NEITHER OPTIMISTIC, NOR PESSIMISTIC
Merely determined.
The world rotates around its axis at around 1,600 kilometres per second. There have been moments, in the past 12 months, when you could be forgiven for thinking it was spinning much faster than that.
The world around us can sometimes feel like it’s not just spinning but spinning out of control. With increasing regularity, it seems, we experience bespoke attempts to dismantle and discourage the prospect of a healthier, fairer future for both our planet and those living on it.
A very natural reaction to this could easily be to retreat into despair and despondency. Instead, it’s an opportunity to resist and rebuild, a chance for philanthropy to stand up to be counted as a force for good, to meet setbacks with solidarity and counter crises with calm, conscientious courage. A time to be determined, not discouraged. We witness this in the wonderful work of our members each and every day, sowing the seeds for something better, adapting and cultivating their initiatives despite the difficult conditions and unhelpful crosswinds.
Our role at Philea is, therefore, more relevant and important than ever. Two and a half years since we launched them, we hold our vision and strategy firmly in our hands and use them as our compass to remain oriented when all around us is spinning. They remind us, as do our conversations with you all, of the need to be ever stronger, braver, more agile and more strategic, to ensure that our work is commensurate with the immense pressure and challenges of our time.
As a sector, our resources might be finite, but our resolve and determination are anything but. In the words of Jean Monnet, "I am neither pessimist nor optimist, I am merely determined."
Our thanks go to all our members for your support throughout 2024 and beyond. In the pages that follow, set out for the first time on our new Foleon platform, you will see a selection of best examples of the myriad work that we do with and for you.
Enjoy your reading,
Delphine and Angel
