless reel of cartoons and the exhaustion of mother who had taken two three and some time four buses to bring their children in to the doctor was palpable. The doctors it seemed never really had time for all the patients.

And over the course of six months I would corner them, rather while they were scrawling notes in the medical records, or swallowing their lunches in the hallway. And I would say to them, "if you had unlimited resources what is the one thing you would give your patients"? And they said the same thing again and again and again.

A story we have now heard hundreds of times.

They said everyday we have
patients who come into the clinic, child has an infection and we give the family medicine, but the truth is, I know there's no food at home. The truth is, I know this family is living with thirteen other people in two bedrooms, and I don't even ask about those issues because there is nothing that I can do.

On those issues we practice a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. And in fact, in that clinic it is true; the patients pile up in the waiting room, the doctors have just a few minutes, and they would say "I don't where to find food for the patients and I have no help in doing so." In that clinic there is one social worker for 24,000 patients.

This clinic, to be clear, is not in Lima, it is not in Nairobi, it is not in Bogota and it is not in Port au Prince. It is Boston, Massachusetts, in the shadow of Harvard Medical School - the epicenter of some of the fanciest and most expensive healthcare in the world. And indeed, in cities across the country, in Harlem, New York, Southeast Washington, D.C., the South-side of Chicago and other clinics throughout the country, this is the way healthcare is delivered.

And it shows. In the communities where Health Leads works - in Baltimore, Maryland - the life expectancy is lower than it is in Bangladesh. So let me be plain here. The impact of poverty on health is not developing world issue. It is not a developed world challenge. It is a challenge that is faced by poor people everywhere they live in the world.

Health Lead's response is simple. It is cheap, it is effective. We enable physicians to write prescriptions for basic resources like food, housing and heat, alongside prescriptions for medication. Patients then take those prescriptions to our desks in the clinic waiting room, where we have a core of 700 college volunteers who fill those prescriptions by connection patients out to the resources that they need.

Over the next 3 years Health Leads will create 25,000 successful resource connections for low income patients and their families. But our goal is not merely to serve more patients; the goal is to change the way that healthcare is delivered, so that doctors can prescribe solutions that improve health, just as they prescribe prescriptions that will enable families to manage disease.

This is our vision. And this is why the Skoll award is so important. Health Leads model is a distinctly non-innovative approach. The purpose of the award is to allow us to follow in the footsteps of and to learn from Paul Farmer, Vera Cordeiro, Gene Falk, Mitch Besser and so many others in this room who share our vision for the way that healthcare should be delivered everywhere across the globe.

What Health Leads has been able to show is that a poeple that a couple of volunteers in a clinic reading room, you empower physicians to ask the real question of their patients. And you create a next generation of front line health care Providers and leaders who really will change the health care system.

A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to talk to Amelie Lozada [sp],one of our alumi who is now in medical school student and spent 3 years as an undergraduate working in that same clinic at Boston medical center. She said, when my classmate write a prescription, they think their work is done. When I write a prescription I think can the family read the prescription?

Does the family have transportation to the pharmacy? Do they have money to pay for the prescription and do they have food to take with it? Those are not questions that I learned in medical school. Those are questions that I learned with Health Leads. Thank you.


Ellen Moir, New Teacher Center.

In the US one third of our new teachers, young men and women entering a noble profession with noble aspirations, don't make it.

The turnover rate saps education of its talent, and scars schools, classrooms and students. Even worse the problem hits the most vulnerable the hardest since new teachers are most commonly placed in the toughest school settings. Ellen Moir traces her passion for education to her high school Spanish teacher, who encouraged her to become the first one in her family to attend college.

For more than twenty years Ellen has tested and refined a model, to pair talented and experienced veteran teachers with talented and inexperienced new teachers. Launching New Teacher Center in 1998. In 2010, the center reached more than twenty six thousand teachers to affect 1.84 million students.

To bolster its impact the center place an active role in the national education policy debate advocating for state and federal policies that line up with the needs of educators and students.

Ellen
Moir, New Teacher Center.


My first year as a classroom teacher I felt like a complete failure. I wanted to quit. I'd never worked so hard in my life, and I knew in my heart, that I really wasn't making a difference in the lives of my students from the moment I left college, I knew I was going to be a phenomenal teacher. But when I met my students, I could see quickly that I didn't know what to do.

Maybe I chosen the wrong profession. Those are the words of new teachers across America. We have a horrible way of inducting them. It's really a trial by fire experience. One that you'd never want to have happen to anyone you know. Yes, we can find a key for them to the classroom, but the room is bare.

There's nothing for them to know, a guide on what to teach or how to teach, and their disproportionally assigned to the toughest schools within schools the toughest assignments. No wonder 50% leave within the first 3 to 5 years. And let me be clear, those that leave are leaving from the communities and from the students that needs stability and connectedness the most.

Its a tragedy, its despicable and it haunted me for years to watch this play out, as we simultaneously talked about building a profession. How could we ever really recruit the most talented to stay, and care and do their best, if we greet them with the conditions that we've done so far? At the New Teacher Center, we are driven to build a better profession, to really honor and value teachers.

Each of you remembers a teacher that made a difference in your life. I personally want to be sure that it's not left to chance that every underprivileged child in America, every Latino and African American child in this country, gets the best teachers. So we built a model to actually on board, or induct new teachers into the profession.

Where we not only wanted to help new teachers and their students, but we wanted to create optimism and hope in our profession by releasing the most talented of teachers to serve in the role of mentor. These exemplary teachers, they teach new teachers how to teach. That's their job. They are beside the new teachers every week of the year for two years.

So, if a new teacher has a problem and it's 8 PM at night, they can ping them and get an answer or they can simply pick up the phone. Let me tell you a moment about Viviana Espinosa. Viviana teaches in East Pola Alto, many of you have heard of Palo Alto, probably you live in the most affluent communities in America. But have you heard that East Palo Alto across the bridge resembles the South side of Chicago the Englewood community it's tough.

I remember when I went there the first time ten years ago. I couldnt believe that we called this is a school, and a district. Against all odds, Vivianna with her 20 first-graders, those 20 students of 17 were English language learners, Vivianna set out an aggressive course with her mentor, to help every single one of those students read at grade level by the end.

And am happy to tell you, that with this expert other at her side, Vivianna was able to do just that. Fifteen of the students met grade level, and all 20 of them had made growth beyond a year. I told you that story about Vivianna, because you can see that her students are really the primary beneficiaries of this work.

But I want you to know that Vivianna's mentor, and the other mentors we've reached across the country, 6,000 of them, for the first time in their careers feel empowered and proud to be teachers, and are very focused on how to build in this continuous improvement process, into the schools. We reached 1.5 million students, I'm proud of that but that's not enough.

With this Skoll Award we're going to double that number. We're going to reach 3,000,000 new students coming from communities where they are underserved and not getting the kind of quality education that America touts as being part of our democracy. Imagine if every single new teacher in America got this kind of induction, mentored support for two years, how the students could actually - the new teachers would be better faster and the students would actually improve, and the results will be fabulous.

And the new teachers would have a fire and a passion for being the best that they can. Imagine how we'd move on needle on performance, if we had this kind of a system. Let me just share with you the word of one of the mentee's that had a great mentor for two years. She said my mentor was like a light that guided me through my first years.

I was able to take that light and shine it on my students. My heartfelt thanks to the Skoll Foundation and to Jeff Skoll for this award. I accept it on behalf of every teacher in America, who is trying to be the best that they possibly can, and who care deeply about all students and know that all students can be successful.

