The first annual Ghana Social Impact Summit that seeks to bring both African leaders and emerging social impact professionals together is scheduled to take place in Accra.

The groundbreaking Summit will be a festival of celebration and showcasing of social interventions by corporate bodies that believe in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), social enterprises, non-governmental organizations, development outfits, foundations, social enterprises, faith-based organizations and community-based organizations.

The event will also create avenues for exhibition of social impact stories, build strategic partnerships and synergies, network to build more positive changes; influence policies and generate a significant positive impact.

The one-day innovative event will also offer entertaining, educative and enlightening engagements from social and behavior change practitioners through auxiliary events such as market fair exhibitions, capacity and skills-building workshops, and social impact storytelling sessions through documentaries, short films, poster sessions, talk-shows, visual communication tools such as photo stories and many other unconventionally activities to engage various stakeholders.

This Social Impact Summit platform has been created for players who have over the years touched communities, shaped futures, influenced attitudes and transformed behaviours in their quests to compliment developmental efforts by governments and in contribution towards the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

It is, therefore, hoped that everyone who believes in the cause of humanity will take advantage of this total experience and fully participate. Both the public and private sectors are expected to play very instrumental roles in ensuring a successful summit.

It is worth noting that delegates will be challenged to look at the dynamics and new trends in the social impact space and to create new, collaborative models for the future. Each session will feature high-profile speakers, engagingly addressing the trendiest issues that will ensure the relevance and enthusiasm of the summit. Each delegate’s expertise, interests and areas of concern will be taken into consideration, along with global events and industry trends, to create the final summit agenda. Emerging social enterprises will be exposed to potential donors, experts and partners while networking, sharing experiences and building partnerships.

Each session of the summit will delve into best practices, looking at topics including social and behavioural change communication the use of creative and trendy tools for social and community interventions, innovative community projects and programmes.

The organizers anticipate over 200 delegates comprising Executive Directors, Country Directors, Foundation Managers, Donors, Fundraising Managers, Project Managers, CSR Managers, Marketing Professionals Communication for Development and Public Relations practitioners from both the public and private sectors working on diverse social interventions. Also, about 50 exhibitors, 10 professional and technical speakers and over 30 Journalists to participate in this summit.

Topics for discussions, and showcasing will cut across the various UN Sustainable Development Goals from both the corporate and civil service societies. The Ghana Social Impact Summit is a flagship event of Laugh for Lives Africa, an indigenous Communication for Development and Experiential Theatre organization based in Accra using creative arts and various communication tools to shape attitudes, change behaviours and improve communities.