This powerful partnership is designed to
address the current global crisis in
education and encourage others to
answer the urgent call, which requires
action by individuals, corporations,
non-profits and governments around
the world. More than 70 million girls
and boys are not enrolled in primary
school.Hundreds of millions are
unable to attend secondary school,
even when they pass the qualifying
exams. Far more than half of those
are girls, who face many unique
challenges to accessing school.
In addition, the quality of education,
even for those with access, is often lacking.
Commented Madonna,
“It’s time for a change. There are
millions of kids around the world not
in school so we’re inviting everyone
to join us in hooking kids up with access
to a basic education through
scholarships and the opportunities
that come with access to technology
and the world’s information.”
The Connect To Learn initiative aims
to increase awareness and raise
funds through online giving, corporate
partnerships and foundation
investments. These funds will provide
secondary school scholarships and
will also expand a program of school-to-school partnerships, connecting
students through the Internet with counterparts in classrooms around the
world. In the coming months the initiative will be building partnerships and
gearing up for maximum global impact.
“We are embarking on this initiative because there is nothing more
important than assuring that today’s young people have the education
and skills to be productive global citizens in the 21st century,” said Jeffrey
Sachs, Director of The Earth Institute, Columbia University, President of
Millennium Promise, and Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon.
“We live in an Information Age and
education is the key to prosperity,
health, and even survival. Too many
children are forced out of school at an
early age, because of lack of financial
means or the lack of adequate facilities
to learn at the school. This is especially
true of young girls, who continue to face
special barriers in many societies to
continuing their education.” Today we
have the means to ensure that every
young person is able to thrive at school
and to connect to the world of knowledge
through the Internet, thereby creating a
worldwide community of knowledge and
mutual understanding in our
interconnected age,” said Sachs.
“Connect To Learn is committed to
ensure that all young people - boys
and girls - can complete a
secondary education, knowing that
this is the path to ending poverty,
ensuring prosperity, and creating a
more peaceful and sustainable planet.”
Commented Hans Vestberg, President
and CEO of Ericsson,
“Broadband is now vital everywhere
in the world, and can enable a high
quality 21st century education, even
at the primary and secondary level.
Students all over the world have the
possibility to share ideas and learn from
each other. It’s time for the classroom
to go global and go mobile, since mobile networks have started to
surpass fixed in many parts of the world- in discussion, social networking,
and curriculum design and implementation. With the latest communication
technology and our global scale, Ericsson is uniquely suited to shaping
this new world for future generations.”
“The global education challenge needs a
partnership strategy that draws on the
best insights of business, government,
technology, academia, and community
leadership. A special emphasis on the
unique benefits and needs of girls'
education can promote society-wide
breakthroughs in health, gender
equality, and economic development
around the developing world," said
John McArthur, CEO of
Millennium Promise.
Initial scholarship disbursement for
secondary students and ICT implementation for schools through the
Connect To Learn initiative will leverage the infrastructure of the
Millennium Villages, which reach half a million people across 10 countries
in Sub-Saharan Africa, to ensure successful start-up of the global
education initiative’s programmatic efforts. After the initial launch in Africa,
the alliance will work to support education and scholarship campaigns in
other developing countries and to establish partnerships in support of the
cause globally. Ericsson is also providing the mobile platform via its
eStore solution, which extends the awareness of the campaign to all
Internet enabled mobile users globally.
To donate or learn more, please visit the campaign website at
www.connecttolearn.org or m.connectolearn.org.
About the Earth Institute
The Earth Institute at Columbia University is the world’s leading academic
center confronting the practical challenges of sustainable development.
Our core activities include educating and training the next generation of
global leaders, advancing scientific research and implementing practical
solutions to create a more sustainable world. For more information, visit
www.earth.columbia.edu
About Ericsson
Ericsson is the world’s leading provider
of technology and services to telecom
operators. Ericsson is the leader in
2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies,
and provides support for networks
with over 2 billion subscribers and
has the leading position in managed
services. The company’s portfolio
comprises mobile and fixed network
infrastructure, telecom services,
software, broadband and multimedia
solutions for operators, enterprises
and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint
ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the “prime driver in an all-
communicating world” through innovation, technology, and sustainable
business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 80,000
employees generated revenue of SEK 206.5 billion (USD 27.1 billion) in
2009. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden,
Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.
www.ericsson.com
Madonna joined the Earth Institute,
Ericsson and Millennium Promise to
announce a new global education
initiative aimed at supporting access
to primary and secondary education
for every child in the world, with an
emphasis on girls’ secondary
schooling.
The initiative - Connect To Learn -
will providesecondary school scholarships,
with a special focus on girls, and implement information and
communications technology (“ICT”) in schools, enhancing the
overall quality and availability of the education.