This award is going to help the new Teacher Center shine that bright light on millions of students. Underprivileged students across the country, new teachers and their mentors, to transform education in America. This is our time join me in making this difference, thank you.

Madhav Chavan, Pratham.
Madhav Chavan found Pratham in 1993 to address India's educational crisis. 140 million of the countries children, 95% of whom are enrolled in primary schools can neither read nor perform mathematics at age of grade appropriate levels. Pratham's approach emphasis simple low cost solutions. It bases its programs in homes and temples.

It trains mothers and volunteers ti reinforce maths and reading instructions, and insist on rigorous assessment to ensure interventions succeed. At the height of its flagship, Read India campaign profit range 17% of India's children covering 21 states and one out of every two villages. Literacy levels improved dramatically, so much so that the campaign has transitioned to scale up it's results through partnership with state and local governments. Beyond its direct interventions and discipline self assessment, Protham created the annual status of education report.

The only measurement of children's literacy and numeracy conducted at scale in India today. Madhav and his senior staff serve on educational policy making bodies at state of central government levels, they innovate and test, implement and prove and then partner and serve,with government to transform public education for India's children.

Madhav Chavan, Pratham.

Thank you, Academy.
Always wanted to say that. And, there is an aspiring actor inside me, and it helps to know that Jeff Skoll is into movies as well. And I think the Skoll Awards are the Oscars of social enterprise, don't you think? Now, I have a problem, because most of the things that I want to, wanted to say as context to my speech, Sally has already said.

So, I can tell you some stories instead of some other thoughts. I know Ben is looking forward to those. You see there are 200,000,000 children in India - 210,000,000 are children. Sally has given you some statistics. 97% of those, and we verified that through humongous surveys, which we do every year - 97 percent are enrolled in school.

Most schools, more than 90 percent schools get midday meals. All children are given text book. Not always on time, but they get text books. All children are provided free uniforms, two sets. In many states now, the governments are giving, giving bicycles to young girls to go to school. So after all this and there are teachers as well, not enough always, but there are enough teachers.

So why is Pratham doing anything at all? And so when we went out and did this annual status of education report, and we do it every year, we found that 50 percent of the children can not read. My colleague Rukmini Banerji tells a story of a bunch of volunteers going into a village in the northern province of India, called Uttar Pradesh.

So its a village and the village head, patriarch is lying down on his charpai, char is four. so its a four legger. Cant call it a bed cant call it a cot. And he's smoking his hookah and when he sees the volunteers and what he was doing here? They say, sir we are here to do a survey. no no no education is all fine here, all children go to school. And his three sons are standing there. One is a third grader another fifth grader and seventh grader, well spaced. And so, so somebody says look there's a simple test here and the young kids starts looking and so they showed it to him and the third graders stumbles and he cant read. So the hookah comes out, and says, "Okay, give it to the other guy." So the fifth-grader starts reading very, very haultingly.

He can't read. Now the man is sitting up. The third guy, the seventh grader is saying, "I don't want to take this test." So he says get me my shirt, he is sitting bare chest. I want to check every house in this village what the heck is going on? So he goes out and checks and low and behold he finds that most children can't really read.

Now this actually of is a picture of India, which symbolizes what's going on. Parents think children go to school so they must be learning. Teachers think children come to school, I teach them so they must be learning. And the policy makers are happy with all that and say great. So when we do the survey village after village after village, its a wake up call. Policy is not that easy to change the establishment does not change that easily.

Evidence in my corners of the world is not always helpful. So we have to start telling people simplify, simplify the assessment, simplify the methods, so even the most ordinary people were capable of doing extraordinary things as we heared. They will get up and say I want to educate my child. Who's responsibility is it to educate our children?

Government, well it's easy to point fingers, but us you heard perhaps in a childhood when you point one finger at somebody, there three fingers pointing out yourself. Better do something about it. Look at it another way; if it was your child who could not read, would you blame the government? Advocacy? Would you go out and lobby or would you start teaching your child?

I think both are required. While you have to tell the government to do things you have to get up and start doing something by yourself. And I'm proud that I live in the country of Mahatma Gandhi, who said, get up and do it. Do it yourselves. So we, the Pratham volunteers people, go out and start talking.

Mahatma Gandhi walked 23 days, 300 kilometers and picked up salt against the British empire. What country is this now? Okay. Hundreds of thousands joined him, and history of India was changed. And now, you don't have to walk for 23 days, not 300 kilometers - just pick up a book, don't pick up salt, and read with a few children in your village.

Hundreds of thousands will join you, and the history of India will change once again. It's a very powerful message and that's how, by the thousands, volunteers come up. Now the problem is while these volunteers come, they are also victims of the same education system. They can't teach very well. They don't know math, they don't know reading properly, and so the Skoll Award is going to help us to build capacity of our own organization, so we can do things, not only on a large scale, but do them better.

We need to build leadership so that people can do things, on their own. I want to end by quoting Laozi, a great Chinese philosopher poet and it's one of my favorites. It is a guiding principle of how we try to do work, it's not always easy. Laoiz said, go to the people, live among them, love them, learn from them.

Start with what they know, build on what they have and when it is done, they will say "we did it ourselves." It's not about Pratham, it's not about you, it's not about Skoll. It's about people changing their own lives. We would like to enable them as best as we can.


Ned Breslin, Water for People.

Despite massive investments by the development community, the world is not on track to meet millenium development goals addressing sanitation and water quality. Globally, 884 million people lack access to clean water and 2.6 billion to sanitation. Working in Africa for sixteen years, Ned learned that solutions to sanitation and clean drinking water must be generated and sustained by communities.

Water for People puts stakeholders back in charge of their own water systems. Working with communities to design and build systems that provide full coverage, Water for People and sits on a standard as simple as it is powerful: To secure safe drinking water and sanitation for every clinic, school and home in every community.

It's newest technological tool, FLOW, uses mobile phones equipped with open-source software to document working and failed water points an innovation poised to become a standard assessment tool for the aid community. By 2014, Water for People aims for one hundred percent coverage and three up eleven countries and which it is already active, and it is committed to verifying the sustainability of the solutions 3, 6 and 10 years following their implementation.

Ned Breslin, Water for People.

Rain mixes with a distinct smell of burning charcoal, tall grass and maize stalks that scream, Africa, with every breath. The Rwandan mountains reach for the sky as thousands gather in the district of Rulindo to say we are going to eradicate water poverty in our district.

Everyone. We're going to get every school. We're going to get every clinic. We're going to get every household. Not this project over that project, not this community but not that one, not this school. But that one's too hard. We're not going to hide behind the facade of demand. That is used as a shield by NGOs worldwide to not hear the voices of the hardest to reach.

The poorest and most vulnerable. If you listen very carefully, everyone is demanding clean water. Forever. The mayor, Eustace, is the one who came up with this idea, and he now stands in the realm before, residents of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(245, 245, 188, 0.980469); ">Rulindo</span> and he says, "am in We succeed if everyone gets water. The government of Paul Kagame, is in.

Water for People can't help him to be in, and the residents of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(245, 245, 188, 0.980469); ">Rulindo</span> scream out and shout, filling the air with their roar, putting their money on a table, putting their energy behind this work, to say that everyone is going to be served. There are no beneficiaries here. These are active agents of change who want to spark a revolution.

We are so honored to be part of this process, but we know we can't do it alone. We feel a wind behind our back, and we now feel the fresh push, coming from the Skoll Foundation. We are going to push the frontiers of monitoring, and try to give voice to those people, not through the intermediary of some NGOs, speaking on behalf them.

