ACFID CONFERENCE 2025 RECAP
31 October 2024
The 2025 ACFID Conference ran from 05 November - 06 November, with the event bringing together ACFID members, government, partners, and sector leaders to connect, share knowledge, and explore how we can continue to drive positive global change. WiAD Chair, Chris Franks, attended the conference and shared some key takeaways below.
What a great conference – as always, the key event of the year to meet and connect with leaders in the Aid, Development and Humanitarian sector, with government and academia, to share knowledge and explore how to drive positive global change.
This year was the 60th anniversary of the establishment of ACFID, an organisation that brings together NGO’s to provide leadership, collective action and tireless advocacy for a more just, sustainable and equitable world.
This year’s theme was ‘Driving Transformation in Development and Humanitarian Action’. Meetings were held with Ministers and Shadow Ministers to discuss Australia’s role in the Pacific and the development & humanitarian priorities of ACFID members, and several MPs joined the Parliamentary breakfast.
Professor Jayati Ghosh delivered a thought-provoking keynote address on how the recent cuts to aid around the world have further exposed the fragility of global systems and why it’s time to rethink how we fund development and restructure a global tax system that shifts power and builds more resilient, equitable models.
Naw Ei Ei Min, the second keynote speaker, is an indigenous Karen Leader from Myanmar, and the Founder and Director of Promotion of Indigenous and Nature Together (POINT). She advocates for environmental protection, Indigenous rights, civic space and economic policies for all Myanmar people regardless of gender or ethnicity. During her address, she reflected on the current challenges in civil society, and it was clear there was a need to speak out.
Other topics that generated much debate at the conference included NGO Philanthropic partnerships, Transforming Child Sponsorship, Building Transformative partnerships that matter and AI international development and Humanitarian action – along with ten concurrent sessions.
WiAD also hosted a side presentation where we shared more about our work and encouraged more women (and men) to attend our networking events, access our information and join our mentoring program.