In her opening address, Catia Davim, Founder of the Social Good Summit Australia 2015, spoke to a packed auditorium at Sydney University as well as a Live audience around the globe.
“I don’t really care what you stand for,” she said. “As long as you stand for something that makes the world a better place.”
The Social Good Summit brought together inspirational and committed activists, photographers, academics and business leaders on a single stage, to discuss solutions for the greatest challenges of our time and ask the question, “What type of world do I want to live in by the year 2030?”
These thought-provoking quotes represent key takeaways from this year’s Social Good Summit Australia.
“We don’t want to alleviate poverty, we want to eradicate it.”
Adam Mooney, CEO at Good Shepherd Microfinance
“For future organisations, your marketing will be the social outcomes that you are doing.”
Chris Raine, Founder and CEO at Hello Sunday Morning
“Millenials are demanding to work for businesses that operate for more than just profit.”
Tharani Jegatheeswaran, Partner Social Impact and Not-for-Profit at Deloitte
“Our Business School will be a force for good, an exemplary, a role model for the transformation of business. Our students are the future leaders and it’s our responsible to teach them and show them what they can achieve.”
Greg Whitwell, Dean University of Sydney Business School
“Short-termism is still a very big challenge. It can be very difficult to see the shared value when applying something like the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Ramana James, Head of Group Shared Value at IAG
“We should shift the conversation away from the deficits and start talking about the opportunities and how we might harness the economic potential of First Australians.”
Brendan Ferguson, Indigenous Practice Lead at Social Ventures Australia
“Decisions need to be are controlled by local communities not local governments.”
Phil Lockyer, Indigenous Engagement Manager at Group Shared Value
“It is critical that we disrupt the negative perception of First Australian, to inspire their entrepreneurial spirit and acknowledge that they are contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals – from economic consumer to economic contributors.”
Leah Armstrong, Chairperson at Supply Nation
“Where does you passion meet the worlds greatest needs but also make a profit?”
Ranjit Voola, Director of Poverty Alleviation and Profitability Group at University of Sydney
“Short-term environmental strategies to make money don’t work. Businesses need to see that what they make and sell have implications for future generations.”
Susan Goodwin, Associate Professor of Policy Studies at University of Sydney
“I want to live in a world where the next generation do not to have to make a choice between doing good and making money.”
Prashan Paramanathan, CEO at Chuffed.org
“Maybe photos can’t stop a war. But maybe they can change the life of one person.”
Vlad Sohkin, Human Rights Photographer
“You can buy dolphin free tune, why can’t you buy slave-free tuna?”
Kristy Fleming, CEO & Founder at Voice
“Business doesn’t work in a vacuum… What we need to be talking about is what can’t we be doing. If we are serious about this we can’t continue to dig up these fossil fuels. The vast majority of coal needs to stay in the ground if we are gong to have any chance of mitigating climate change.”
Nikola Casule, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace
“By 2030 my hope is that every child has a vision of potential.”
Les Hems, Director Advisory at Ernest Young
“This isn’t something that is going to be happening in the distance future. The path that business is on at the moment is a path to disaster… We are not engaging the issue with the urgency we should. Being sustainable is about being a little be unsustainable… What we need to do is take a leap.”
Christopher Wright, Professor of Organisational Studies at University of Sydney
“Shared value does not offset negative impact.”
Alice Cope, Executive Manager at Global Compact Network Australia
“The biggest challenge is for business to actually see the shared value of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Rhod Ellis-Jones, Founder & Deputy Chair at Shared Value Project
