Fundación Avina was present at the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week, adding voices and efforts in global debate spaces fundamental for the realities of the Global South and for the advancement of sustainable development.
The foundation participated in meetings with strategic allies to discuss collaborations in new geopolitical contexts, strengthening democracies, alliances to mobilize resources, financing for climate adaptation towards COP30, among other topics.
Valeria Scorza: philanthropy as a catalyst for sustainable development
A highlight of the program was the participation of CEO Valeria Scorza as a panelist at the event “Philanthropy as a catalyst in Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for Sustainable Development”. Organized by WINGS, Anglo American Foundation, and Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, this official side event brought together different voices to explore the roles of philanthropy in the future of development.
During an inspiring intervention, Valeria Scorza argued that communities and people must be at the center of decisions on the financing of critical projects. “We must think not only about combining investments, but also about combining powers. Combined power must be about sharing control and co-creation,” she remarked.
Valeria presented four fundamental principles to guarantee equity and inclusion: placing equity as a precondition, promoting inclusive governance, ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of resources, and supporting hybrid platforms that connect philanthropy, private investment, and public policies.
In practice
Scorza mentioned examples such as the Latitud R platform and the NAR Consortium, which show how cross-sector collaboration can transform systems. She also warned about the fragility that many networks and collectives face and made a strong call for the philanthropic sector to take risks and invest with courage in shared spaces that allow innovation and adaptation.
“If governments bring scale, if the private sector brings resources, and if communities bring knowledge, then philanthropy must bring courage. And courage is not only about combining capital, but also about combining power. It is about believing that this can flourish and result in a better economy for all.”
Ecosystem participation
In addition to Avina, World-Transforming Technologies (WTT) was also present at Climate Week and the UNGA, an organization that, together with Ikatu and Fundación Avina, forms an ecosystem that articulates knowledge, teams, and alliances to advance sustainable development.
Based on its work with science, technology, and innovation, World-Transforming Technologies co-organized the Funders Forum, joining the collective effort of funders from different sectors to strengthen coordination, align investments, and drive transformative solutions in sustainability.
The meeting reinforced that, in the face of the climate crisis, no organization can act alone. Coordination, new practices, and investments that strengthen institutions and drive change at scale are necessary.
The initiative was organized in partnership with the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (AMNH), Aspen Global Change Institute, Belmont Forum, Future Earth, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, University of Illinois System, and Walder Foundation.
In addition, during these days in New York and through the participation of its executive director Gaston Kremer, WTT contributed to strategic debates on the Pan-Amazon socio-bioeconomy and on the alignment of perspectives between regions, reinforcing the South–South agenda.
