The Rome Roundtable

The Rome Roundtable – 13 & 14 January, 2017

The Global Foundation will convene the next edition of its Rome Roundtable, to be held in Rome, Italy, on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 January, 2017.

This private, invitation-only dialogue meeting for 50 participants will once again take place with the very strong endorsement of the Vatican, and will enjoy the participation of its most senior officials, including His Eminence, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, along with the leaders of other faiths. They will be joined by leaders from business, international institutions, academia, faiths, the media and civil society, from many walks of life and from across the globe.

Against the backdrop of current trends, of discontinuity and rupture in some political and economic systems across the world, the Roundtable will consider ways to restore confidence, trust and optimism in the global economy. In particular, it will seek to shape a narrative for ‘co-operative globalisation’, one that is inclusive and sustainable and that is capable of enjoying widespread community support.

The Rome Roundtable will build upon the previous meeting, held in January, 2016, (see here) at which attendees discussed ways in which they might more closely and more personally collaborate, to mobilise the global economy in a more inclusive and sustainable manner.

They agreed that those present – the ‘we’ rather than the ‘they’ elsewhere – needed to take responsibility and, by example, become the leading agents for change. Further, they agreed that their collective efforts would be more effective if faith-enabled.

A distinguishing feature of the 2017 meeting will be a focus on the measurement of global progress. We will endeavour to identify and report on actions against commitments made by various organisations over recent times on global economic, social and environmental matters. In particular, our focus will include the G20 for economic governance, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Accord.

At the same time, participants will be invited to report on progress with their own spheres of influence over the past year. In addition, specific issues will be identified for more thorough discussion by our participants, all of whom will be invited to contribute ideas and themes, ahead of the meeting, in order to shape the agenda and topics for 2017.

As the Roundtable is organised in the style of participatory dialogue, which relies upon group interaction, all participants are requested to attend for the whole of the Roundtable program. The precise timings for the commencement and conclusion of the Roundtable will be determined and communicated in the near future, taking into account, where possible, travel obligations.

As a not-for-profit entity, the Foundation will request financial sponsorship from participants towards covering the costs associated with staging the event. Participants will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation, although the Foundation is available to provide guidance.

To register your interest or for further information about the Rome Roundtable, please contact Steve Howard, Secretary General of the Global Foundation, in Australia at steve.howard@globalfoundation.org.au or Anna Ricigliano, Project Manager, based in Rome, at anna.ricigliano@globalfoundation.org.au