In light of the COVID-19 crisis, Start Network has decided to move it's annual Assembly meeting and 10-year anniversary celebrations to a virtual format.
The Start Network Assembly includes representatives from all Start Network members. Each year the Assembly meets to help set the network’s strategic direction and act as a sounding board to inform the network’s evolution. The Assembly meeting also includes the organisation's Annual General Meeting. Members of the Start Network host Assembly meetings each year. In past years, Welthungerhilfe, Cordaid, CAFOD and Qatar Charity have hosted the Assembly meeting in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Qatar.
The meeting this year will also extend to a more public-facing marking of Start Network's 10-year anniversary, which will also be held virtually.
The decision has been made to ensure that Start Network members and stakeholders can still influence our strategic direction, despite the travel restrictions, which may still be in place, and despite the reduced resources and increased workload, which many humanitarian organisations are faced with.
This will be an exciting opportunity for Start Network to gain experience in running virtual Assembly meetings, which has always been the plan as the network grows and decentralises. This year we will focus on ensuring the events are suitable for members in different timezones, and who speak different languages.
Start Network's Assembly meeting and 10-year anniversary celebration will take place throughout the week beginning 12 October 2020.
More information will be made available soon.
Read more about 10 years of Start Network's impact.
Read more about last year's Assembly meeting.