Social Good Summit 2012: Ericsson builds commitment to Technology For Good

Ericsson sets high engagement ambitions for its initiatives during global sustainability event
Building on successful partnerships with Mashable, United Nations Foundation, and 92nd Street Y and others following last year's Social Good Summit and Rio+Social
Focus on education, refugee family reconnection, conflict resolution and peace, as well as development where mobile broadband is a key enabler
As the only private-sector partner involved in the Social Good Summit 2012 in New York, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) will participate in discussions on how mobile broadband can be used as a tool for change in helping to tackle global challenges.

The event, which takes place in New York on September 22-24, will be complemented by Social Good Summit hub events on September 24 in Nairobi, Kenya and Beijing, China as well as "meet-ups" in nearly 100 countries.

At the Social Good Summit as well as other related events in New York during the same week, Ericsson President and CEO Hans Vestberg will discuss the impact mobile broadband can have on a range of initiatives, and outline the key role technology can play in meeting global challenges.  

Vestberg says: "Broadband is proven as a key infrastructure for social and economic development. It positively impacts GDP, employment growth, and supports a low-carbon economy. During this week in New York we hope to raise awareness of the role mobile broadband and ICT can play on the global agenda."

At the Social Good Summit, Vestberg, who is a Broadband Commissioner, will highlight the release of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development's report, The State of Broadband 2012: Achieving Digital Inclusion for All, together with Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union. The report will be recognized by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, on September 23, at a meeting of the Broadband Commission.

Vestberg will also discuss the role of technology in development and peace with UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Forest Whitaker, Founder and Chair of PeaceEarth Foundation and Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University

The global education initiative "Connect To Learn" will also be highlighted during the week, with new announcements and an outline of the milestones achieved to date.  Ericsson's Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, Elaine Weidman-Grunewald, will appear on a Social Good Summit panel to discuss ways to improve access to a 21st-century secondary education for girls on September 24.

Later that day, Weidman-Grunewald will also introduce a session at the Summit on refugee reconnection. Based on the successful introduction of the mobile reconnection platform developed by Ericsson on behalf of Refugees United, she and co-founder Christopher Mikkelsen will discuss the importance of public-private partnerships in achieving scale. This initiative will also be represented at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York later in the week, which has the theme of Designing for Impact.

Vestberg and Weidman-Grunewald will also participate in the launch of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network on September 22, the network recently announced by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and directed by Jeffrey Sachs, in his role as special advisor to the UN Secretary General.  This initiative is part of the UN initiatives in support of the post-2015 development agenda and the outcome of the Rio+20 Conference.

The Social Good Summit will be webcast at www.mashable.com/sgs and on www.ericsson.com.