/ 25 February 2009

Facing the challenge

Staff Photographer
Staff Photographer

The socioeconomic challenges facing South Africa are of concern to all. If we are to create a vision of what is truly possible when all stakeholders band together, past and current development practices need to be questioned and reconsidered.

With this in mind, Trialogue invites all CSI stakeholders to participate in the Making CSI Matter conference at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg on March 2, 3 and 4 2009.

Those who attend the first workshop day of the conference will have the opportunity to participate in one of the following two full-day stakeholder engagement workshops:

  • A multi-stakeholder engagement process on the legislative and compliance requirements for effective CSI and development; or
  • A multi-stakeholder engagement process to clarify the optimal role of CSI in relation to other ­development role-players.

Participation is key to both sessions, affording role-players from corporates, NGOs and government the opportunity to make a real contribution to the generation of outputs.

Days two and three offer an interactive learning environment in which leading experts in various subjects will inform and provoke innovative thinking and best-practice case studies will inspire possibility. With the help of sophisticated voting technology, delegates can cast their ballots in support of or against specified outcomes.

Designed to give practitioners tools to enhance their work, the conference will scrutinise the socio-economic environment in which practitioners work and a range of development practices and models for engaging relevant role-players will be shared.

A cocktail evening awaits delegates on day two, which will provide the opportunity to interact informally with others in the CSI and development industry while enjoying drinks, snacks and entertainment.

We would like to thank Mail & Guardian, our official media partner. The National Development Agency, Transnet, Absa, Eskom and Standard Bank, as major sponsors of the event, have proved their commitment to effective social investment. Thanks, too, to Nedbank for sponsoring the registration of the event and to Engen, Murray & Roberts and Wesbank for supporting the attendance of NGOs and partners at the conference.

The second Making CSI Matter conference promises to be an inspiring, engaging and important platform for learning and sharing for all organisations interested in development.

For more information visit www.trialogue.co.za or contact Gillian Mitri or Vee Sampson at 021 762 1166 or e-mail [email protected]