GAP Summit puts good, positive leadership at the front of effective recovery
The ’New Normal’ is a time of substantial possibilities if you are willing to play by the new rules for the long term. In the ‘New Normal’ it is important to do things right than to succumb to the tyranny of urgency. – Robert McNamee
The New Normal is upon us. This year’s Summit brought together 180 delegates to discuss what the new normal would look like and feel like. It was an opportunity to use our collective wisdom to determine recommendations for how Australia can embrace lessons learnt over the last two years and plan our future.
With delegates from the USA, Israel, Pacific Island Nations and Europe, our ideas about what Australia’s New Normal would look like was tested against international experience.
Our programme was broad. Climate change was flagged as an overriding issue of the post-pandemic age. Participants agreed that Australia should reduce its reliance on mineral and agricultural exports by developing high value commercial applications from its world-renowned scientific research.
Delegates called for closer links with democratic allies to strengthen supply chains and collective resilience in the face of growing geopolitical tension. Support of a relaxation of visa restrictions to encourage high skilled immigration was raised, and the promotion of a more entrepreneurial attitude and greater tolerance of risk was suggested.
As with all GAP Summits, the aim is to plan the programme of action for next year for the GAP community. The results of our deliberations include the establishment of two new GAP taskforces – one on Positive Leadership and one on Jobs and Skills.
GAP will convene these, made up of representatives from business, government and academia, and we will work in the coming year on implementable actions.
The work of last year’s Summit has resulted in the mobilisation of 200 people contributing to a report on Australia’s resilience which recommends the establishment of a National Resilience Institute. This work is still continuing into its second year, such is the support for this work.
So as I launch the report of the 2021 GAP Summit on the New Normal, I look forward to the many new opportunities it will bring to help to shape this wonderful country of ours to be the best it can be.
Read the report here.
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Catherine Fritz-Kalish is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of First 5000 and Global Access Partners.
