From September 9 to 11, the Second International Civil Society Solidarity Conference on the Global Development Initiative, guided by the International Department of the Central Committee of CPC (IDCPC), and co-hosted by the China NGO Network for International Exchange (CNIE) and the People's Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, was held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. The conference brought together more than 300 guests from over 50 countries, engaging in in-depth discussions around the global development initiative.
According to the Amity Foundation, the exchange meeting on "Advancing Global Development Through Livelihood Cooperation" was held on the morning of September 11, organized by CNIE and co-hosted by its newly established Public Welfare and Charity Committee, Medical and Health Committee, and Humanitarian Aid Committee. As the deputy director of the CNIE's Public Welfare and Charity Committee, the Amity Foundation has been involved since the initial planning of the conference and has provided organizational support.
Ling Chunxiang, Amity Foundation's vice chair and general secretary, spoke at the meeting on "Advancing Global Development Through Livelihood Cooperation," introducing Amity's long-standing efforts and practices in the two key areas of international volunteering and humanitarian relief—from the highly influential early "Building International Friendship and Cultural Understanding Through Teaching Exchange" to the recent "Amity Global Foundation Volunteer," from domestic disaster response to venturing abroad for disaster relief in other countries. Amity's core philosophy is to adapt its relatively mature project models and experiences from China to the actual conditions and needs of host countries, implementing them in more than ten nations worldwide to foster people-to-people connectivity.
At the meeting, Mr. Tungamirai Eric Mupona, vice chairman of the China Zimbabwe Exchange Centre, spoke on Panel 2 on "Healthcare and Wellbeing." Titled "Digging Wells for Life: Creating a Future of Health and Well-being with Civil Society Forces," his presentation introduced the origins and achievements of the China-aided borehole drilling project, which has received strong support from the Amity Foundation and other Chinese philanthropic partners. It exemplifies the vivid practice of Chinese NGOs partnering with African civil society organizations to promote improvements in people's livelihoods. He was also the only foreign guest to speak in Chinese at the concept exchange meeting that day. In addition to Mr. Mupona, Amity invited three other foreign guests to participate, from Zimbabwe, Cambodia, and Indonesia, respectively. The Amity Foundation has already carried out international cooperation projects in education, health care, and other fields with the institutions where these guests work.
In the final practical outcomes signing session of the meeting, Ling signed a project cooperation agreement with the director of Light Ethiopia to provide scholarships for 50 primary and secondary school students in Ethiopia.
The Amity Foundation also participated in the "Practical Cooperation for Development Matchmaking Meeting" held on the afternoon of September 10. At the event, the Amity Foundation's booth attracted a lot of attention from Chinese and foreign participants. Guests browsed the booth's annual reports and introductory brochures, and a series of exquisitely designed branded promotional items—such as fridge magnets, coasters, and postcards from Amity's Africa projects—were particularly popular.