The power to convene can help humanity meet its challenges

From the ancient Greek agoras and Roman senates, through the majlis tradition in Islam, down to the parliaments and assemblies of the modern world, human beings have always sought to gather wise and like-minded individuals to discuss solutions to complex and challenging problems.
The power to convene is a potent force. At the FII Institute, we firmly believe that collaboration, conversation and co-operation are key elements in tackling the huge challenges — from climate change, to social and economic inequalities, right through to the issues around generative AI — facing humankind today.
That is why, since 2017, we have built a global network of influential thought leaders and decision-makers in business, policymaking, academia as well as civil society and media who come together regularly to discuss issues on a granular level, breaking down accepted wisdom and offering innovative and actionable solutions to these problems.
As Richard Attias, CEO of the FII Institute, said recently, individual members of the institute are thus “catalysts for innovation and progress, strengthening our mission to drive positive change in the world and to impact humanity.”
The FII summit in Riyadh proved the appeal of this approach. Over 1,000 individuals each paid $15,000 to secure membership of the FII Institute, becoming part of our movement, joining us in our year-round program of activities, and participating in the big debates about our future.
The summit addressed the macroeconomic headwinds faced by all societies; the practicalities of financing climate change action and technologies; ensuring that investment in accelerating technologies such as AI serves as a force for good; directing investment flows towards emerging markets where they are needed to drive prosperity and growth for all; and investments in education and health ensuring all humanity can flourish.
We have an ambitious program, and I am under no illusion that talk alone can bring about meaningful change. But conversation, rumination and reflection can help set the intellectual framework within which ideas can be brought to fruition and seen through to practical implementation.
As the Chinese say: “A single conversation with a wise man is worth 10 years of study.”
Wise men and women are central to our mission. Heads of state, ministers, investors, founders and public policy experts joined us in Riyadh at the end of October and at Asia’s business hub Hong Kong in December.
The flagship Riyadh conference is not the limit of FII Institute’s convening power. Our members are also invited to take part in the rolling series of FII Priority Summits that will take place in London, Miami, South America and Hong Kong throughout the year, where ideas are continually elaborated and refined.
At the FII Priority Summits, cross-fertilization of ideas takes place on a global level. These are inclusive summits designed to facilitate international dialogue, knowledge sharing and partnerships, bringing together innovators, leaders and investors in a community of influencers eager to shape a better future for all. In an increasingly interconnected but fractious world, institutions like ours are crucial for tackling humanity’s biggest challenges. By promoting knowledge sharing, facilitating collaborative problem solving, and influencing policy development, we can open up invaluable opportunities for progress.
In history, we are used to seeing big global gatherings as the emergency response to a crisis: the peace talks after a war; the reaction to global financial crisis; the retort to a global pandemic.
At FII Institute, we see it the other way round. Global summits and conferences should help anticipate and address these events before they reach crisis proportions. We firmly believe that prevention is better than cure, and that sound intellectual reasoning can guide humankind towards better responses to its many challenges.
It is by working together we can make a difference, innovating for a better future, and shaping a safer society for the generations to come. If our work helps humanity to flourish in these testing times then we are succeeding.

• Florence Dubois is head of XCHANGE and global partnerships, FII Institute.