GAP 2016 Event
On 20th February 2016, 300+ people from India and around the world congregated at the Annual Event of GAP with the intention of collaborating and finding more powerful ways to deal with the pressing problems of poverty.
The 4 day Conference had an unconventional two layered focus – an inner journey for the Changemaker to truly understand their purpose and be unstoppable in their changemaking journey and an outer journey where 130 Changemakers met with 100 Catalysts who were Coaches, Experts, Business Executives and other Social Sector organisations.
All of them engaged in many debates & conversations that clarified ideas and strategies and enabled Changemakers to strengthen their organisational activities so that they could have better impact on the ground. The collective power of this community initiated many new solutions which we shall see emerge in the coming years.
A Changemaker is one who wishes to end poverty, and is actually taking action towards achieving that goal. A Changemaker is:
- Anyone, at any age, from anywhere in the world, who is committed to make a difference.
- Able to articulate her/his vision towards eradication of poverty.
- Willing to commit time and effort it takes in directing their vision to reality.
- Self committed, willing to build a team, and lead efforts on site at the selected location.
- A strong and non-negotiable commitment to ethical ways of achieving change
At GAP, there would be three categories of Changemakers:
- Cat 1: Have identified a change idea and want to execute it.
- Cat 2: Have initiated action on your idea and are looking to further the cause.
- Cat 3: Have achieved impact and are on the path to scaling and growing the activity.
GAP will enable every Changemaker (CM) to transform herself/ himself, take their project or enterprise to an entirely new level by:
- Being coached by a Professional Coach for a year.
- Engaging individually with Mentors, who have put in about 3 decades of work in various aspects of poverty eradication.
- Getting her/his project or enterprise vetted in considerable detail by peers and a Subject Matter Expert (SME).
- Augmenting their skill sets from the practical learning sessions arranged on scaling one’s idea, creating successful collaborations and engaging with government. The sessions will also elaborate on pitching for funds, building a proposal and creating marketing plans.
- Learning from established NGOs like Grameen, SELCO, Pratham, SEWA who will be show-casing their journey to growth.
The CMs will also be able to meet like-minded people, forge lifetime friendships and form a support group.
A Catalyst is an individual or a representative of an organization that is interested in engaging with Changemakers to provide them support and resources so that they can take their initiative to the next level and accelerate their impact.
A Catalyst is essentially a ‘giver’ at GAP and:
- Could collaborate with Changemakers by providing access to networks and resources, knowledge and expertise, and/or funds.
- Would need to have been in the field for a significant time or is set up specifically to support Changemakers through their offering.
Catalysts maybe companies’ CSR executives, Impact Investment organizations, Foundations & Trusts, large NGOs, Government organizations or be Subject Matter Experts, Philanthropists & Social Entrepreneurs.
At the GAP Event, the Catalysts would have an opportunity to:
- Meet selected Changemakers who are committed, and support the Changemakers by providing advice on their projects, share their funding strategies and have collaborative conversations.
- Engage with Mentors.
- Share their organization’s visions and needs with a large group of individuals who can enroll or partner with them.
A partner should add value to GAP and it’s Changemakers, and be aligned to the objective of eradication of poverty.
In turn, GAP will provide value to partners such that GAPs activities/ offering would help fulfill some of the partner’s objectives be it directly / indirectly.
Potential Areas of engagement for Partners are:
- Learn – to help with courseware/ Video content /conducting the sessions or workshops – facility / faculty
- Labs– space/faculty/student engagement/ Knowledge Bases/ Discussion Forums
- Funding– for CMs’ projects and the various entities of GAP
- Outreach– to expand GAP’s network, enrolling CMs/Catalysts/Coaches
- Technology– to help build solutions
- Event– Event manager/Travel/Hospitality/Translation (for Toll Free no also)/Venue
- Venue – for Event, conducting Learn sessions, Hosting GAP Local chapters
- Media – Coverage on TV/Radio/Print, help with PR
A Mentor is a person who has spent significant time in the area of impact to human beings, in a manner that makes us want to emulate him or her, she or he inspires us, makes us look at him or her with awe and deep respect.
A Mentor is typically passionate about his or her work, and is seen as someone who a common person will associate with doing “good work” in the space of poverty eradication.
A professional Coach will work alongside each Changemaker to help them discover the answers they have within and will also provide some guidance and connect the CM to contacts within the GAP network and also their own.
Most importantly, Coaches will work with CMs to unleash their potential and that of their project so that they can accelerate their impact and get more and more people out of poverty.
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