IMPACT CONCLAVE 2016 - Ambitious Step towards Achieving Sustainable Development

In response to the global sustainability agenda, a two-day long Impact Conclave, 2016 was held at The Lalit, New Delhi. Attended by around 400 professionals, such as, policy advocates, top bureaucrats, Civil Society Organizations, and academicians, the Conclave aimed to fix the spotlight on the complete life-cycle of impact creation.

The conclave hosted 120 panelists and speakers over
two days. Hosted by Sambodhi Research and Communication Pvt. Ltd, this event was supported by BMGF, SIDBI, ACTION AID, NIPI, Care India, CIDS, Yes bank, Oneworld.net, Oxfam, Save the Children, WASH initiative, Practical Action and the National Foundation of India.

Speaking during one of the sessions Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog said, “Developmental initiatives can only be scaled up by ensuring forward and backward linkages. India must challenge the world at large to come up with solutions to its developmental challenges.”

“Use of technology, bank account and the ability to exploit mass communications mediums is important to sustainable and scalable growth”, he added.

The conclave witnessed various sessions on Environment, Social and Economic dimensions of eight thematic areas – Public, Health, Nutrition, WASH, Energy and Environment, Finance and Livelihood, Corporate Social Responsibility and Education and Skill development, for commencing global impact by fostering awareness, improved metrics and social feedback.

“Linking disbursements to performance with credible verification is key to have scalable and sustainable programs”, said Parmenshwaran Iyer, Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

On witnessing a shift from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals, Impact Conclave brought various sectors under one roof facilitating discourse across sectors. “Environment, society and economy are the three different spheres of development. The genesis of sustainable development agenda brings all of these together. This Impact conclave is a small but ambitious step towards achieving it”, Swapnil Shekhar, COO, Sambodhi.

Planned to be an annual event, this maiden conclave will create a knowledge and learning continuum, not only at the national but at the global level. There was an emphasis on the role of Civil Society.

“Civil Society is not about policy and development, it is about politics. It is about the messiness of politics and re-arranging power in society. The role of grants in civil society cannot be excluded completely; they are the means to the end, but the means are fast becoming the end”, said Amitabh Behar, Executive Director, National Foundation for India while speaking during a session on civil society.

Sambodhi also aims to introduce an initiative, Impactus Global. A consortium of organizations that will focus on helping grass-root level NGO’s for fundraising and scaling up.