 Bill Hilf, Microsoft’s UNHCR Council of Business Leaders representative, shows how the Community Technology Access program can help improve refugee’s education and livelihoods through providing access to information and communication technology.  Bill Hilf, Microsoft’s UNHCR Council of Business Leaders representative, discusses Microsoft’s partnership with the UNHCR and several of the programs that have been jointly implemented across UNHCR refugee camps.  Microsoft employee and former Bosnian refugee Leila Toplic visits the UNHCR’s Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya and discusses her experiences as a refugee and now giving back to the UN’s Refugee Agency.  The UNHCR assists over 30 million refugees in more than 100 countries and looks for partnerships with the private sector to provide expertise in areas such as information technology to assist in the support of refugees under the care of the UN agency.  CNBC Africa’s Regional Roundup profiles Microsoft’s commitment as a long term partner with UNHC and the role the Microsoft based ProGres software solution plays in helping both UNHCR and governments manage refugee situations.  The Microsoft Front Lines program puts employees into real business situations with strategic partners in the developing world. The program explores how Microsoft’s technology and people can make a tangible difference in these communities.  Luis Alberto Moreno, President of IDB, talks about the crucial role technology is playing in fostering development in Latin America and the Caribbean.  AGORA, a Research4Life program, provides free online access to relevant scientific journals, books and databases on agriculture.  This video presents programs to apply ICT to Education in Senegal and Rwanda and comments from government leaders, teachers and students on the impact these programs are having in their countries.  Discover how Shape the Future promotes digital infrastructure throughout the world.  The George Washington School of Political Management together with Microsoft and the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru in Lima are educating politicians on the use of ICT in many facets of politics and good governance.  The OAS POETA program helps people with disabilities gain access to ICT and related skills to foster economic development and employment.  As illustrated in this video, innovative ISVs in Africa are developing trade and customs solutions to help foster both stronger regional integration and quality controls and tracking to ensure access to European markets.  Latin America and Caribbean region is the largest remittance market in the world, accounting for nearly 67 billion dollars, of which 75% is sent from the U.S.  As part of Microsoft’s commitment to stimulate social and economic development, we work closely with governments and development stakeholders to jointly apply technology in ways that help foster development and help people realize their full potential.  Microsoft’s Partners in Learning (PiL) program is helping Lycee Philippe Zinda Kabore, Burkina Faso’s largest school, by expanding ICT skills. The PiL program draws on partnerships to provide low-cost computer, software and educational content.  The CESAG School of Government trains government employees around the region on how to use and leverage technology and the JFK Schools Low Cost Computing program gives students access to PC and Internet connectivity.  Programs including POETA, Micronet and the Virtual Institute are helping to transform education, foster innovation and enable economic and social opportunities in the region.  At the Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, doctors and staff have utilized journals and research found through HINARI, the Research4Life program providing free or low-cost access to cutting-edge global healthcare research for developing countries.  Microsoft and its partners including the Organization of American States, the Inter-American development Bank and the World Bank are working together to implement programs to help people in the region benefit from access to ICT and related skills. |
