2018 Aurora Dialogues Moscow “The Future of Impact”, organized jointly by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, PHILIN, and Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, will take place on April 26, 2018. The event to be held on the SKOLKOVO campus aims to bring together leading humanitarians, academics, philanthropists, entrepreneurs and members of civil society to explore the nature of social impact.
The focus of the first Aurora Dialogues Moscow will be on the relationship between sustainability development, the more grounded and personal individual needs from a sociological perspective and the impactors working on the ground to create lasting social change. Social change actors from Russia and abroad will convene to discuss the current state of the third sector and its future perspectives.
“The SKOLKOVO Business School team is delighted to collaborate with the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and to have the opportunity to host the first ever Aurora Dialogues in Moscow. As an educational institution, we are about partnership and development in all forms, so the issue of impact and the role each of us can play in making the world a better place is something very close to our hearts,” said Andrei Sharonov, President of the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO.
During the 2018 Aurora Dialogues Moscow distinguished humanitarians and entrepreneurs, including 2016 Aurora Prize Laureate Marguerite Barankitse, Founder of Maison Shalom; Vladimir Kuznetsov, Director of the UN Information Centre in Moscow; Vadim Dymov, Head of the Board of Directors of the Dymov Group and Oksana Oracheva, General Director of the Vladimir Potanin Foundation, will share their insights and debate the direction of impact and its key indicators.
“In the last few years we have witnessed major progress in the non-profit sector in Russia. Like in the Western countries, the sector has been transforming into an essential, influential and professional part of the economy and society,” noted Irina Ikonnikova, Project Manager at PHILIN, an infrastructure and resource platform for professional non-profit organizations, donors and philanthropists. “Conferences like the Aurora Dialogues allow the experts in the area to identify the global challenges together, raising awareness and facilitating the search for better solutions.”
“Aurora wants the ideas of humanism, gratitude, helping others and celebration of the human spirit to become important across the world. Dealing with the problems on a national level is no longer enough. In order to maximize the impact and make a tangible difference, we need a global movement”, added Ruben Vardanyan, impact investor and social entrepreneur, Co-Founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. “Seeing so many people stepping up and coming together at the Aurora Dialogues strengthens our belief that Gratitude in Action is an all-embracing concept. Any person can join the Aurora community that grows and expands internationally, and we couldn’t be more satisfied,” emphasized Mr. Vardanyan.
This is the fifth Aurora Dialogues to be convened. The Aurora Dialogues took place also in Berlin and New York. The first two were convened in Yerevan in 2016 and 2017, as part of the Aurora Prize weekend, during which one Humanitarian is chosen as the 2018 Aurora Prize Laureate and offered a grant of US$100,000, as well as a US$1,000,000 award, giving them the unique ability to continue the cycle of giving by supporting organizations that have inspired their work. The 2018 Aurora Humanitarians are announced on April 24, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, since the Aurora Prize was established on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors. Each year, Aurora Prize nominations are accepted for individuals from around the world who are chosen for their exceptional courage, far-reaching impact and endless commitment to preserving human life and advancing humanitarian causes in the face of adversity. The 2018 Aurora Prize Laureate will be announced on June 10, 2018.