Some in the NGO community were flabbergasted, asking, 'How can an institution like Tehelka take money from Coke or from DLF?' But we were easy in our conscience and skin even then because the triumph was to make corporates like this fund a conference like that, where people were bringing their grievances onto the table, were talking issues of justice.
Still, not so long ago sexual orientation would have been the last thing a politician in Mr. McGreevey's predicament would have spotlighted at a news conference like that -- especially with a declaration as indelibly eloquent and defiant as this one.
I'm hopeful, particularly with the help of conferences like this, that impact investing will solidify its place as an asset class as common as stocks and bonds.
Strategists buy books and go to conferences and things like that.
"They're sending me out to five American cities, starting with Tampa [Fla.], to meet with 'real people,' [the emphasis was hers] to ask them, 'How and where do you get your news?' No promos or press conferences or anything like that.
And one way to do so is to hold conferences like these that frankly give me a chance and a platform to speak to the country and say, as clearly as I can, we welcome the army of compassion, we understand the power of faith in America, and the federal government will assist, not discriminate against you".
Conferences like WIE that bring women together are just one place for these conversations to take place.
Conferences like this that simply restate the institution's position, trot out the single narrative (abusive childhood, promiscuous "lifestyle", and now ex-gay views) that affirms the institution's position do harm -- and they spend a lot of tithe dollars while doing it!