But let's hear them. Let's hear that roar. Let's get behind it, everyone. It's powerful. We are going to take, we are going to try and do away with the 60 page reports that nobody reads, that is a justification for funding, that is a way to ask for more funding, but doesn't transform lives. We're going to try to harness the power of visual data, of music, of art to drive this movement forward, and as the crowd begins to disperse a little girl skips over to me.

She's ten years old. She's beautiful. She reaches out her hand and she says to me. What is your name? We chat. She's great and she skips away. And I know what success is. Success is that we start to hear her voice, that we know that she never has to go to a muddy puddle again to fetch dirty water, but can grow and thrive and be whoever she wants to be.

Success is when we take the energy and dynamics of places like <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(245, 245, 188, 0.980469); ">Rulindo</span> and similar districts in Honduras and Guatemala and Bolivia and we don't just say hey this is a nice little pilot, this is really great and it's going to be a model in a sea of failure. But it starts to spread, starts to go over everyone's in. Why this district and not that district, we cant do it alone.

But we can try. Is it bold and ambitious? You bet. Can we do it, I've no idea, but I know we can do it, if we do it ourselves, and I know we can't do it, if we don't hear my friend's voice, so Water for People embrases this challenge on the part of many who are in this fight, join us. We are excited. We're going to find a way to tell this story.

We're going to hear the voices of people. And not only the people of Rwanda or Honduras, or India will hold us accountable. Everyone will hold us accountable. Thank you very much.
 
2010 SESSIONS
 

Opening Plenary Of The 2010 Skoll World Forum

Excitement builds as guests gather for the first time in 2010 at the Opening Plenary. A gift of majestic song by Vusi Mahlasela, South African singer-songwriter and Poet Activist kicks off the Forum. Next, two warm welcomes from Colin Mayer of the Saïd Business School, and Jeff Skoll.

The first speech was by Lakhdar Brahimi, Veteran UN Envoy and advisor, and former foreign minister to Algeria. His talk focused on his life in conflict and his work in South Africa, Haiti, Sudan, Iraq and Lebanon. “What I have learned in these 20 years in trying to make peace is …that you come across a lot of courage and forgiveness…”

The opening plenary’s panel focused on Governance, Transparency And Collaboration and was moderated by John Ydstie, Economic Correspondent, National Public Radio. Panelists were Ann Cotton, Executive Director of Camfed International;
 Diana Good and Lance Croffoot-Suede, Partners of Linklaters LLP;
 Dr. Felix Phiri, Director of Planning and Information, Ministry of Education in Zambia, and
 Faith Nkala, Deputy Executive Director of Camfed Zimbabwe. The focus was on a report about the importance of educating African girls.

Later, Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health, gives a presentation called “Catalyzing Collaboration: Our Humanity at Stake.” During his talk, he shows a video about the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, called “No words can describe what happened that day.” He later says that the images of the ill in the video were taken recently, three months after the earthquake, asking “What is the disconnect between great need on the one hand, and unstinting giving on the other?”

To end the opening plenary, Pamela Hartigan, director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, thanked everyone who put the Forum together and asked them by name to stand for applause.

Speakers: Vusi Mahlasela, John Ydstie, Dr. Felix Phiri, Faith Nkala, Diana Good, Lance Croffoot-Suede, Lakhdar Brahimi, Colin Mayer, Paul Farmer, Ann Cotton, Jeff Skoll, Pamela Hartigan

Welcome by Jeff Skoll – 2010 Skoll World Forum

From: Opening Plenary Of The 2010 Skoll World Forum | With: Jeff Skoll
Words of welcome, and to Bousema Wasaya, unbelievable, what a performance. Unbelievable. in the oxford dictionary, speaking of Oxford For nearly six centuries King Albert was celebrating anniversary dinners, toasts, and celebrations At this leadership a vascular so dinner, in celebration I would like to offer two magnificent cakes not to lisped.

Even though most of us are driven by a moral imperative, the desire to do the right thing, we know that wanting to do the right thing alone Even when countries cultures and companies are considered more of doing the right thing is still usually driven by some interests and interests are not necessarily a bad thing and is simply driven by wants and needs.

Social entrepreneurs depend on partners from social, corporate, academic, finance, and policy sectors, each with their own said wants and needs.and i would like to say changing the world is truely achieved xxx There can be much thinking by xxx collective self interest your incredible stories of success hundreds of thousands of students in the Middle East.

And in turn, the ministries of education across the region embrace our programs because and to train workers in turn for those companies and get in and The mass media can also be used to inspire collective self-interest. Through my company, Participant Media, we've released 23 socially relevant films over the last 10 PM tonight, and I'm told that the venue, which was listed in the program, has changed, and power night, and I believe the details for that are, are in fact in your programme.

And if you've ever seen Winged Migration or watched the series, Planet Earth, you'll be blown away by this film.


In closing, as I think of you and the past seven years, I'm reminded of the words of the Irish poet, Brenden Kenelly, who wrote "If you want to serve the age, betray it." So what are the words worth betraying today? To me, it begins with toppling the myth that truth, and the moral imperative alone, will always prevail.

We can't fix every problem, there are some challenges that have been with us since the time of King Alfred. But the ones that we can solve, the ones that are in our collective self-interest, we must. Social entrepreneurs prove that together, we can change the world, for the betterment of us all. So, in the tradition of King Alfred, let's celebrate being together in Oxford, and may all of your cakes this week be magnificent and not burnt.

Thank you. Thank you very much. One person who proves the significance of galvanizing collective self-interest is Lactar Brahimi, a man who advocates for peace because he has seen the effects of war. Lactar has always been a warrior. He fought for the resistance in Algeria. He defended his country as foreign minister and he fought for peace as the U.N.

Special Representative to Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, and South Africa. Having been in battle, Lactar understands the gritty, unpleasant and hard work of peacemaking. He knows firsthand that it is never easy to reach across the aisle to someone who has killed or destroyed things precious to you. But he also knows that you have to reach.

If you can match Lactar's experience and prestige, yet would sets him apart from so many leaders is humility. A colleague of mine once remarked that what makes [xx] so impersive. And this has made him tremendously affective as a peace negotiator because his sole objective is peace. Today, Locktard continued his fight for positive change as a member of the [xx] organization convened by Nelson Mandela.

To support peace building, alleviate human suffering and promote the shared interest of humanity. It's through my work with the elders and Sally's work with the elder that we've come to know this wonderful man. So, please welcome, Locktard Bahemi [sp?]
 
2010 SESSIONS
 

2010 Skoll Awards For Social Entrepreneurship

At the 2010 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship, listen as each awardee gives a short, inspirational acceptance speech. Awardee Marc Freedman of Civic Ventures talks about going from aspiration to action in this speech at the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship. Later, Michael Jenkins of Forest Trends, Carlos Souza Jr and Adalberto Verissimo of Imazon, Andrew Youn of One Acre Fund, Scott Gilmore of Peace Dividend Trust, Molly Melching of Tostan, and Ambrosius Ruwindrijarto and Silverius Oscar Unggul of Telepak accept their awards in this video.

Featuring Remarks by:
Paul Hawken, CEO, OneSun Solar
Sally Osberg, President and CEO, Skoll Foundation

Musical Performance By:
Jimmy and Donnie Demers

Speakers: Jimmy and Donnie Demers, Ambrosius Ruwindrijarto, Silverius Oscar Unggul, Michael Jenkins, Carlos Souza Jr, Marc Freedman, Scott Gilmore, Paul Hawken, Molly Melching, Andrew Youn, Adalberto Verissimo, Sally Osberg, Jeff Skoll
2009 SESSIONS
 

Opening Plenary Of The 2009 Skoll World Forum

Taiko drumming’s magical sounds set the stage for the 2009 Skoll World Forum. This performance by Taiko Meantime combined traditional Japanese rhythms and techniques with eclectic, original compositions.

