SKOLL 09: They Said You Said

The best quotes from the Skoll World Forum for Social Entrepreneurship in Oxford:

'You are the modern-day prophet who has reached the Arab world.'

Soraya Salti, senior vice president MENA, INJAZ al-Arab, JA Worldwide, addressing Jeff Skoll in the closing plenary.

An interesting response via Twitter from Nick Temple of the School for Social Entrepreneurs was:

'But is he a for-prophet or not-for-prophet?

'The Skoll World Forum 2009 represents that there is living proof that there's something still worth believing in.'

Lord David Puttnam in the closing plenary

'There is no lobby for prevention and no victory for prevention.'

Larry Brilliant, vice president and chief philanthropic evangelist at Google.org, commenting on the work of Dr Nathan Wolfe, who helps stop diseases spreading from animals to humans.

'I was recently accused, and pleaded guilty to, being the last optimistic investor in New York.'

George Overholser, founder of NFF capital quoting something he often hears venture capitalists say but never social entrepreneurs.

'Our organisation is considered more arts and crafts than technology. It will be a few more years before we're seen differently.'

Skoll Award winner Bart Weetjens, founder of rat training social enterprise Apopo, on the difficulties of scaling up.

'Why don't you get the people who run Charity Bank to run Lloyds?'

Matthew Bishop, chief business writer and New York bureau chief, The Economist during the capital markets in crisis session.

'Did you hear the call of the Twitter, is it a gene, did you know you were one before you could admit it to your parents? Along this journey, did anyone mention that you were going to work harder than you ever imagined?'

Ken S Brecher, executive director of Sundance Institute, a documentary film programme supported by the Skoll Foundation.

'We have 785 delegates from 65 countries on six continents. I know you all come here for the lovely weather and this year we threw in an economic recession - next year we're going to toss in some locusts.'

Jeff Skoll, founder and chairman of the Skoll Foundation, thanking delegates for coming despite the economic climate and the Oxford rain.

‘I have a three-month-old baby conceived here at Oxford last year - [shake of head] I promised myself I would not say that.'

The confession that would not be stopped by Daniel Lubetzky, founder and president of PeaceWorks Group. He told the entire audience in the Sheldonian Theatre.

‘The passionless can not change history. It's your challenge to change history by your passion, ideas and the connections this event allows.'

Closing remarks of the opening night's plenary by Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship chairman Stephan Chambers.

'These are the voyagers on the Starship Social Enterprise. Its mission is to go where no one has been before and this is the excitement that awaits us.'

Jim Austin, a professor at Harvard Business School, has a Star Trek moment when talking about inspiring young people into social enterprise.