partnerships with governments, NGOs and developmental organizations, we are in a better position
to more effectively address the needs of billions of
people. Unlimited Potential aims to nurture local
innovation and economic opportunities by delivering the benefits of relevant, accessible and affordable
software—with the goal of reaching the next 1 billion people by 2015.
Tech Power to the People
One thing that makes Unlimited Potential unique is
the deep engagement of a team of senior leaders from
every part of the company—research, soft ware development, operations, law and corporate affairs, sales,
and marketing. This team guides our efforts and
identifies areas where our business and citizenship
investments can work in concert to benefit underserved communities. The decisions of these senior
leaders are supported by a team of engineers dedicated to the development of new technologies that will
meet the needs of these communities. Their efforts,
in turn, are supported by the work of hundreds of
other developers, researchers and in-country experts
across the company.
As Unlimited Potential expands, it will become
an increasingly powerful tool for delivering the benefits of technology to unskilled farmers, displaced
urban workers, people with disabilities, and children
in remote village schools. In particular, it focuses on
the needs, interests and dreams of the young people
who hold the keys to the economic and social future
of every nation. Our goal is to help them to become
innovators, to create new businesses, and to teach
and inspire others.
Unlimited Potential aims to deliver solutions in
three areas that play a crucial role in nurturing social
and economic opportunity in underserved communities: transforming education, fostering local innovation, and enabling jobs and opportunities.
As a cornerstone of economic opportunity, education is critical to helping young people realize their
potential and develop the skills they need to be productive members of society. However, the combination of growing populations and limited resources
Is Corporate Social Responsibility just PR?
The world’s highest pro- signatories in 100 coun- public-relations-driven pressures on companies
file example of CSR began tries—and stands as a philanthropy? to use renewable
eight years ago. Under the striking example of com- The answer is no—at materials and low-carbon
prodding of then-UN Sec- mitment to broader social least not in the long term. technologies.
retary General Kofi Annan, aims by the private sector. Peeling off a few dollars Investors are coming
hundreds of businesses Good intentions how- for CSR initiatives may to expect thorough inde-across the globe signed ever are not the same as be sufficient for market- pendent assessments of a
a pledge to observe uni- actions. As of November ing, but it doesn’t meet the company’s environmental
versal principles related 2007, only 160 companies investors’ requirements. practices that could affect
to human and labor rights, who had subscribed to the Corporate scandals like their portfolios. That’s why
the environment, and good Global Compact had ful- the Enron case have some of them are push-corporate governance. Sig- filled the annual report- prodded Wall Street to ing the U.S. Congress to
natories also committed ing requirement. Moreover, demand higher standards require better disclosure
themselves to reporting 856 never submitted any of transparency. This has by companies about the
annually on how well they documentation at all. been particularly true environmental dangers of
did in each area. Today, If a venture as high- of environmental issues. their operations. Report-the UN Global Compact minded as the Global Greater public attention ing, it seems, is most pow-includes about 2,900 busi- Compact can fall short, to the threat of climate erful when it’s pushed by
nesses among its 3,800 does that mean CSR is just change has created new the investors themselves.