Stephan Chambers, chairman of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, and Jeff Skoll welcomed guests.

Roger L. Martin, dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto shared his findings of what qualities all great leaders share.

The opening plenary panel was called “Power to the People: Citizen Engagement and Social Transformation“. The moderator is Ray Suarez of The NewsHour on PBS and panelists are Kailash Satyarthi, chairman, global March Against Child Labour; Daniel Lubetzky, founder and president, PeaceWorks Group; The Honourable Mary Robinson, president, Realizing Rights.

Kenneth Brecher, executive director of the Sundance Institute, ended the opening plenary with his talk, “Unfinished Portraits of Powerful Ideas.” He discussed the significance of poetry and shared a powerful story about Stalin asking a woman to write a poem praising him in exchange for releasing her son.

Speakers: The Honourable Mary Robinson, Daniel Lubetzky, Kailash Satyarthi, Ray Suarez, Roger Martin, Stephan Chambers, Jeff Skoll, Ken Brecher

Jeff Skoll Welcomes Guests to the 2009 Skoll World Forum

From: Opening Plenary Of The 2009 Skoll World Forum | With: Jeff Skoll
Thank you very much Stephan Chambers for those kind words. I'm not sure what else I've founded but it's wonderful to be here. It gives me great honor to welcome all of you to the sixth annual Skoll World Forum on social entrepreneurship and it humbles me to know the efforts that all of you go to, to come here, it is a long way for many of you.

This year we have 785 delegates from 65 countries on six continents which makes this the largest Skoll World Forum ever, and I know we all enjoy coming here for the lovely Oxford weather. But this year we threw in the financial recession as well. Next year we're going to toss in some locus. But since nothing can stop a social entrepreneur, please accept our sincere appreciation for being here in these difficult times. Once again the staff of the Said Business School and the entire Oxford community, have done a wonderful job of preparing for this event.

I'd like to officially welcome Pamela Hartigan on as the new Director of the Skoll Center. Pamela came to us from the Schwab Foundation where she was Executive Director, so it's no surprise that she has hit the ground running. I'd also like say a special thanks to Stephen Chambers, Alex Nicholls, Liz Nelson and the entire Skoll Center team, for their dedication to making this event a success.

It's great to be back for the sixth world forum. In past years. I've jokingly compared the relatively short tenure of the forum to Oxford's nine hundred years of existence. But these days given that long-standing organizations are disappearing almost daily Making it to a six year is actually a pretty momentous thing.

So, in keeping with past years I'd like to renew our tradition of giving creative gifts to the leadership of the Said Business School to say, thank you. Last year I turned to the traditional wedding gift list to see what would make sense, and for the fifth anniversary the traditional gift was wood.

This year, the traditional gift is candy or iron, which seemed an interesting combination. But what gift could one give that would really reflect our current circumstances? Then it dawned on me that there is really only one thing that makes sense to focus on this year. It's a story that's dominated the news cycles world wide, and this time for once it isn't Brittany Spears.

I'm talking about the economy. For most of us, this is the most challenging economic environment we've ever experienced, and I know this will be a huge topic of discussion over the next couple of days. At times like this it's natural that we try to simplify. We need to return to fundamentals. We need to remember the basics.

And so, this year, my gift is reflection of the need for a simpler approach to finance. It's a financial tool that predates collateralized debt options, sub prime mortgages, exchange traded funds, and even the plain vanilla bank deposit. Here it is. The venerable piggy bank has a couple of lessons to impart.

First, it's easier to put money in then to get money out, and there's a reason for that. The piggy bank is supposed to encourage kids to save money and use it for something that they really need. It's about deferring gratification. It's about understanding that our decisions today will impact our options tomorrow, and I have a feeling that if a few more people had remembered that lesson, we wouldn't be quite in the situation we're in.

Second, it's not pretty but it's functional. Often people get stuck in trying to find the perfect solution to problem. As a whole, the world has spend billions of dollars trying to do studies and projects and process to fix whats wrong. And often these are based on theories from a think tank that are thousands of miles away from where the solutions will actually be deployed.

There's something to rolling up your sleeves, and digging in , and doing the work that actually leads to a real change, and you don't need a pretty theory or framework around it. Thankfully, there are people who have internalized both of these lessons, and many of you are in the audience today. A lot has changed since we met last year.

Our questions about creative capitalism have become questions about the viability capitalism. Our observations about the rate of growth between rich and poor have become observations about who's growing poor more quickly, and some of the headlines today would make us believe that the great depression is right around the next corner.

And, yet, here we all are at Oxford at a conference on social entrepreneurship. The Skoll World Forum is beyond capacity and oversold. Despite falling travel budgets, why? I think it's a recognition that the world needs the work that you do more than ever. It's a recognition that top down approaches and theoretical models are not always the best way to get the change. And that real hard work on the ground, is often what produces real lasting change.

It's a recognition that social entrepreneurship is one of the most highly elaborate models for change, that there is. And it is a recognition that we need to approach the big challenges that we face with global solutions, because we're all increasingly interconnected. There are big challenges out there that we have to deal with; climate change, Middle East peace, pandemics, nuclear weapons, water scarcity to name a few, and the economic crisis hasn't made any of these problems go away.

In fact, it's made it more difficult as resources and attention have turned to other things. But that puts an even greater premium on finding the best solutions to maximize our leverage.

We're here because we want to work together to meet these challenges. We're here because we know that our colleagues have found solution to some of these problems and are anxious to share their knowledge with us. We're here because we're tough minded optimists as Sally Osberg of the Skoll Foundation likes to say. I believe that social entrepreneurs are the key to unlocking the two most important doors that I feel are keeping humanity back. One is the opportunity gap where people never have the opportunity to improve their lives or the lives of their communities, and second hope gap where people don't even believe that real change is possible.

Social entrepreneurs solve the opportunity gap by giving people the chance to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of their communities. Social entrepreneurs overcome the hope gap by giving people the belief that better days lie ahead. What you do is the difference between a future of despair or a world of sustainable peace and prosperity.

It's really that important. Your work and your resolve make such a difference in the world, and you inspire others, including me, to try to make the difference as well. So, thank you for coming, and let's have a great forum.

It's also a
pleasure to have many dear friends here tonight, one of whom I have the opportunity to introduce as our next speaker.

Roger Martin is a great thinker, analyst and writer. Roger has been the dean of the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto since 1998. Under Roger's tenure, Rotman has emerged as one of the top business schools in North America, recognized for it's innovative curriculum. Before going to Rotman, Roger was a director and CEO at the Monitor Company, a cutting edge global, strategic, management firm and he also founded the Monitor University.

Roger is a leading light on issues of global competitiveness, integrative thinking, business design, and corporate citizenship. He chairs the Ontario task force on competitiveness, productivity and economic progress, and he serves on the boards of Thomson Reuters and Research In Motion, so if you have questions about Blackberry, Roger's the guy to ask.

And he's trustee at the hospital for sick children and is on the advisory board of Social Capital Partners. A prolific writer, Roger has published several books including his recent work, 'The Opposable Mind, How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking'. He's written a number of Harvard Business Review articles as a columnist for Business Week Online, and contributes on a regular basis to leading Canadian, U.S., and British publications, including the Financial Times.


Roger is also a true supporter of social entrepreneurship, and it gives me great pride that to acknowledge that Roger has been a board member of the Skoll Foundation for the last five years. Roger's going to kick us off tonight by talking about power. Specifically the paradox of power, how power is changing and how thinking about power in different ways can allow us to be more effective in what we do.

