U.S.-China Next-Gen Leaders Circle advances Sino-American climate collaboration
The NGLC will continue to explore strategic philanthropic practices and delve into deep discussion and exploration of questions around the role of business and society, with the goal of taking action-oriented collaboration on important social issues that lead to tangible results.
At a critical time in U.S.-China relations, significant cross-cultural people-to-people dialogue and activities around tackling common challenges are more important than ever. That’s why the Serica Initiative has teamed up with The China Institute to launch the U.S.-China Next-Gen Leaders Circle (NGLC), the only bicultural and action-based platform to connect young American and Chinese leaders who share a common passion for philanthropy with social innovators.
As a forum for building meaningful connections between young U.S. and Chinese philanthropists and social innovators, the NGLC provides a platform for millennials on both sides to discuss philanthropy, social justice issues, and to seek solutions to global challenges by bringing together a diversity of skills, resources, and perspectives from their respective industries and backgrounds. In addition to forging bridges between thought leaders in both countries, the NGLC also helps build the foundation for a healthy civil society in the U.S. and China, rooted in global values such as opportunity, transparency, and equity.
The NGLC’s focus in 2022 is on climate change, as cooperation on environmental-related issues remains one of the most promising opportunities in the increasingly strained U.S.-China relationship. NGLC’s three pillars of activity, including strategic philanthropy education, dialogue and exchange, and giving circles, have all been centered this year on climate-related projects, including a recent fireside chat with Charlotte Kaiser, Managing Director of NatureVest, The Nature Conservancy, and Peggy Liu, Chairperson of JUCCCE.
Liu lauded the efforts of the NGLC. One of the key problems in U.S.-China relations, she noted, is not the intent to collaborate, but rather, in programmatic collaboration. The work of the NGLC is so important because, “cultural bridges are the key to making any type of progress in any one of the countries. If you can’t even speak the same language, if you aren’t using the same vocabulary, if you can’t create a safe space for dialogue, nothing will go forward.”
Other areas of focus for the NGLC include poverty alleviation, education equality, cultural heritage preservation, arts and entertainment, and gender issues. Going forward, the NGLC will continue to explore strategic philanthropic practices and delve into deep discussion and exploration of questions around the role of business and society, with the goal of taking action-oriented collaboration on important social issues that lead to tangible results. For more details on the program and to apply for membership, please check out their website here.
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