The significance of holding the EFC’s AGA in Milan this year really became apparent last night with delegates visiting the expo as one of the evening networking events.

The EXPO in Milan is a “Platform for the Exchange of ideas and shared solutions on the theme of food, stimulating each country’s creativity and promoting innovation for a sustainable future”

This could be lifted directly by the EFC as one of their goals for the 2015 AGA. On day one the four main themes of Youth driving change; philanthropy, governemnt and corporate engagement for social equality; community resilience and future of the planet…food for thought were all tackled by a variety of involving sessions ranging from the crisis of the oceans to the importance of capacity building in Foundation’s partner organisations on the ground. However it was the interaction of delegates that gave the most heart for the philanthropy Sector. The lunch room was abuzz with conversations between people from Burma and Germany meeting for the first time and sharing stories, Portuguese and Dutch explaining their backgrounds and what they hoped to get out of the conference and one delegate from England telling a fellow delegate from Namibia how much her work in her home country in Africa could teach us in Western Europe. Walking through the Expo last night admiring the different countries pavilions side by side, each one different but all sitting comfortably together, the synergy present at both the Expo and the conference was clear.

Gavin Lonergan – Adsum Foundation @adsumfoundation.org