Ladies and gentlemen, Roger Martin.
 
2009 SESSIONS
 

2009 Skoll Awards For Social Entrepreneurship

Skoll Awardes at the 2009 Skoll World Forum receiving their awards: Bart Weetjens of APOPO; Soraya Salti of INJAZ Al-Arab, JA Worldwide; Jordan Kassalow of VisionSpring; Paul Van Zyl and Juan Mendez of ICTJ; Martin von Hildebrand of Fundacion Gaia Amazonas; Wendy Kopp of Teach for All; Pooran Desai and Sue Riddlestone of BioRegional Development Group; Gary White of Water.org; Munqeth Mehyar, Nader Khateeb and Gidon Bromberg of Ecopeace/Friends of the Earth Middle East.

Featuring Remarks by:
Dr R.K Pachauri, Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the 2009 Skoll Awardees

Musical performance by:
KT Tunstall

Speakers: K T Tunstall, Paul Van Zyl, Juan Mendez, Pooran Desai, Munqeth Mehyar, Nader Khateeb, Sue Riddlestone, Gary White, Gidon Bromberg, Jordan Kassalow, Wendy Kopp, Dr R. K. Pachuari, Bart Weetjens, Soraya Salti, Jeff Skoll, Sally Osberg, Martin Von Hildebrand

Jeff Skoll at 2009 Skoll World Forum

From: 2009 Skoll Awards For Social Entrepreneurship | With: Jeff Skoll
Thank you all very much. And Sally, you always do a such a wonderful job in everyone here in this forum really loves you. And I need to take a chance. And thank you for everything you do. And how great is KT Tunstall , thank you so much for coming. People often asked me what is my favorite part of forum is and it's hard to answer because there are so many great things, seeing the new students at the Said school and hearing the great speakers and really meeting up with old friends and reconnecting.

But for me this night always stands out because its really our chance to honor and celebrate some of the most inspirational and innovative people in the the world. And we also get the chance to entice some interesting helpers to present the awards and be part of the ceremony. And this year is no exception.

I'll never forget when I met Dr. Rajendra Pachauri or Pachy, as he prefers to be called... I was visiting India in the summer of 2007 with Larry Brilliant, our Skoll Foundation board director and good friend... and we were visiting villages in India where Larry's been helping to wipe out the most virulent form of polio.

Along the way, we decided to stay at an ashram where Larry had lived many year before in the Himalayan foothills, and Larry called his good friend Pachy to come from Delhi and spend some time with us. This was middle of monsoon season and the roads are getting up to the ashram insane with boulders falling across the road, and the road was washing out and could barely see more than a few feet in front of the car and I turned to Larry. I said Larry when do you know it's time to stop? He said, "Well, when the car ahead of your rolls off the road and down the hill." And I said, "Well, what if that's our car?" and Larry said, "Well, then it's time to stop." So, needless to say Pachy was delayed, we stayed up late into the night and no Pachy we finally went to bed, and that didn't stop him.

Pachy finally arrived around three in the morning and, being the gentleman that he is, he slept in his car in the pouring rain so he didn't have to wake up anybody at the ashram. So, in the morning when daylight broke I finally met a tired and, no doubt, sore Pachy who then led us on an incredible and unforgettable day visiting his environmental work in the region. And three months later he shares the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change and the award to Al Gore and the inter-Governmental Panel on climate change, was a huge boost for all of us who are so concerned about climate, and the attention the award generated really influenced the debate around the world. As the head of the IPCC since 2002, Pachy has played a key role in coalescing international expertise and political commitment around the climate.

Climate change is one of the most complex issues we face. The economists are staggering, politics are daunting and the implications profound. And working in this arena requires a deeply analytical mind can an incredible amount of learning. And with so many different individuals and organizations and the regions effective by climate it also requires a tremendous amount of diplomacy. And Pachy is an exceptional ambassador in this regard. His ability to assess competing interest, identify priorities, and forge a consensus is one of the best hopes we have as a world to come together on this important issue. Please welcome Doctor <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Rajendra Pachauri</span>
 
2009 SESSIONS
 

Closing Plenary Of The 2009 Skoll World Forum

After an inspiring three days, the forum came to a close with inspiring talks.

Pamela Hartigan, Director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, said that “we live in two realities.”

Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, C.B.E., talked about “Citizens, Institutions and Shifting Power” and showed an emotional 7-minute video on the state of the education in the world and how we need to improve.

Soraya Salti, senior vice president MENA of INJAZ Al-Arab, gave “A Social Entrepreneur’s Perspective on Power.” She said we have drifted far from the days when education and learning was critical. “The education systems across the Arab world have failed its youth,” she said.

Jeff Skoll said goodbye with his talk, called “Collective Power: A Call for Urgency,” about urgency and hope. “Urgency is on an upward path. We’ve made some progress on the big challenges in the world, but each passing day raises the stakes,” Skoll said.

Ending the Forum was Colin Mayer, Peter Moores Dean and Peter Moores Professor of Management Studies at Said Business School. “History is on our side,” he said. “The great periods of institutional innovation have indeed emerged out of crisis.”

Speakers: John Wood, Lord Puttnam Of Queensgate, Soraya Salti, Colin Mayer, Jeff Skoll, Pamela Hartigan

Collective Power: A Call For Urgency

From: Closing Plenary Of The 2009 Skoll World Forum | With: Jeff Skoll
Thank you very much, Pamela, and storytelling on the first night of Ken Brecker to Katie Cunstall last night. The wonderful celebration of our. Over the last few days, we've been informed Within inspired and within challenged. In some cases within freightened and brightly saw. So what can I add in these last few minutes of the forum I can talk about the trip that Sally Osburke and I made to the rain forest late last year and show video of us slogging through the jungle set to a bosonova beat but I don't know that are recorded.

But that should did re-inforced two issues that are very relevant today urgency and hope. Urgency is on an upward path. We've made some progress on the big challenges in the world, but each passing day raises the mistakes and the economic crisis makes that just as much harder. The hope is on an upward path too.

After a long dwell we finally have the potential for significant U S engagement on the critical social and environmental issues that affect us a lot and we approaching There should be an inflection point. There are forces coming together, evolutionary and revolutionary. Charles Darwin, there's been a lot written about Darwin and his impact on Science, Religion, and Society, but there's a perspective about Darwin explanation of exactly how physical variations were passed from generation to generation didn't exist.

It took a revolutionary discovery. in genetics in 1953, DNA double helix, to provide hard scientific evidence to support Darwin's theory. It took this revolutionary, exogenous factor to fully validate what Darwin had conjectured. At similar process is at play in s ocial entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship has been around for many years.

Florence Nightengale and Maria Montessori were historical social entrepreneurs and the term was first used in academic literature in the sixties and seventies, and then popularized by folks like Bill Drayton and Charlie Leadbeater in the eighties. The Grameen Bank, the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, YouthBuild and Gramvikas have all been around for 30 years or more.

The field of social entrepreneurship has evolved, expanded and strengthened over those three decades. Now there's a revolutionary, exogenous Shocked the may will prepare social launch partnership in the main stream like the discovery of DNA did theoric The economic crisis is forcing a rethink of the role of corporations, government and social sector organisations .

His business is usual still the right core of business and it seems clear to me that the answer to that last question is no and we can't go about business is usual. and while we do not know exactly how the economic meltdown is going to play out, it does seem clear that social entrepreneurs are positioned to merge from [xx] crisis not only as survivors but also as leaders, and I'll come back to that in a minute.

