EUROPE
Microsoft Hellas S.A.
Member: Silver
Since: 23.03.2010
Since: 23.03.2010
221, Kifissias Avenue, GR-151 24 Maroussi, Athens, Greece
EuroCharity interviews Ms. Tinita Georgantzi, CPE & Citizenship Lead, Microsoft Hellas
17.02.2012
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What does Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mean for your company and in which sectors is it particularly active?
Microsoft's Citizenship mission is to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential. We support our company mission by serving the needs of communities and fulfilling our public responsibilities. Through our Cybergrants programme we work with nonprofits around Greece to provide them with free software to support their work in local communities. The Microsoft Unlimited Potential Centres help foster social and economic opportunities by providing relevant training to people from sensitive social groups. We are proud to work with The Smile of the Child to provide useful training to youth regarding Internet Safety and we run numerous volunteering projects throughout the year.
Access to technology - helping to bridge the digital divide - has been a core element of Microsoft's citizenship work for many years. However, a new, more complex issue has come to light that cuts across economic, geographic and social boundaries: an opportunity divide, which is an emergent gap that is preventing youth around the globe from realizing their full potential due to inequities in access, skills, creativity and experience. Microsoft is committed to narrowing this opportunity divide by empowering youth to imagine and realize their potential - helping them move from opportunity imagined to opportunity realized.
How would you evaluate the penetration of CSR into Greek businesses, and particularly into small and mid-sized businesses?
In most cases, CSR is equated to donation activity and volunteering and is primarily driven by the corporate sector. With the country in crisis, real impact requires more than ad hoc initiatives. Every company, no matter how big or small has a duty to consider how it can contribute positively to society. The more CSR becomes an integral part of a company's strategy the more meaningful and impactful CSR can be.
What is your opinion on the growth of CSR in Greece?
The economic crisis is impacting today's youth and their future more than ever before. Even those with skills struggle to find their footing nowadays in Greece. Now is the most critical time for CSR to support our communities and in particular to drive activities that support youth employment and economic growth. Microsoft endeavors to be at the forefront of such initiatives, acknowledging that there still is a long way to go and much progress required in this area.
Why did your company decide to participate in the EuroCharity members network?
It is certainly important and very useful to have CSR news and information gathered in one portal both for Corporates and for NGOs.
Which would you say is your most common activity in CSR?
Our world is changing. We've seen unprecedented evolution in the last few decades driven by technological and social change. For a long time many, including Microsoft, focused on expanding access to technology to address the "digital divide" and to spread the social and economic benefits as broadly as possible. While this focus is still valid, as we look at the challenges that the world faces today, we increasingly see a new kind of divide - an opportunity divide, especially for young people. Microsoft is committed to narrowing this opportunity divide by providing youth with access to skills, technology and tools they can use tomorrow. We aim to help youth dream big by inspiring them to foster their creativity and encourage them to develop their talents to the fullest. We encourage lifelong learning and we aim to help youth obtain experience so they can achieve employability.
To this effect Microsoft has established a series of activities such as Partners in Learning which aim to strengthen innovation in learning and teaching. We collaborate with Universities and Technical Colleges providing free software, scholarships and investing in R&D. The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world's premier student technology competition. In 2012, we invite students to use their imagination and passion to create a technology solution that helps solve the world's toughest problems. Each of the winning teams receive a grant as well as access to resources and support to help them create a business or nonprofit organization to bring the benefits of their technology to the world. The Microsoft Innovation Centre is a non-profit organization focusing on local skills and job creation in the industry. Its mission is to strengthen innovation through the use of technology and drive competitiveness and entrepreneurship in Greece. Microsoft Innovation Centers target students, entrepreneurs, and Independent Software Vendors with the purpose to help them develop innovative software solutions.
Microsoft's Citizenship mission is to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential. We support our company mission by serving the needs of communities and fulfilling our public responsibilities. Through our Cybergrants programme we work with nonprofits around Greece to provide them with free software to support their work in local communities. The Microsoft Unlimited Potential Centres help foster social and economic opportunities by providing relevant training to people from sensitive social groups. We are proud to work with The Smile of the Child to provide useful training to youth regarding Internet Safety and we run numerous volunteering projects throughout the year.
Access to technology - helping to bridge the digital divide - has been a core element of Microsoft's citizenship work for many years. However, a new, more complex issue has come to light that cuts across economic, geographic and social boundaries: an opportunity divide, which is an emergent gap that is preventing youth around the globe from realizing their full potential due to inequities in access, skills, creativity and experience. Microsoft is committed to narrowing this opportunity divide by empowering youth to imagine and realize their potential - helping them move from opportunity imagined to opportunity realized.
How would you evaluate the penetration of CSR into Greek businesses, and particularly into small and mid-sized businesses?
In most cases, CSR is equated to donation activity and volunteering and is primarily driven by the corporate sector. With the country in crisis, real impact requires more than ad hoc initiatives. Every company, no matter how big or small has a duty to consider how it can contribute positively to society. The more CSR becomes an integral part of a company's strategy the more meaningful and impactful CSR can be.
What is your opinion on the growth of CSR in Greece?
The economic crisis is impacting today's youth and their future more than ever before. Even those with skills struggle to find their footing nowadays in Greece. Now is the most critical time for CSR to support our communities and in particular to drive activities that support youth employment and economic growth. Microsoft endeavors to be at the forefront of such initiatives, acknowledging that there still is a long way to go and much progress required in this area.
Why did your company decide to participate in the EuroCharity members network?
It is certainly important and very useful to have CSR news and information gathered in one portal both for Corporates and for NGOs.
Which would you say is your most common activity in CSR?
Our world is changing. We've seen unprecedented evolution in the last few decades driven by technological and social change. For a long time many, including Microsoft, focused on expanding access to technology to address the "digital divide" and to spread the social and economic benefits as broadly as possible. While this focus is still valid, as we look at the challenges that the world faces today, we increasingly see a new kind of divide - an opportunity divide, especially for young people. Microsoft is committed to narrowing this opportunity divide by providing youth with access to skills, technology and tools they can use tomorrow. We aim to help youth dream big by inspiring them to foster their creativity and encourage them to develop their talents to the fullest. We encourage lifelong learning and we aim to help youth obtain experience so they can achieve employability.
To this effect Microsoft has established a series of activities such as Partners in Learning which aim to strengthen innovation in learning and teaching. We collaborate with Universities and Technical Colleges providing free software, scholarships and investing in R&D. The Microsoft Imagine Cup is the world's premier student technology competition. In 2012, we invite students to use their imagination and passion to create a technology solution that helps solve the world's toughest problems. Each of the winning teams receive a grant as well as access to resources and support to help them create a business or nonprofit organization to bring the benefits of their technology to the world. The Microsoft Innovation Centre is a non-profit organization focusing on local skills and job creation in the industry. Its mission is to strengthen innovation through the use of technology and drive competitiveness and entrepreneurship in Greece. Microsoft Innovation Centers target students, entrepreneurs, and Independent Software Vendors with the purpose to help them develop innovative software solutions.
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