Maya Angelou’s electrifying poem “Still I Rise” captures so well the tone of the 2017 Skoll World Forum. Written nearly 40 years ago, this classic anthem feels absolutely current, somehow prescient, and informed the Forum theme: Fault Lines, Creating Common Ground.

Periodically, the tectonic plates of social, political, and economic forces collide and the fault lines beneath us rupture violently. Though we sometimes fail to recognize these fissures, they’re always lurking. Eventually though, tensions reveal themselves, and with that exposure comes an opportunity to confront the underlying gaps of injustice, intolerance, and inequality—and to identify paths forward.

On which side of the divide do you find yourself? Where will you forge common ground?
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About the Skoll World Forum:
Each year, nearly 1,000 of the world’s most influential social entrepreneurs, key thought leaders and strategic partners gather at the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford to exchange ideas, solutions, and information.

The Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship is the premier international platform for advancing entrepreneurial approaches and solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. Our mission is to accelerate the impact of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs by uniting them with essential partners in a collaborative pursuit of learning, leverage, and large-scale social change.

Co-produced by the Skoll Foundation and the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the Saïd Business School, the Forum shines a spotlight on best practices, new innovations and connecting leaders to one another to further global social progress. Forum delegates represent nearly 65 countries and participate in a range of interactive events in inspiring Oxford locations. We provide a unique platform for delegates to openly share, collaborate, innovate and ultimately, advance social entrepreneurship.