The world today is a scary place. There are a number of real threats that could render all of our work obsolete in as little as a few years or a few decades. One of these threats, as we all know, is climate change and we were privileged to have the perspective of Dr. Patchuary last night. There are many social entrepreneurs working on climate.

Mindy Lubber and Ceres are working with the biggest names in corporate America and the financial sector to fight climate change. Mark Plotkin and Liliana Madrigal of the Amazon Conservation team, and Martin von Hildebrand of Gaia Amazonas are making huge strides to protect the rainforest. Michael Eckhart of ACORE God will not guarantee a happy ending.

So, I think we need to consider some additional ways to make a difference via direct action, education Through policy, the foundation is been supporting few for climate protection in America to make climate change a priority The issue and we also announced this week a major partnership with Veena to protect the amazon rain forest but the challenge is vast.

are working on water concerns. But we continue to fall behind globally. Rapid industrialization and urbanization Copies, Friends of the middle east, friends of the earth middle east and survivors in jazz all the rub is widely important but still we need to do more. change at the global DNA level.

The crisis has made it clear that exponential consumption is no longer viable. Social entrepreneurs are found by their creativity, including their ability to produce results with limited resources. You are keystone pieces in the social change architecture. You have a disproportionate effect on the world relative to your numbers and your role and your importance will only be strengthen by the economic crisis and this isn't just speculation.

Some entrepreneurs are already seeing new resources flowering their way. Looking at your assets. times social entrepreneurs can come alive from working with each other for example for farmer a farmer's health has been talking with finery in the grips of financial despair and melting social unease, the challenges loom large before us and yet it is always we leave Oxford.

After all as one economist and I shuttered to end on a courtable economist but the economist Paul Romer famously stated A Crisis is a terrible thing to waste. So thank you all very much.
 
2008 SESSIONS
 

Opening Plenary Of The 2008 Skoll World Forum

The 2008 Skoll World Forum kicked off with a warm welcome from Stephan Chambers, Chairman of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, and Jeff Skoll.

Lord Anthony Giddens of the House of Lords talked about the politics of climate change.

The opening panel was “The dynamics of working cross culturally – experienced voices from the field.” Pat Mitchell, president of the Paley Center for Media is the moderator, Panelists included Nafis Sadik, MD, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific; Karen Tse, founder and CEO of International Bridges to Justice, and Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Nobel Women’s Initiative

Phil Hope, MP, parliamentary secretary, Minister for the Third Sector, spoke on Culture, Context and Policy Innovation.

Stephan Chambers gave closing remarks.

Speakers: Lord Anthony Giddens, Nafis Sadik, Jody Williams, Phil Hope, Karen Tse, Pat Mitchell, Stephan Chambers, Jeff Skoll

Jeff Skoll “All of us are in a race” (and what wooden boats have to do with it)

From: Opening Plenary Of The 2008 Skoll World Forum | With: Jeff Skoll
Thank you. Thank you all very much. Thank you so much for coming here this year, and to Stephan Chambers, thank you for those kind words and I've read over Shelly's job description but the hours were a little long, so I'm not so sure about that. Once again, the staff of the Said Business School and the entire Oxford community have come together to be wonderful hosts this year.

And I'd like to say a special thanks to Stephan Chambers, to Liz Nelson, to Alex Nicholls and the entire Skoll community, the entire Skoll center team for their hard work. As you just heard, this is the fifth year of the Skoll World Forum on Social Sntrepreneurship. Oxford has been a wonderful host.

But this a tough place to recognize the fifth year of anything. After all this University has been around for almost a thousand years. and it's kind of like bragging to Warren Buffet that you've just won five dollars in the lottery. But, as you may know, we have an established tradition here of giving creative gifts to the leadership of the school in a way to say thank you.

And I wanted to do something really special this year. As it turned out the traditional gift for the fifth year is wood. So, I went on to eBay to see what I could find. And, one idea, was a listing for firewood, because nothing says you've come a long way like a stack of burning logs. Another idea was a nice coatrack. But I'm guessing that those who give coatracks for the fifth anniversary don't make it to the tenth.

I even became so desperate that I looked at a very unique. A hand carved wooden celtic love spoon. But then I remembered that this Saturday, March twenty ninth, the day after this forum comes to a close, Oxford squares off against Cambridge in the 154th rowing of the annual boat race. And as fortune would have it, I came across an original wood-engraved, linen print of the Oxford and Cambridge boat race, that was printed in the Graphic Magazine on March 29, 1890.

And the print is titled, "Here They Come." Let me see if I can show it to you. Can you see that? Yeah. And there are two reasons why I like it. The first is that it is a good reminder that all of us are in a race, a race against poverty, a race against climate change, and a race against disease. The second reason, if you look at the giant clouds of smoke that are rising from a few of the engines on the water is that the causes of global warming have been with us for a very long time and we need to be the generation that puts an end to it, and best of all, the price was twelve pounds, which at current exchange rates translates to only four hundred American dollars.

Finally, in 1890, not only that Oxford beat Cambridge, but it also kicked off a nine year Oxford winning streak, one of the longest in history. So, may this print help history repeat itself. So, Stephen, this is yours. Thank you. It's my honor to join Stephen Chambers and welcome you all to the fifth annual Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship.

The seven hundred or so men and women that you see sitting around with you today come from more than forty different countries on six continents. And even though "Here they come." works well on this print it may not be the best title for this forum. I think it's safe to say once and for all "here we are, here we are." Social entrepreneurs have arrived.

And it's hard to imagine that it was just two years ago when I described social entrepreneurs as one of the world's best kept secrets. Well the secret is out and here are a few examples. Several weeks ago a businessman gave a keynote address at the World Economic Forum, in which he called for a huge expansion in what he called "Creative Capitalism." A concept that draws liberally from social entrepreneurship.

Another example, last April, a television host devoted a whole show to profiling three ground-breaking social entrepreneurs and drawing attention to their projects. Finally, a few months ago, an American politician gave a speech in which he proposed creating a national social entrepreneurship agency.

And if you're wondering, "how much influence can these three people have?" Well, what if I told you that the businessman was Bill Gates. TV host was Oprah Winfrey and the politician was Barack Obama. And when you have the world's biggest economic political land social figures coming together to talk about an idea at the same time, you know that that idea has arrived.

And, I'm delighted that so many of the most innovative minds in this field have come together with us again this week to advance the conversation. Three years ago Muhammad Yunus gave a keynote speech here, and the next year Yunus went on to win the Noble Peace Prize. Two years ago Al Gore spoke here, and the next year Al went on to win the Nobel peace prize.

Coincidence? And so as we all gather here for the fifth time There's no question social entrepreneurs today have more headlines, more awards, more advocates, and more allies than ever, and all that is vitally important, because, the one that we don't have more of, that we desperately need, is time.

On climate change, on clean drinking water, on poverty, on education, on HIV/AIDS, on global pandemics, we are racing against the clock. And, I'm afraid if the clock is winning. And, if we don't act quickly enough to act together as a planet, a decade from now, we may be facing unbelievable humanitarian disasters the likes of which we've never seen, but we are all here because we know it's not too late to reverse these trends.

But it's going to take people who are passionate, who are creative, and above all, people who are completely incapable of understanding the words, it's impossible. It can't be done, or why bother even trying? In other words, people just like all of you. As I've often said, social entrepreneurs have two kinds of power The first, is the power to bring specific change through the work that you do.

And the other, is the power to inspire, to bring other people and organizations to work together to skill solutions and to find new ways to solve problems. As Nicholas Kristof recently wrote in the New York Times, after attending the World Economic Forum, today the most remarkable young people are the social entrepreneurs: those who see a problem in society and roll up their sleeves to address it in a new way.

