The University of Western Australia will host more than 50 major public events as part of the 2017 Social Impact Festival, which runs between Tuesday 18 and Friday 28 July.

The 2017 Social Impact Festival, which is the largest social impact festival in the world, is hosted by the Centre for Social Impact at the UWA Business School. It celebrates initiatives bringing about positive social change across the themes of Home, Land and Place.

Bringing together more than 150 cutting-edge international and local leaders, including UWA speakers and community leaders, the multi-faceted festival goes beyond talking about the major issues confronting our society. It is designed to generate insights and practical solutions that will address issues such as homelessness, poverty, regional development challenges, sustainability in agriculture, climate change, equity in housing design and the impact of Native Title on Indigenous advancement.

Some of the highlights of the program and workshops include:

  • Festival Opening: Sowing the Seeds for Change 18 July 6pm
  • The Case for Social Housing    19 July 1pm
  • Panel: Future farms: Agriculture and Social Impact   21 July 11am
  • Public lecture: Density in Design 24 July 6pm
  • Why Does Disadvantage Endure? Persistent Enclaves and Public Policy 26 July 6pm

For a full program of events click here. https://socialimpactfestival.org/festival/program-overview/

The festival also includes walking tours around key sites in the city that have impacted Perth’s social development and features an ethical shopping experience in The Good Market: Guilt-free shopping to change the world.

Director of The Centre for Social Impact UWA Professor Paul Flatau said there were many activities in the festival for everyone to enjoy.

“Through the festival, we seek to create a healthier, more thriving society,” Professor Flatau said.

“A conference alone doesn’t lead to change – people want and expect more these days. That’s why we’ve created a fully immersive program that takes the best knowledge from Perth and around the world and turns it into something meaningful.”

For more information on the Social Impact Festival visit www.socialimpactfestival.org