Global Network Online Forum - Jul 2025
Dear all,
Thank you to everyone who joined the recent Global Network Online Forum. It was so encouraging to hear your reflections on the Cutting Edge conference and to start to build up a picture of the next steps that we could take together.
We started the meeting by re-sharing the video of America Orellana, the football (soccer) referee from Bolivia whose story featured on day 2 of the conference. Her message is a powerful reminder of how our networks can help children and young people discover their value and purpose. Watch it again:
Your feedback from the Cutting Edge conference:
Many of you are already making plans to share Cutting Edge videos and resources within your networks—through local meetings, discussions with leadership and network members, and social media.
There was strong interest in having more opportunities to connect with networks already working in areas such as trauma-informed care, AI, family care, and economic support (microfinance). We had some time in breakout rooms to start to discuss some of these topics, but this was just the beginning of what we hope will be many longer-term conversations and actions.
You gave positive feedback on the online conference format, but mentioned that it might be helpful to spread the sessions out more so that they can fit around day-to-day work more easily. We also heard helpful suggestions on improving accessibility and publicity, especially around live interpretation and translated resources.
Next Steps:
Together, in the coming weeks and months, we will start to explore ways to connect networks interested in topics like trauma-informed care, AI, family care, and microfinance with others who have relevant experience and learning to share.
In the meantime, you can find conference videos and materials from Cutting Edge on the conference website here, and we’d encourage you to share them with network members and others who may be interested:
👉 https://www.viva.org/cutting-edge-films
This page will be updated over the coming weeks, including with Spanish and Portuguese versions of the videos and additional resources—so do keep checking back.
Lastly, we would love your feedback to help us plan future sessions: please complete the short feedback form here, if you have not yet done so.
Thank you again for your continued commitment to the children in your networks. We look forward to seeing these conversations continue to grow, and the actions that come out of them.