There is no limit to the number of social entrepreneurs who can make this planet a better place. Well, we need your power today, more than ever. For all of these problems are waiting to be solved. And we arrive in Oxford, this week, to say, "Here we are. Here we are." Thank you and welcome.
 
2008 SESSIONS
 

2008 Skoll Awards For Social Entrepeneurship

The 2008 Skoll Awards ceremony. Winners were Bill Strickland, Manchester Bidwell; Amazon Conservation Team, Michael Eckhart of ACORE, Connie Duckworth of Arzu, Jeremy Hockenstein and Mai Siriphongphanh of Digital Divide Data; Jenny Bowen of Half the Sky; Matt Flannery and Premal Shah of Kiva; Mitch Besser and Gene Falk, Mothers2Mothers; Paul Farmer of Partners in Health; Daniel Lubetsky of PeaceWorks; Mechai Viravaidya of Population and Community Development Agency; Cecelia Flores-Oebanda of Visayan Forum Foundation

Featuring Remarks by:
Jimmy Carter, Former U.S. President, Founder of The Carter Center

Musical performance by:
Sonidos de la Tierra

Speakers: Jimmy Carter, Jeff Skoll, Sally Osberg

Jeff Skoll on the Global Issue of Clean Water (2008 Skoll Awards)

From: 2008 Skoll Awards For Social Entrepeneurship | With: Jeff Skoll
Thank you. Thank you very much, Sally. Boy, I feel a little breathless after that runner's high. I'll tell you, hanging around with this group of elders. You've never seen a group of people with more energy and enthusiasm. And this is such a wonderful and enlightening thing for all of us and for social entrepreneurs in general.

I'd like to start by thanking the Oxford community and the Skoll Center, Stefan Chambers and Liz Nelson and Alex Nichols for being such a wonderful host again this year. We're delighted to have our 5th Annual Skoll World for forum here at Oxford and as Sally eluded, one of the joys I've had this year has been to work as an adviser of sorts to the elders.

Frankly though advising people like Arch Bishop Tutu and Mary Robinson and President Carter is a little like advising George Clooney on how to be a movie star because most of what I know I learned from observing them in the first place. But I think I finally found my unique contribution. From what I understand, the elders have a combined 987 years of experience between them, and when you add in the 13 years I've had since graduate school that vaults them over the 1,000-year mark so I'm proud to play that role.

I'd like to start today by telling a story. Next summer, in a small town in the state of Montana, we'll commemorate the 60th anniversary of a tragic fire that took the lives of thirteen young men. And the reason the fire is famous outside Montana is because of what another young man did to survive the same tragedy.

An innovation that has since saved thousands of lives and here's how it came about. The young men were all part of a team of smoke jumpers who parachuted in to battle a small forest fire in the mountains that was sparked by lightning storm. And they made their stand along the north ridge of what is known as Man Gulge.

In front of him was the fire. Behind him was grass land leading to a river which was their escape route and things were going well, but then the wind shifted. All of the sudden, the fire jumped across the gulch and ignited the grassland behind them, blocking their access to the river. Their only escape was up the grass slope that rose at almost an 80 degree angle.

And so they started running fanning out across the slope as they ran. And as they picked up speed so did the fire gaining on them evermore rapidly until it was less than 200 yards away. As it was about to engulf them. One smoke jumper did something miraculous. He took out a match and lit a fire in the grass ahead of him.

And it quickly spread uphill. He stepped into the newly-burned area and laid down. And since burnt grass can only be burned once, when the inferno raging behind him, caught up to him. It burned around him and passed him before tragically overtaking the other 13 and that quick innovation saved his life.

And from that day forward the technique has been known as an escape-fire. It has saved countless lives in similar situations since then. And when I first read that story in a wonderful speech by a man named Don Berwick, it didn't fully impact me, but now as I think about it in the context of climate change and the scarcity of clean drinking water and the population explosion expected in the next 50 years or global pandemics like HIV/AIDS and so on, it takes on a new meaning.

Even in the face of overwhelming evidence that all of these fires are burning around us and gaining on us minute by minute. There is still some who believe they can build an escape fire and in the worst cases, not only do some deny that the fires are advancing, they even deny that the fires exist. But hope as some might, here's some bad news.

There is no escape fire for climate change. There's no escape fire for global pandemics and there is no escape fire for environmental degradation. As this forum has helped make clear, either all of the us are safe or none of us are safe. The one thing we don't have on our side is time. As Winston Churchill once said just prior to World War 2, the era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing and baffling expedience and delay is coming to its close.

In its place, we are entering a period of consequences. And I was reminded of those consequences on some trips that I took last year to Africa and India and there were 2 things in particular that struck me. The first was that in Africa and India much like everywhere else in the world, people were noticing that their climate was changing.

One tribesman in the Maasai Mara told us of a terrible story of a flood that came about in a hail storm, and the flood washed away his brother. And this was something that was unheard of in the ancestral history of his tribe. When we went to India we heard stories from the poorest villagers of how it was hot when it was supposed to be cold, and it was wet when it was supposed to be dry, and people were dying. And that isn't an example of something that may happen in the next five or ten years. It's something that's happening now. It's affecting their lives today. The second thing that struck me had to do with water. As many of you know more than a billion people in the world today rely on water sources that are hard to get to, unreliable, or unsafe for their daily washing, cooking, cleaning, and drinking.

In countries like Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, the amount of water used per person per day is about the same as a person in the developed world uses to brush their teeth only once. And we've all seen the images of African girls and women who work 4-16 hours hours a day, bringing water back to their homes.

The social toll of this is enormous. In India, by contrast, virtually every village home and shack has it's own small water pump and almost a billion people in India depend on the aquifer today for their drinking water. The problem is though, that the aquifer in India is now down to about 300 feet and at 400 feet it turns into saltwater.

So if nothing is done in ten to twenty years, these same people today that are pulling potable drinking water will be pulling up salt water, and that would be a terrible disaster. And it's not just India. The United Nations is estimated that two-thirds of the world's population will not have enough water in 2025 if current trends are not reversed.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said this past January, the challenge of securing safe and plentiful water for all is one of the most daunting challenges faced by the world today. And he understands that this isn't just about water. It's also about war. In the twentieth century wars were fought over oil.

In the twenty-first century they'll be fought over water. The tragedy of Darfur began when the rain stopped and the farmers took up arms against the herders. And sadly we may see a lot more Darfurs in the years ahead. As we've heard repeatedly this week, water's not the only issue for which time is not on our side.

From the population boom ahead of us, to the rapid shift towards urbanization, to the spread of pandemics, to the tens of millions of young children who may never go to school, we have entered a period of consequences. We have more wealth, more brainpower, and better technology than at any time in human history, but we're still doing too little.

We have to find better ways to put our biggest resources to work against our biggest problems. And that's why the people at this forum are so important. As much as the urgency of these issues inspires anxiety, it's the people here today and thousands like you who inspire hope. It's the social entrepreneurs in every field and every part of the world who are not running away from the fires, but who are instead turning to face the flames, each of you with your own bucket.

And more than that you're encouraging others to turn and face those fires with you. Hopefully some with firehoses. I think about people like Amitabha Sadangi and ID India who have used technology and market linkages to enable almost a million small farmers to earn profits of about $400 per person per year, and at the same time, contributing to a reduction in CO2 emissions of over 1.3 million tons a year. Or I think about Vicky Colbert who has found creative new ways to educate rural children through Escuela Nueva and has her programs established as a national policy in her native Cuba.

And she's implemented these programs in 20,000 rural schools before being expanded to reach five million children, in fourteen Latin American countries as well as Uganda and the Philippines.

