Philanthropy Asia Summit 2023 Closing Remarks by Ms Lim Seok Hui, CEO, Philanthropy Asia Alliance

Thank you everyone who has joined us in person and online at our Philanthropy Asia Summit 2023.

To our esteemed speakers, Calls-to-Action showcase leads and partners, a heartfelt Thank You for showing us what’s possible, and inspiring many to consider new ways of catalysing and scaling their impact. The vibrant discussions and learnings will resonate with many of us beyond today, and the connections forged are just the start of promising partnerships in the making. 

Next year, the Philanthropy Asia Summit will be co-located with Temasek’s Ecosperity during Philanthropy Asia Week in April 2024. This means we have been planning for it even before this PAS, and it promises to be a week to remember. We look forward to having you back with us to connect, collaborate, and catalyse solutions for a better world. 

From where I stand, I can see many familiar faces of our members and partners of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance. Thank you to the vibrant and dynamic PAA community, for your strong support and trust in our mission and vision. We have come a long way in the past year but are truly just getting started on our journey – to catalyse and scale Asian solutions for the world, to prime the region as a force for good.  

As we bring the Summit to a close, I would like to share key themes about the hopes and direction for the Philanthropy Asia Alliance, using Bamboo – one of the most sustainable plants on the planet.

First, collaboration. Just as bamboo’s roots intertwine into a dense mat that allows it to stand firm even in harsh conditions, our hope for the Alliance is that we too will band tightly together and harness efforts to do more collectively. Together, firmly rooted as an alliance, we unite to be a force for good with collaboration at our core.

Second, resilience and adaptability. Like the climate-adaptable and flame-resistant bamboo that can thrive across diverse environments, we need to stand strong against challenges. Bamboo bends with the wind but does not break. We too must have the resolve and tenacity to adapt and overcome challenges and lean towards opportunities. 

Third, impact and speed. Our ambitious Alliance comprises determined and committed people with considered plans to scale impact to solve our greatest global challenges. While native to Asia, bamboo thrives in countries the world over. Over one billion people live in bamboo houses today. Also, bamboo is unique in that it takes about three years to get established. During that time, nothing appears on the surface, but it grows incredibly fast thereafter – up to 3 feet daily. To achieve our ambitions as an Alliance, we must accelerate our impact and confront the urgent challenges facing us head on. 

Let us move forward swiftly together, with collaboration at our core, and the resilience and adaptability to face challenges and drive the impact the world needs.

We look forward to welcoming many more like-minded members and partners to join us, and for our Alliance to grow from strength to strength.    

Together, we go further, faster.

Thank you all again for joining us at the Philanthropy Asia Summit. I look forward to seeing you at our Philanthropy Asia Week in April 2024.

Thank you.