The China Philanthropy Conference 2018 was held in Beijing on the 14th of January to celebrate the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up, and summarize and look back upon the achievements of the philanthropic sector. Over 300 guests from government, social organizations, universities, enterprises as well as media discussed the theme of “philanthropy and reform and opening-up”, and the tendency of future development.
Chen Changzhi, the chairman of the China Siyuan Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, addressed that the rule of law system regarding the philanthropy sector is improving, social donations are growing steadily, social organizations are developing rapidly, and volunteering is everywhere. He also made the calling that all the philanthropic forces should focus on supporting the weak and keep the situation of the country in mind.
Gao Xiaobing, the vice minister of Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) pointed out that in terms of the development of the philanthropic cause, the fundamental guarantee lies in party leadership, the significant prerequisite is the improvement of rules and policies, the fundamental is the broad participation of people from various fields in the society, and the constant reform and innovation can provide the driving force. She also mentioned that institutional reform within the Ministry of Civil Affairs has been conducted, and two bureaus have been established to address philanthropy promotion and social works, further ensuring the function of MCA in the philanthropic sector.
The conference invited several guests to share their perspectives about the topic of “rejuvenation and change” from different angles such as the change of policies, the change of organizations, the actions of the participants, and the role of the media. There were two round-table dialogues organized to carry out discussions about “challenges and solutions” and “tendencies and opportunities”.
Liu Fuqing, the general secretary of the China Charity Federation, expressed in his closing remarks that as a joint organization, the China Charity Federation will put more effort in to supporting more organizations to participate in poverty alleviation, promoting the construction of standardizing the sector and implementing more practical training.