Or I think about Gary Cohen and his organization Health Care Without Harm. Gary has helped to close more than 90 percent of the medical waste incinerators in the United States and virtually eliminated mercury medical products from US and European hospitals.

Or finally, I think about Al Gore and the film "An Inconvenient Truth" which came out about two years ago. All of a sudden, denying climate change became about as credible as being a member of the Flat Earth Society. And the science hadn't changed, but Al Gore and the millions of people who heard his call have changed the way people see the issue by asking us to imagine a better world.

And so together I'd like us now to just imagine. Imagine a world where every African farmer is also an energy entrepreneur selling electricity from their solar panels back to the grid. Imagine a world where vaccines against malaria, polio and HIV/AIDS are distributed as widely and affordably as Coca-Cola. Imagine a world where clean water and quality healthcare are readily available to everyone on Earth.

Imagine a world where stories from Africa and Bangladesh are not driven by AIDS and infection rates, but by graduation and literacy rates. Imagine a world where the Middle East is a model for people living in peace and harmony, where the hot topics of conversation are not oil and strife but innovation and jobs.

And finally, imagine a world that becomes better with each generation. A world where all people regardless of geography, background, or economic status, could enjoy and employ the full range of their talents and abilities to make this a better world. And that's the world we all want to see and that's the world that social entrepreneurs are working to create today.

At the Skoll Foundation, we are privileged to face the fires with you and to help you create the world we all would like to see. Thank you.

And now for something really special. Over the past five years, we've been privileged to be joined on the stage by a number of extraordinary leaders. Today, we add a new chapter to that story and there aren't many people who can say that being president of the United States was just the beginning of their contributions to the world, but then there haven't been many... But then there haven't been many key people in history like President Jimmy Carter.

Thirty years ago, President Carter, brokered peace between Israel in Egypt, the first of its kind in the middle east. He was the... Absolutely. He was the first American president to put human rights at the center of America's foreign policy, and the first to lend to support to dissidents like Václav Havel Hadel and Nelson Mandela.

In the years since he left office, President Carter has worked tirelessly to help end poverty, improve health, and promote peace. Through the Carter Center, he has monitored controversial elections around the globe and he has driven diseases like guinea worm and river blindness to the verge of extinction and never has the platform of a former presidency been leveraged for greater global good.

His work... His work was aptly recognized when he won the Nobel Peace Prize. I had the privilege of meeting the president a few years ago when I launched a peace initiative to bring the movie Gandhi to Palestine. And the more I learned about the President's work, the more I felt that his story needed to be told.

And with the President's agreement, my company, Participant Productions produced a documentary called Jimmy Carter, Man from Plains, that followed the President on a recent book tour. And we have a trailer of that movie here for you now.

The Camp David Conference should be renamed.
It was the Jimmy Carter Conference.

You worked harder than our forefathers did in Egypt building the pyramids. After leaving office many ex-presidents choose to sit back and rest on their laurels, but not former president Jimmy Carter.

 Jimmy Carter was the thirty-ninth in the United States and a winner like me of the Nobel Price for Peace. Bringing peace, permanent peace to Israel, would be at the top of my list. How's that east and west, how's that this way? It's looking pretty good. Okay really? I came to the Carter Center with a question. How can I save the world?

To come here and see how little work is being done in New Orleans and this is a disgrace to our country, and I think we need to make sure everybody knows that not enough is being done. Primarily because of my policies, we were importing about 5 million barrels of oil per day and now it's back up to 12 million barrels per day.

I don't think that the situation will be any better between us and Iran right now if I had destroyed a major part of Iran with a missile. I have become increasingly concerned about what's going on in Palestine.

Former president Jimmy Carter is responding to the controversy flaring over a new bestseller on the Middle East. Well, I want it to be both accurate and somewhat provocative. Freedom comes with consequences.


"Thank you Mr. President"
"Thank you for your courage."
"Thank you."

There hasn't been a single day of peace talks in the Holy Land in six years. Not many people know it, or care. I care.

It's a wonderful
film, if I may say so myself. And now available on DVD. The Skoll Foundation's relationship with President Carter began two years ago with an award for $3 million to the Carter Center with its expertise and access to the highest levels of government, academia and international policy making bodies.

The Carter Center is the perfect partner in peace for the foundation to advance the work of social entrepreneurs all over the world. This evening we are honored to pay special tribute to, President Carter, recognizing his life's work in promoting health, peace, and the end of poverty. And towards that end, I'm pleased to announce a special award to the Carter Center as a demonstration of our continued support for the objectives set for by your extraordinary leadership.

It's my great pleasure to introduce a true role model for our time, or any time, President Jimmy Carter.
 
2007 SESSIONS
 

2007 Skoll Awards For Social Entrepreneurship

Featuring:
Jeff Skoll, Sally Osberg, Peter Gabriel, Muhammad Yunus, Salman Ahmad and Monica Yunus

Speakers: Muhammad Yunus, Salman Ahmad, Monica Yunus, Jeff Skoll, Peter Gabriel, Sally Osberg

2007 Skoll Awards Ceremony

From: 2007 Skoll Awards For Social Entrepreneurship | With: Salman Ahmad, Sally Osberg, Jeff Skoll, Muhammad Yunus
 
2007 SESSIONS
 

Opening Plenary Of The 2007 Skoll World Forum

OPENING MUSIC
Salman Ahmad, Pakistani musician, UN Goodwill Ambassador HIV/AIDS, and founder of Junoon, South Asia’s most popular rock band

WELCOME
Stephan Chambers - MBA Director and Fellow of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Forum Moderator

OPENING REMARKS
Jeff Skoll - Founder and Chairman, Skoll Foundation and Participant Productions

OPENING REMARKS
John Hood - Vice Chancellor, University of Oxford

SOCIAL INNOVATION – WHAT IS IT, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS, HOW CAN IT BE ACCELERATED?
Geoff Mulgan - Director, The Young Foundation
Rushanara Ali - Associate Director, The Young Foundation

QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

SOCIAL INNOVATION – THE NEW PHILANTHROPISTS
Charles Handy - Writer, Broadcaster and Social Philosopher

THE CREATIVE IMPULSE: AN ECONOMIST’S ACCOUNT OF THE VERY DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF PERSONAL CREATIVITY
David Galenson - Professor of Economics, University of Chicago

NOBEL LAUREATE MUHAMMAD YUNUS IN CONVERSATION WITH PAT MITCHELL
Muhammad Yunus - Founder, Grameen Bank
Pat Mitchell - President and CEO, Museum of Television and Radio

CLOSING REMARKS
Stephan Chambers

Speakers: Geoff Mulgan, Muhammad Yunus, Salman Ahmad, John Hood, Rushanara Ali, Charles Handy, David Galenson, Queen Rania of Jordan, Pat Mitchell, Stephan Chambers, Jeff Skoll

Jeff Skoll’s Opening Remarks at the 2007 Skoll World Forum

From: Opening Plenary Of The 2007 Skoll World Forum | With: Jeff Skoll
 
2006 SESSIONS
 

Sustainability And Capital Markets

The global context for business is changing. Challenges such as climate change, HIV/AIDS, and poverty have reached a point where civil society is demanding a response from business. This session will explore Generation’s view of a sustainable firm and how it aims to impact capital markets through its own investment strategies.

Speakers: Al Gore, David Blood, John Elkington, Jeff Skoll
2006 SESSIONS
 

2006 Skoll Awards Ceremony

Featuring:
With Jeff Skoll, Sally Osberg and Sir Ben Kingsley

(Video available soon)

Speakers: Sir Ben Kingsley, Jeff Skoll, Sally Osberg