GENEVA, Switzerland, May 24, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Placed under the label of dialogue and philanthropy, the first edition of the Addhope Forum kept its promises by offering a space for exchange and discussions on the keys to successful development partnerships. On this occasion, 145 participants coming from NGOs, the private and public sectors, as well as academia, shared their experiences and best practices on the matter.
Logo Addax Petroleum: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/ap-foundation-stand-alone-logo.jpg
Logo Addhope Forum 2013: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/addhopeforum_logo_greyok.jpg
Photo 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/trs_6512_final.jpg
Photo 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/TRS_6497_final-1.jpg
Programme: http://www.apo-mail.org/AHF13_Programme_at_a_glance_EN_V2_0522.pdf
M. Zhang, Chairman, Sinopec-Addax Petroleum Foundation (http://www.addhopefoundation.org) and CEO, Addax Petroleum Corporation, opened the forum emphasizing his strong conviction that the foundation's initiatives are deeply rooted in the Corporate Social Responsibility strategy of its Shareholder, the Sinopec Group.
"Philanthropy should not be limited to its financial engagement" commented M. Zhang. "In order to be efficient, philanthropy should go beyond the pecuniary aspect and rather take the approach of sharing competencies. As a famous Chinese proverb goes 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
"That is why we are all gathered here today. We have gained a lot of experience working with our NGO partners over the years. But there is still room for improvement, and we can get even better at what we do by maintaining the continuous dialogue we have with partners from every sector. "
In his opening address H. E. Haitao Wu, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Chargé d'Affaires a.i., Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Disarmament Affairs, highlighted the efforts undertaken by China, the largest developing country in the world, to meet the Millennium Development Goals objectives.
Plenary and interactive sessions took place throughout the morning and offered a forum where participants - organisations and individuals concerned by public good and the issues linked to partnerships between NGOs and the private sector - could openly share insights and experience.
"As often in life, a partnership is not a given" commented Marie-Gabrielle Cajoly, Executive Director of the Sinopec-Addax Petroleum Foundation. "On the contrary, it is a trust relationship, based on mutual engagement, comprehension and dialogue."
"We invited representatives from all horizons, and in particular a large number of NGOs, to join us for today's forum. Their enthusiastic participation was fantastic and a strong sign of everyone's interest in both the topics discussed and the approach taken."
Indeed, the foundation was keen to give the floor to all actors involved on a wide range of themes such as: the opportunities and risks linked to multisectoral partnerships; how to monitor and measure projects more efficiently; how to best communicate around the work undertaken; and how to identify the changes in the developing landscape occurring today in order the adapt to them in the best possible way.
Finally, an important focus was given to NGOs, especially in the interactive sessions, where they were invited to present more specific elements of their work.
Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Addax Petroleum.
About the Sinopec-Addax Petroleum Foundation
The Foundation (http://www.addhopefoundation.org) is an independent Non-Profit Organisation based in Geneva. Founded by Addax Petroleum Corporation (APC), its main donor, it also benefits from the support of the Sinopec Group, its shareholder. The Foundation aims to address the root causes of poverty in Africa, the Middle East and China, and to help deprived communities by strengthening their skills and by providing them with the appropriate conditions to reach self-sufficiency in a sustainable way. http://www.addhopefoundation.org.
Presse contact: Catherine Safi
Office : +41(0)22 592 50 58 - Mobile: +41 (0)78 618 32 18
Catherine.safi@anadeo.ch
