By Madalena Liougas 

Changemakers from around the world recently came to Washington DC to engage in innovative learning and exciting conversations, both in person and virtually, strategizing about how to solve some of the world’s most wicked problems. April 18, 2024 marked the tenth anniversary of this conference, and there were over 200 in-person and over 5,000 virtual attendees! Throughout the day’s inspiring and thought-provoking discussions, a central theme was the power of connection. As Shamina Singh, founder and president of the Center for Inclusive Growth, put it, “This is the time where we go from a moment to a movement — [where we] meet each other with compassion, with decency, and act with a sense of urgency — we go together.” 

How Connection Relates to Inclusion 

Connection refers to how humans connect, relate, and interact with each other, the environment, or technology. It provides individuals with the opportunity to feel included. Inclusion is related but it refers to the quality of our connections. It involves the process of creating and maintaining a sense of belonging, acceptance, and participation among all members of a community, regardless of their differences or characteristics. Positive connections that promote inclusion are central to creating equal access to opportunities, resources, and participation. Elton John, speaking as the founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, spoke of connection’s power when he said, “Messages of love and compassion are so important. Put your arms around someone … The human spirit is a great spirit — people are generous and kind.” A welcome embrace can transcend words, fostering a profound connection that reminds us of our shared humanity.A Catholic Ghanian cardinal and prelate, Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, spoke of connection like this:  “If we all work for the human person, we will all be well together.”  Through showing each other compassion and empathy, we can make the world a better place.

Figure 2: From left to right, Andréa Vieira (Founder and CEO, nailsaloon), Megan Rapinoe (soccer champion, activist, cofounder of A Touch More), Ade Adepitan (TV presenter, journalist, and paralympic medalist)

Connection Is Central to Our Humanity

Cardinal Turkson may have been referring in part to our spiritual side when he spoke of working for the human person but that work of connection is also central to our well-being and survival. Many speakers acknowledged how we all deserve to feel a sense of belonging, love, and caring. Meagan Rapinoe, soccer champion, activist, and cofounder of A Touch More — a production company centred on stories of revolutionaries who move culture forward — emphasized, “Our bodies are social beings, and we want that with one another … Finding connection points … Everyone deserves humanity — everyone should show up and be their whole selves.” 

As central connection points that can be built from common interests, relationships can also result in inclusive communities. For example, Melinda French Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, described how gender works to connect individuals with a common interest, creating safe communities that build capital: “It is in the group collective where women find the support.” She said that women are naturally talented entrepreneurs who can easily turn “1.7 trillion into 7 trillion” if they are physically and financially supported.

Figure 3: From left to right, Rosario Dawson (“actrivist,” designer, producer, and founder, Rio Dawn Foundation),

Fatoumata Bâ (founder and executive chair of Janngo Capital), Melinda French Gates (co-chair, Bill and Melina Gates

Foundation)

Connecting to the Environment 

Last year was the world’s warmest on record since regular tracking began in 1850 and 2024 is on track to be hotter still. As climate change becomes more severe, it is critical for humans to positively connect with the environment to mitigate the devastating impacts of global warming. Rohini Nilekani, chairperson at Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Foundation, described how fostering a respectful relationship with the environment begins with education: “Education reduces the nature deficit — when you’re connected to nature you get the hope back.” Madame Ghandhi, an American musician, activist, and speaker, would agree. She educates people on the effects of climate change by creating music from natural, environmental sounds in the Arctic and insists that “artists are responsible for imagining the world we want to be in.” Through music, Madame Gandhi tells the story of climate change. It’s a story deeply affected by consumer culture. 

Figure 4: Madame Ghandhi (musician, activist, speaker)

As Wolfgang Fengler,CEO of World Data Lab,reminded us, with the world’s population exponentially increasing, “we can’t choose between consumption and climate. We should choose a world that is prosperous and clean.” In fact, prosperity depends upon sustainability. That was certainly the message from Ivan Duque, former president of Columbia, who discussed how we need to create conditions where promoting biodiversity and conservation becomes profitable. 

Technological Connection 

With our world being increasingly digitized, people rely on technology in innovative ways not just to connect with one another but also for access to information, finance, or medicine. For example, Tara Nathan, executive vice president Humanitarian and Development at Mastercard, discussed the importance of connecting Ethiopian farmers to a local bank through a digital identity — a unique identifier for a person in the digital realm that verifies their real-world identity and stores personal, financial characteristics. A digital infrastructure also provides the farmers with market visibility which can increase their revenue by 20 to 30 percent. Nathan emphasized a current “lack of access or ability to connect supply and demand.” Although farmers are growing produce, without a digital identity they lack the resources to distribute it to the wider community thus reducing their profits. 

Technological connection is also critical to delivering medical treatments. Dr. Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, highlighted the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in drug discovery. He told of how AI helped to reduce the traditional timeline for drug design models from four years to four months in creating an oral medication for COVID-19. But he also acknowledged that many people distrust AI.  “AI requires trust from people. People may trust medicine less if it was developed with AI. With new technology the users need to develop the trust. This will come with time.” Navrina Singh, CEO of Credo AI said that “We forget that AI is a tool—we should not surrender but engage with it.” To build trust in technology, technological creators have to be transparent about their processes. This message was echoed by Maryana Iskander, CEO of Wikipedia, “Transparency is a tool to build trust.”We are going to need that transparency when it comes to AI.

Figure 5: From left to right, Dr. Albert Bourla (Chairman and CEO, Pfizer Inc.), Sumi Somaskanda (Chief presenter, BBC)

Final Thoughts 

Connection and inclusion are intrinsically intertwined. Through our connections with others, the environment, and technology, we can create safe and inclusive spaces where everyone’s dignity is recognized and they’re given the chance to participate and be heard. The Global Inclusive Growth Summit demonstrated that through passion and determination, we can create positive changes on local and global levels. Aria Mia Loberti, actor, author, and UNICEF supporter, might have had the best last words: “I want to leave anything better than I found it … Because I am here, I can make it better.” 

Figure 6: Left to right, Sabrina Tavernise (host, “The Daily,” New York Times), Aria Mia Loberti (actor, author, UNICEF ambassador)