Rockefeller Foundation Backs Asia to Drive Global Change
The Rockefeller Foundation is betting on Asia’s leadership in reshaping international collaboration, launching a $50 million initiative to deliver real-world results in health, food, and global development.
A new global survey by The Rockefeller Foundation reveals that people overwhelmingly want their countries to cooperate on shared threats – but only if such efforts deliver tangible outcomes.
Conducted across 34 countries with more than 36,000 participants, the poll underscores that while 75 percent back international cooperation if it solves global problems, only 42 percent currently feel such efforts serve their personal interests.
«Build the Shared Future» Initiative Takes Shape
To address these concerns, the 112-year-old philanthropic powerhouse has launched the $50 million «Build the Shared Future» initiative. The program will break down silos in global development, restructure outdated systems, and test new approaches to deliver results.
Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a trustee of the Foundation, stressed: «People want a system that's more compassionate, more just, and more capable of delivering results».
Heavyweights Tapped to Reimagine Global Systems
The initiative brings together some of the world’s most experienced minds: Wally Adeyemo to craft a new framework for cooperation, Mark Dybul to lead reforms in global health, and Simon Winter to reimagine food systems.
«This moment of transformation is an opportunity to build on what’s working, forging new partnerships and leveraging new technologies,» said Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv J. Shah.
Asia Positioned to Lead the Transformation
Asia, with its diversity and scale, is emerging as a key driver. «People across Asia, from India to Indonesia, from China to Japan, want their countries to collaborate on challenges that transcend borders,» said Deepali Khanna, Senior Vice President & Head of Asia at The Rockefeller Foundation.
«Build the Shared Future is an unprecedented opportunity to transform what regional collaboration can achieve. Asia is positioned not only to benefit from that transformation, but to help lead it».
Global Institutions Face a Trust Deficit
Despite strong support for cooperation on pressing issues – from climate to jobs, health, and poverty – faith in existing institutions like the UN and IMF remains limited. Just 58 percent trust the UN, and only 44 percent the IMF.
The Foundation argues this creates a historic opening to rethink global governance and replace outdated mechanisms with more effective, mutually beneficial systems.
Building on a Legacy of Innovation
The Rockefeller Foundation has a long track record of pioneering global change, from fighting the 1918 influenza pandemic to inspiring the creation of the World Health Organization and supporting Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
With its latest initiative, the Foundation is once again betting big on science, innovation, and collaboration to shape a healthier and more secure future for humanity.
