Holistic response to local challenges to be developed at Amman’s Global Summit

AMMAN — Aiming to develop concrete, scalable solutions to the critical issues facing the aid sector in the Middle East and their repercussions on the rest of the world, some 200 innovators from the social, economic and environmental sectors are scheduled to come together in Amman, as part of The Global Summit sixth edition.

“Nowadays, in countries hosting large scale crises like Jordan, we witness a critical, systemic problem in the way that philanthropy and NGOs work, with much duplication in the work being implemented on the ground,” said executive producer of the Global Summit, Melanie St. James, adding “by bringing together a wide array of leaders focusing on specific issues, we aim to foster collaboration among those sectors to develop a holistic response to these global challenges”.

As part of The Global Summit VI, which will kick off on September 9 at Generations For Peace HQ in Amman’s Al Hussein Youth City under the theme “Beyond Borders: there is a solution”, hundreds of cross-sector leaders will partake in a “unique, rapid prototyping event” which will “bring the best of what everyone is doing in one open, collaborative environment”, St James told The Jordan Times over the phone on Tuesday. 

“Seven years into the Syrian crisis, Jordan is widely perceived as a hub for peace and stability within a turbulent region, yet, it continues to struggle under the weight of the significant influx of refugees and its own economic and political challenges,”The Global Summit website said, adding: “The summit brings these and other pressing issues to the forefront of the conversation, forging solutions by providing a platform for Jordanian, Arab, and international voices from the grassroots level through to policymakers and business leaders.”

Launched in San Francisco in 2008 and held every other year since, The Global Summit biennial will be held for the first time in the Middle East, aiming to “most creatively catalyse local knowledge, innovation and passion for the greater good”.

Following opening remarks by HRH Princess Dana Firas, a UNESCO global goodwill ambassador, the event will entail three days of discussions on topics such as “Jordan’s legacy and destiny”, “The Future of Work” and”Women, Power, Money, and Politics”, St. James explained, adding: “We will have a number of live streamed interactive sessions conducted by intergenerational speakers, including a panel of young innovators led by one of Jordan’s 16-year-old journalist, Sham Al Bdour.

Other mainstage voices will include Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women Salma Nims; Oasis500 Chairman Marwan Juma; Swedish Ambassador Erik Ullenhag and UNDP Country Director Sara Ferrer Olivella, among many others.

Separately, participants wil be invited to “dive deep” into regional issues, and learn from one another in the four main impact streams of “Living Well”, “Education 4 All”, “Feminomics”, and “Thriving Cities”. Each Stream will host seven interactive sessions blending facilitated dialogues and skills and best practices from mentors, the executive producer outlined.

At the end of the first three days, invited leaders will co-select three champions from within their streams, each dedicated to a policy, technological, and on-the-ground initative. They will then participate in a follow-up hackathon taking place at the King Hussein Business Park on September 14-15, alongside a free”Future Faire”, which will featureyoga activities, a kids zone, concerts and dance performances by local artists.

“More than a competition, the hackhathon will ensure the packaging and public generation of solutions that will help innovators take their ideas as far as they can in the future,” St. James commented, stressing that “our goal is to support and provide mentorship to movement leaders, as well as giving them a platform to turn collaborative ideas into scalable, fundable solutions”.

A live-streamed global pitch will conclude the event on September 16th, during which champions will showcase their solutions, all seeking to achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

An online vote will ensue, where people from around the globe will be invited to contribute, in order to “strengthen bioregional networks and create rippling social impact around the world”.

“Ultimately, the impact of this summit will start after the event,” St. James pointed out, stressing that “we will use this final pitch to share a toolkit with the global audience, who will then be invited to submit their own solutions on an online platform for six weeks”.

“This summit is unique in that it is not a donor-driven forum; it is rather the fruit of the efforts of countless volunteers who come together to build the content and create the experience,” agreed summit creative experience lead and director of Projects for NEXUS at the Royal Scientic Society, Lulwa Saffarini, adding: “It is a space where we are tackling the developmental challenges we generally steer away from.”