Searching for solutions
Posted by Sheryl Sandberg, VP, Global
Online Sales & Operations
Just over two years ago, I href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/20080117_googleorg.html"
id="fijs" >wrote here that we were taking a broad approach to
philanthropy under the umbrella of Google.org. Today Google.org
id="qagv" >shared
initiatives to help combat climate change, global poverty and
emerging threats such as pandemic disease. These initiatives draw
upon Google's strengths in access to information and scalable
technology. We'll use a range of approaches including grants,
investments in for-profits and advocacy, and will continue to tap
the experience of Google engineers and other team members.
We're working alongside experienced partners to carry out these
initiatives. For example, one of the initiatives is aimed at
improving the quality of delivery of basic services, such as
education or clean water. In rich countries we take it for granted
that clean water comes out when we turn the tap, and our children
learn to read when they go to school. But in many countries in the
developing world, essential public services are not working,
especially for the poor. Governments are investing huge sums — to
the tune of $700 billion — to provide basic services, but the lack
of two-way information flow inhibits the effectiveness of delivery
and the ability of communities to hold providers accountable. The
Empower initiative explores ways to bridge that gap. One of our
partners is
id="qwa5" >Pratham, a non-governmental organization (NGO) in
India that creates the
Report, a yearly nationwide survey on education outcomes. Their
2005 report provided data for the first time on basic reading and
math skills for children in rural India. The report seeded a
national conversation between governments, NGOs and private
providers about the state of education and served as a catalyst for
change. Our support will help expand their work to other sectors
and potentially to other countries.
Please visit
id="t42q" >Google.org for more information on Inform and Empower
and the other initiatives announced today
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