News | General | 27. September 2022
Siemens Stiftung participates in German Foundation Day with a strong focus on sustainability
The German Foundation Day 2022 will take place from 28-30 September in Leipzig with the motto “Foundations – shaping the future sustainably”. This year has been marked with uncertainties: the world is still reeling under the aftermath of the pandemic, climate anomalies continue unabetted, and the unrelenting war in Ukraine has exacerbated the food and fuel crisis. Against this background, the various German foundations are coming together to deliberate and chalk out new partnerships and working areas to work collaboratively for a more peaceful and sustainable world.
The three-day event will see representatives from various German and international foundations along with senior ministers and officials from the German government. They will be joining voices in different panel discussions and workshops on the underlying topic: The potential of philanthropy for fulfilling the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Siemens Stiftung’s Managing Directors, Dr. Nina Smidt and Klaus Grünfelder, Marah Köberle (social entrepreneurship, e-mobility) and Jagori Dhar (communications) will be representing the foundation in the foundation day. As the spokesperson of the Board, Dr. Nina Smidt will join two –panel discussions:
- SDGs and climate in the year of the war against Ukraine and the German G7 presidency on 28.09. Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Dorothea Sick-Thies, entrepreneur and founder of Protect the Planet and Ilham Habibie, Founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees, The Habibie Center Foundation (Indonesia) are joining the panel. Renowned journalist and author Christiane Grefe will moderate this panel.
- Social enterprises create e-mobility “Made in Africa” on 29.09. Daniel Bongardt, Program Director, Transport and Climate Change, Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) will open the discussions followed by Valerie Labi, CEO, Ghanaian social enterprise Cargo Bikes Africa, Mikael Gange, Swedish-Kenyan social enterprise Roam and Latiff Cherono, CEO, Makerspace GearBox in Kenya. This session will be held in English and Dr. Smidt will moderate it.
“Climate change and sustainability are common threads that run through our work areas. Be it in fostering climate change education and STEM learning or supporting social enterprises with innovative and sustainable solutions in developing regions and through our work in arts and culture that kindles a community spirit in societies that are drifting apart. Our ultimate vision is to nurture an ecosystem through partnerships and networks and the foundation day provides us with the platform to exchange ideas and learn from our German and international peers, paving the way for us to collectively find new ways to wade through the current global challenges”, says Dr. Smidt.
You can listen to her interview (in German) with Stifter TV, which captures the focus of Siemens Stiftung in this year’s foundation day: