The Start Network is pleased to announce the programme for Start for Change 2016, a week-long series of events to drive our vision to connect people in crisis to the best possible solutions.
Start for Change is an annual gathering for the Start Network and our stakeholders including senior representatives from some of the world’s largest civil society organisations, multilaterals and governments, as well as innovators, opinion-formers and other stakeholders concerned with the connection of people in crisis to the best possible solutions. The week-long series of events combines idea generation with governance and decision-making, setting the Network’s strategic trajectory for the year ahead.
The anchor of the week is the Annual Conference, which is designed as a forum for discussion and substantive debate that results in real change.
The format for the week was first tested in 2014, when it was known as ‘Mega-Week’. This week of events took place in June and enabled the Start Network to officially launch its signature programme, a pooled fund managed exclusively by NGOs known as the Start Fund, as well as the new governance structure. This was a turning point in the Start Network’s journey from a small consortium of UK NGOs to a global mechanism for collaboration.
Last year Mega-Week returned, rebranded as Start for Change, and a new ‘Members’ Day’ was added to the mix – 5 parallel workshops designed to enable a deeper dive into some of the issues debated at the Conference.
The Conference itself contained a mix of debate, creative thinking and practical activity with the aim of equipping participants with actionable ideas for positive change in their day to day work. Delegates also co-drafted and refined a statement from the Start Network to the World Humanitarian Summit.
This year’s Start for Change will continue with a similar format to the previous year but will be even more ambitious, now also introducing an exciting, public event: Start Talks, to explore ‘The New Humanitarian Economy’.
Read more about Start for Change (information pack, including details on travel and logistical arrangements)