Keynote speaker,World YWCA General Secretary Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda

The University of Geneva, together with five co-sponsors, kicked off the inaugural programme of the Geneva Forum on Social Change (GFSC) Friday 5 June. Keynote speakers include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Prize Laureate and Honorary Doctor 2009 of the University of Geneva, World YWCA General Secretary Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, and Speak-it.org Director, Nick Francis.

The Forum combines documentary film screenings, workshops and panel discussions of the complex social, political and economic challenges presented in the films. The event is organized by the University of Geneva International Organizations MBA (IOMBA) Programme. Geneva Lunch spoke with Forum on Social Change Chair and IOMBA degree candidate, Patrick Huber.

GL: Can you provide some background information on how the Forum was imagined and over what time period?

Maverick Architect Michael Reynolds in Oliver Hodge's "Garbage Warrior." Photo courtesy GFSC and Oliver Hodge

Patrick Huber (PH): This came out of an event last year in Monterrey, California hosted by Independent Television Service (ITVS) out of San Francisco. The Forum was conceived in November of 2008 when ITVS approached the University of Geneva about co-sponsoring a film screening and dialogue.

I was approached as president of the Geneva University chapter of the NetImpact network, an industry network of MBA professionals and students interested in promoting corporate social responsibility. Last year the chapter sponsored a forum on sustainable development which created momentum to discuss what other advocacy efforts the network might promote.

A GFSC working group chaired by Mr Huber was formed shortly after to develop the forum content, select films supplied from the ITVS film library for viewing and discussion, and to fit the event into a two day format. “There were a lot of hours put in” by the working group, which includes co-chair Violaine Beix, communications director Marshall Sitten, and lead designer Catherine Siegel.

GL: How was the Geneva location decided on?

Keynote Speaker and Nobel Laureat, Archbishop Desmond Tutu-Photo courtesy GFSC

PH: Geneva is the [worldwide] base for international organizations addressing these issues, so it was a natural choice. The timing also coincides with the University of Geneva’s 450th anniversary celebration.  The IOMBA program aims to bridge the gap between the international NGO and corporate worlds and to foster public-private partnerships. Therefore this was a good fit, as well.

GL: The list of sponsoring agencies, from the US Mission and Naval postgrad school to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and ITVS represents a broad range of interests – how and why was such a diverse backing sought out?

PH: There was a conscious effort to recruit sponsors for their corporate and organizational merits. The Center for Humanitarian Dialogue was recruited as a leader in the field, the Naval School was similarly seen as having an interest in forming better partnerships [with international organizations]. Additionally, we didn’t want corporate sponsors simply for the sake of funding: we were selective in choosing the sponsors. We wanted organizations who have embedded corporate responsibility into their operations, who are models for what other organizations could be doing. There are a number of UN participants as well but the UN is not sponsoring the event. We also wanted to provide a range of perspectives in the forum on how organizations are dealing with the issues at hand.

GFSC documentary screening-Photo Jared Bloch

GL: There are numerous film festivals and or forums in Geneva that address similar issues, including the Human Rights film festival, Cinema Verité and the International Labour Film Festival. What distinguishes the Geneva Forum on Social Change, in your eyes?

PH: This forum is broader in its scope – this is more comprehensive. I think you’ll find that the dialogue in the forum will be more inclusive. This helps fill the void typically present after films are screened. Four directors will be present throughout the event for example, and you can go back and discuss issues over the length of the event. This is more of a conference rather than a series of disparate events.

GL: How were the films chosen?

PH: ITVS is the exclusive provider of the content. However, the board gave general parameters on what it wanted to screen. You will notice that there are no films dealing with health issues, for example. This is because the World Health Organization has a concurrent conference going on. Forty-five films were screened by the IOMBA and we chose the 10 strongest films representing a cross section of issues and geography. We are discussing whether there would be a competition component next year highlighting short films by youth. However, it was never imagined that this would be a film festival. The forum is not focusing solely on the films, but looks at all avenues for advocacy.

GL: Is the Forum for Social Change a forum with a film component? Or a platform for humanitarian minded film screening and discussion?

PH: This event does both: the title Geneva Forum is purposefully inclusive. We see other panels and workshops spinning off from the Geneva Forum in the future. For example, the website is now a portal, but the hope is that the site will become a tool for fostering ongoing dialogue on themes addressed in the forum. This has been an incredible group effort. To see this happen in such a short time has been a testament to the will to move this forward and to the high level of interest in creating such a dialogue.

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Huber notes that 1,000 people are registered for the two-day event. The event is organized by the University of Geneva International Organizations MBA (IOMBA) Programme.

Co-sponsors include film production and support company, Independent Television Service (ITVS), the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Global Hope Network (GHNI), the US Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre).

The Geneva Forum for Social Change: June 5-6 at the International Geneva Conference Center.  All panel discussions, screenings and workshops are free and open to the public.

Interview by Jared Bloch

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