The Think Tanks and Civil Society Program (TTCSP) joined together with other think tanks to organize a Global Think Tank Town Hall that focused on how to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. This interactive Town Hall meeting addressed the new and unprecedented policy problems the world is facing and will face in the coming months and the existential challenges and disruptions the virus has imposed on think tanks around the world. The opening panel was attended by the presidents of the Heritage Foundation, the Brookings Institution, the Atlantic Council as well as numerous other Think Tank executives.
Read full draft report of the town hall: Global Think Tank Town Hall Draft Report
Excerpt:
The COVID-19 crisis has been a catastrophic global emergency. Everything has changed, and there is much uncertainty about the challenging reality of what lies ahead. As the virus continues to spread, reinforcing national boundaries, Think Tanks have a vital role to play in fostering global solidarity and innovative collective models for policy planning and advancement.
To begin shaping a way forward, we need to find an economically and socially viable path that is structured around safeguarding lives and livelihoods. This notion emphasizes the need to solve the virus and preserve the economy first, rather than reimagining the future, post-pandemic. Collectively, to navigate the crisis, strategic thinking should center around: Response, Resilience, Recovery and Reform.
On April 7th, 2020, over 300 Think Tank executives and scholars from 170 institutes in 60 countries registered for the Global Town Hall on Saving Lives and Livelihoods. Participants were invited to respond to the COVID-19 crisis and the new and unprecedented policy problems our communities and countries will face in the coming months -in addition to the existential challenges it presents to Think Tanks.
Townhalls build trust and confidence; they bring people together to create a sense of community, while also motivating and preparing members to act.
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