In the inaugural Credit Suisse Philanthropists Forum in Asia on 07 April 2011, Senior Minister Mr. Goh Chok Tong of Singapore Government Cabinet had highlighted the importance of Philanthropy.
"In recent years, the problems facing the world have been getting more acute. The World Bank estimated that the recent Global Financial Crisis pushed an additional 64 million people into extreme poverty. Rising energy and food prices have put additional stress on the most vulnerable, who spend more than half their income on food. The New Zealand, Japan and Myanmar earthquakes are the latest in a line of disasters to plague the Asia-Pacific. Climate change and natural disasters are creating new and pressing needs on an unprecedented scale.
Fortunately, philanthropy has risen to play an important role in dealing with these problems. Generous donations have brought about immediate relief in the aftermath of disasters, and have also funded medium to long term programmes, such as education and health services, to improve the well-being of communities."
More of his speech,
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public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/micacsd/speech/S-20110407-1
In the panel discussion on the second day of the same Forum, Mr. Lim Chee Onn, chairman of Temasek Holdings unit: Singbridge International Singapore, who also chairs the advisory board of the Harvard Singapore Foundation said,
"These is a need to fuse social entrepreneurship and business entrepreneurship so that they reinforce each other. Philanthroypy can be embeded in the way we do business."
Business leaders in Asia are urged to encourage others to incorporate philantrhropy into their business activity.
Extract from article on "Let philanthropy beget more philanthropy" written By Conrad Tan of Business Times
Asia's philanthrophy has not reached the maturity of Europe's or Amercia's, with envangelists like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett rallying the rich to give. But this is only natural as most rich Asians made their wealth recently, said speakers invited to the Forum.
One of the them who did it in his own way is Mr, Niu Gensheng, founder of Chinese dairy products manufacturer Mengniu Dairy. He set up Lao Niu foundation to support other other charity funds and is own environmental, healthcare and education projects, mostly in Inner Mongolia.
Peter Buffett, son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, made a similar point, when asked about the differences between Asia and the West when it comes to giving instead of keeping wealth in the family.
Philanthropy Initiatives by Some Other Organizations
The Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium
The Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium is an independent association of grantmaking philanthropic institutions and organizations that support the growth and development of philanthropy in the Asia Pacific region.
Asian Philanthropy Forum
Asian Philanthropy Forum is a global, online community where donors, philanthropy advisors, nonprofit professionals, and other social sector investors unite, act, share best practices, and leverage their philanthropic capital and knowledge to advance human justice and security, improve quality of life, and to protect the environment. The Forum promotes philanthropy in Asia, to Asia and for Asia through a growing network of international contributors.
Asian Philanthropy Forum's vision is of a world where every philanthropic impulse to improve life in Asia is effectively fulfilled and shared with others.
Centre for the Advancement of Philanthropy
Philanthropy Asia is the website of the Centre for the Advancement of Philanthropy. It is the first organization of its kind established in Malaysia (2007) in direct response to the philanthropic challenges in Malaysia and Asia and to assist in the development of more institutionalized, progressive and strategic forms of philanthropy. The Centre plays an important role in the advancement of indigenous, transregional and transnational (global) philanthropy. The Centre aims to engage Asians in philanthropic action to produce a better world, one that is more humane and sustainable.
