New Delhi, November 10, 2020: The Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University is convening its 2nd annual Social Innovation Summit (SIS) on 18th and 19th November. Day 1 of #SIS2020: Technologies for Resilience will begin at 4 pm and end at 8 pm; Day 2 will commence from 2 p.m. and conclude at 8 p.m.

This year’s summit, meeting online due to COVID-19 precautions as well as to accommodate heightened national demand for this topic, will focus on exploring innovative tools and strategies to address the pandemic’s impacts on India’s nonprofit landscape — including the digital divide, fundraising challenges and opportunities, mental health and well-being. Social impact leaders across India, as well as anyone interested in understanding more about the intersection of technology and civil society, are welcome to attend. Registration is free and open until the day of the summit.

Stressing on the role of technology in building resilience to crises, Ingrid Srinath, CSIP Director, said, “COVID-19 has starkly demonstrated the criticality of technology in building resilience to crises. It has also sparked record levels of innovation in the use of technology to reimagine the ways we work. #SIS2020 provides a platform to learn and share best practice and the tools we all need to adapt to the post-pandemic world.”

Speaking about the issue of COVID-19, Bindi Dharia, CSIP Deputy Director, said “Post COVID 19, the new normal has further highlighted the demand for digital innovation in the social sector. While there are some sparks of innovation, the ability to understand and adopt is still a challenge. The summit this year not only provides a platform to highlight new ideas like last year but also showcases adaptations of existing and old technology with specially designed spaces to co-create and learn from both.”

Reflecting on his decision to return as a speaker this year, Osama Manzar, Digital Empowerment Foundation Director, said, “The Social Innovation Summit is a practical meeting point where one gets to know and experience working examples of innovations that solve large-scale societal problems. At a time of crisis and tremendous loss of jobs and livelihoods, this is an imperative place to peer exchange the notes of innovations and contextualise them to fight the pandemic.”

Through #SIS2020, CSIP plans to showcase success stories related to emerging innovations and ethical best practices for the social sector. By providing a platform for these innovations, tools, and best practises for India’s social sector, particularly during this time, the objectives of the summit align with CSIP’s vision of a stronger civil society for a vibrant and equitable India.

The two-day convening of co-creation sessions for industry leaders, workshops, virtual exhibits, and a discussion forum aims to provide an educational, engaging, and enlightening experience for participants. Featured speakers will include:

• Apar Gupta, Executive Director, Internet Freedom Foundation

• Rebecca MacKinnon, Director, Ranking Digital Rights

• Anant Bhagwati, Director, Dasra

• Naghma Mulla, President, Edelgive Foundation

• Priti Sridhar, Chief Development Officer, Mariwala Health Initiative

• Ashif Shaikh, CEO, Jan Sahas

For complete details and complementary registration, visit ashoka.edu.in/sis