Strategy Development Workshop 15/15/15 Global Civil Society Resource Mobilization Alliance in Vienna

Invitation

Strategy Development Workshop

Global Civil Society Resource Mobilization Alliance &

Global Forum on Innovative Resource Mobilization for Education and Science

Tuesday 23^rd of October 2012, 2 – 4 PM

Vienna International Centre (VIC),Wagramer Str. 5, Vienna

Room M 07

(Note: a UN Ground pass is needed for admission to VIC premises; Participants without ground pass need to register before Friday 19 October 12.00h CEST

by sending an email to office@glocha.info )

 Web-broadcasting and virtual participation:

Ustream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/iaai—151515—gymc & skype

Organizer:

–     International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges IAAI, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee/Austria www.glocha.info

–     Academic Council on the United Nations System, ACUNS www.acuns.org – Vienna Liaison Office

in cooperation with

–     United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna http://www.unis.unvienna.org/

Background and Rationale:

Deteriorating state of global environment, growing complexity and trans-nationality of global challenges, etc. call for a strong response mechanism of humanity – for a strong UN system. But UN system with its present funding and governance structure based solely on national governments does not receive adequate resource flows (funding, knowledge, workforce) to address effectively global challenges.

In order to overcome this systemic problem, resources (knowledge, funding, volunteering/workforce as well as emotional resources) of global civil society (including business sector) need to be linked with UN structures, aims and programs through innovative global governance systems design and innovative partnerships.

With UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) http://uncsd2012.org/ UN system opened up towards civil society participation and innovation with far reaching provisions for future civil society participation in global SD governance included in the Rio+20 Outcome document “The Future We Want”^[1].

On the side of global civil society, ‘Rio+20 Issues Cluster on Innovation’ under the leadership of International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges IAAI www.glocha.info developed in its Informal Issues brief “Innovation for Sustainable Development”^[2] very concrete concepts (Global Forum on Innovative Resource Mobilization for Education and Science, Global Challenges Centers, etc.) for coordinated and coherent resource mobilization from and for global civil society. By adopting the “Rio+20 UN Civil Society Resource Mobilization Partnership Voluntary Commitment”^[3] at the official Rio+20 side event “Rio+20 15/15/15 Formula – Heartpower and Action for The Future We Want“^[4] there has been created also some kind of normative basis for future action in this field. The normative value of 15/15/15 voluntary commitment is further increased by the fact that the Issues Cluster on Innovation proposals on “15/15/15 UN Civil Society Resource Mobilization Partnership” as well as actions towards its implementation like e.g. “Global Forum on Innovative Resource Mobilization on Education and Science”, “Global Challenges Centers” and the global Multistakeholder SD efforts documentation system, have been communicated to the official Rio+20 Outcome document preparation process as statements of Major Group NGOs on 29th of February 2012^[5].

Thus IAAI and Rio+20 Issues Cluster on Innovation are the main pillar of the workshop.

Another important pillar of this event is the work of the Vienna Liaison Office of Academic Council on the United Nations System http://acuns.org/category/projects-programs/liasion-office-activities/vienna/ headed by Mr. Michael Platzer. Rio+20 Issues Cluster on Innovation as well as IAAI are deeply rooted and strongly linked with ACUNS and especially its activities (conferences, workshops, publications) in Vienna. Inter alia IAAI and ACUNS Vienna Liaison Office organized together a Round table discussion on “Engaging Global Citizens in Sustainable Development Governance: Human Rights and Human Responsibilities?” at Annual meeting of Academic Council on the United Nations System ACUNS in Waterloo/Ontario (Canada) June 3rd 2011.^[6]

The third pillar of the event is UN Information Service Vienna – an office of UN Department for Public Information – which is very open and supportive to civil society initiatives at UN Office in Vienna. IAAI as a DPI associated NGO and as member of UN Academic Impact initiative (which is administrated by UN DPI) is happy and grateful to have such cooperative counterparts/partners within UN system.

Objectives of the workshop

The organizers aim to achieve with the Strategy Development Workshop “Global Civil Society Resource Mobilization Alliance & Global Forum on Innovative Resource Mobilization for Education and Science” following aims:

–     Exploring with leading global governance experts and STI (science, technology and innovation) experts the state of art of resource mobilization from non-governmental sources related to global challenges/UN System (particularly in the context of Rio+20 and Beyond 2015 debate)

–     Briefing the CSO community as well as representatives of public administration of Austria and neighboring countries (Slovenia, Hungary, etc.) as well as experts and representatives of Vienna based International Organizations and national delegations in Vienna about

1. 1. Rio+20 Issues Cluster on Innovation
   2. Rio+20 UN Civil Society Resource Mobilization Partnership Voluntary Commitment
   3. Global Forum on Innovative Resource Mobilization for Education and Science (GFIRMES) and
   4. Global Civil Society Resource Mobilization Alliance (ReMA)

–        Inviting partners (CSOs, foundations, individual philanthropists, UN entities, Member States, ..) to join the Action Committee for establishing GFIRMES and ReMA

–        Outlining next Implementation steps

1. 1. Defining the governance structure of the initiatives
   2. Concept development as a collaborative/open innovation process (e.g. using openIDEO)
   3. Mobilizing Social venture capital for the initial phase of the initiative (foundations, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs (social impact investment), ..)
   4. Conducting a global needs assessment (identifying social impact investment opportunities focusing on capacity building for Sustainable Development (including Education and Science), funding of civil society participation in UN system (focus on youth) and establishing of local Multistakeholder partnerships (Global Challenges Centers)
   5. Preparing a global media and fundraising campaign (including High Profile Fundraising Event(s) in Klagenfurt, NY, ..; celebrities (Klagenfurt Talks on Global Challenges and Innovation, GYMC ..))
   6. Conceptualizing a global Multistakeholder sustainable development efforts documentation system (15/15/15 Registry / Global Commons Growth Information System, .. )

Agenda

Welcome

–    Janos Tisovszky – director of United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna

–    Michael Platzer –  head of ACUNS Vienna Liaison office

–    Miroslav Polzer –  IAAI secretary general, Klagenfurt & facilitator of Rio+20 20 Issues Cluster on Innovation – program outline and link to NY workshop[7]

Tour de table

focus on Civil Society Resources (incl. knowledge) in the context of Implementation of Rio+20 Outcomes

Strategy Development Session:

15/15/15 UN Civil Society Resource Mobilization Partnership & Global Civil Society Resource Mobilization Alliance (ReMA)

–     Miroslav Polzer, Rio+20 Issues Cluster on Innovation: The 15/15/15 initiative

–     Liz Rasekoala, Leading African Women (skype) – African perspectives

–     Patrick Nikisch – United Religions Initiative (skype) – getting religious communities involved

–     Boris Pleskovič, former vice chair of World Bank Research Committee & president of Slovene World Congress, Ljubljana – the economic rationale (public goods, global commons) and CEE/SEE regional perspectives & some idea on organizing a High Level Fundraising event at Maria Loretto palace in Klagenfurt

–     Jean Paul Brice Affana, IAAI, Cameroon, Youth perspectives & potentials to direct future rounds of Global Youth Music Contest towards achieving 15/15/15[8] (skype)

–       Graham Caywood, Aidmatrix.orgAidmatrix.org Fundraising, Volunteer Management and Web/Social media – Professional services offered by AidMatrix (skype)

–     Christina Stevens, media issues (skype)

Conclusions and Closing

Graham Caywood