The conference aims to act as an “International Think Tank” to accelerate the implementation of the UN Convention and will focus heavily on extensive country comparison and identifies solutions in order to exert constructive international pressure in favour of accelerated implementation. It aims primarily at identifying positive examples as well as laws which have eliminated social, legal, economic, political and environmental barriers to the rights of persons with disabilities.

Prior to the Zero Conference Caroline Casey said; “The fact that this conference has been totally over subscribed, with participants from 35 countries, with multi stakeholders is testament to the approach it is taking – one based solely on solutions and ideas that work and can be replicated. Too often we focus on the problems and obstacles and not so much on the opportunities and successful practices. The 8 solutions being discussed today come from 7 countries and I believe are an exciting step towards an inclusive society.”

The Zero Conference is the Essl Foundation’s second long-term project (in addition to the annually awarded Essl Social Prize), The focus of the Zero Project website will be officially launched at the conference today, these include Good Practices and Good Policies identified in the report. As an interactive platform for persons with disabilities, NGOs, policymakers, research and business, the page will facilitate a variety of forms of participation.

The Zero Conference was organised at the initiative of the Essl Foundation in cooperation with the Hamburg-based foundation, the World Future Council, and its founder Jakob von Uexkull.

Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue

Speaking at the event Caroline said: “I think that every leader or every company needs to be aware that it is within a community and it needs to be a good corporate citizen . . it should be a value in your company because your consumers are people, your suppliers are people your employees and talent are people, you will be an affective company if you look after your people well both inside and outside your company”

Follow this link to view the VT Clip
ThunderBird Global Business Dialogue

EU

Caroline’s work as a social entrepreneur has kick started a global business movement through the Ability Awards and Ability International which are all grounded in The disability business case.
The IIBN (Irish International Business Network) conference in the Aviva Stadium last Friday in Dublin showed that entrepreneurship is alive and kicking in Ireland and has huge potential internationally.
Speaking at IIBN CEO of Norcom Paul Kerley gave a highlighted that learning from what other entrepreneurs experiences

Carlos Mas PwC, Luis Abril Telefonica SA, Caroline Casey, Kanchi, Jose Maria alvArez-Pallete Telefonica Europe

The Ability Awards is a business awards programme that recognises organisations that think differently and strive towards achieving best business practice for the inclusion and employment of people with disabilities.
The first Irish Ability Awards sponsored by O2 captured a global audience and has led to Kanchi partnering up with communications giant Telefonica for Ability Awards International which will see the roll out of the Ability Awards in five countries in five years.
Last years awards programme received 450 applications and resulting in 400 Ability Companies being formed in Europe.
People with disabilities make up 9 percent of the Spanish population and represent one of Spain’s largest unsaturated talent and market spaces.
Successful winners of the Ability Awards are innovative leaders who recognise disability and diversity as a strategic investment contributing to the success of their organisation.

Ian Elliott Programme Manager of Ability Awards International said; “It was an amazing achievement for a small Irish social enterprise to export their programme which has changed the social and business landscape for people with disabilities in Spain. Telefonica have demonstrated true leadership through their commitment to supporting Kanchi in our aim of bringing the Ability Awards Global. They have recognised and embraced the benefits of including people with disabilities within business”

Winners from the first cycle of Ability Awards Spain included; technology experts Repsol, Hotel Entremares and airport service providers Aena in the Absolute Category.

To find out more about the Awards go to; www.telefonicaabilityawards.com

Caroline at CGI

Caroline Casey speaking at the CGI conference
Then there is Petra Nemcova who I have come to admire for her steadfast support to build schools for children impacted by a natural disaster and who in six years has built over 56 schools where kids not only get an education but get some normality back into their lives. Petra her team at the Helping Hearts Fund create sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Linda Lockhart started the Global Give Back Circle to help girls in Kenya make the leap from high school to university. She provides the girl with training, support and most importantly mentors – and many of these girls are now becoming leaders in their own right.
I also met Ashok and Amrita Mahbubani who though the Ekta Foundation are making a significant difference in Haiti by helping build technology infrastructure and extend it into classrooms by partnering with Inveneo and NetHope.
Speaking of NetHope. ,Microsoft is partnering the organization to expand its NetHope Academy to Africa and Latin America to train 1,000 interns over the next three years. NetHope launched its inaugural NetHope Academy class in Haiti in September 2010 after recognizing an acute shortage of local, qualified IT staff at NGOs working to help Haiti recover after the 2010 earthquake. In March of 2011, 39 students graduated from the program and more than 80 percent of them achieved full-time employment. This commitment to action at CGI represents a new and significant expansion in the size, scope and geographic reach of our small, but highly successful program launched last year in Haiti.

There is incredible work underway around the world to address the issues we face. At Microsoft we feel very privileged that we have been able to support many of these efforts that are all about providing youth with opportunity so they can be the agents of change. As is customary at CGI it’s not just about talking, it’s about commitment. Microsoft have committed in partnership with Comcast, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and One Economy to provide broadband access and technology to 1 million students from low-income families in the United States to receive the benefits of software, hardware and broadband Internet service. There are over 7 million kids in the U.S. today who have no access to a computer, a mobile phone or the internet. This commitment aims to change that reality and help these kids to contribute to their own future as well as the prosperity of their own community.
President Clinton summed it up best that it is better to try and fail that not try at all. He said that pessimism is making the decision to be disappointed in advance. Coming together to make change is what this week is all about. New Yorkers complain about the traffic and the gridlock because in addition to CGI, the UN General Assembly is in session with heads of State and diplomats rushing all over the city. But these people also show up at CGI where they come in contact with incredible, inspirational people like Craig, Caroline, Petra, Linda and others. Many of them are just committed individuals that wake up every day and against many odds go out and try and make change, one person at a time. We are honored to be part of this movement.

The idea came from a conversation I had with a leading business person, a few months back, who was honest enough to say “listen, for me disability is a problem to be managed -  but don’t quote me on that”.  That morning when I walked away form the meeting, it occurred to me, that maybe its time to come revisit the ever persistent “elephant in the room”. 

But doing something like that could have been a huge risk for Kanchi as our work is so thoroughly grounded in the disability case and those who have worked and partnered with us over the years have expectations based on this. But no matter what Kanchi believes about the value of the disability community to business there still remains scepticism.

And when we don’t talk about things, we create problems and scepticism grows. If we don’t know the true concerns and obstacles challenging business to become inclusive, we can never find solutions. PC, though important seems to have nearly made people MORE uncomfortable to say what is really worrying them and if we cant hear what’s worrying them we simply can’t fix it!!

And brave enough to take on the challenge of the debate was the fabulous Nicola Byrne, Entrepreneur and Founder of 11890, Linda O’Shea Farren, Solicitor, comedian Eric Lalor, and Gavin Duffy Entrepreneur, Media Coach and Dragon’s Den Presenter. With a gang like that we needed a brave chair and David McWilliams Economist, Broadcaster & Author more than managed the madness. Backdrop by a true Mastermind set, complete with high backed black chairs and booming music the stage was set to a packed room. When we began no one knew where the debate would lead. The only briefing each panellist had been given was to “help us kick the elephant out of the room”.  And from the moment Eric Lalor opened with a self deprecating quip about “stand up” comedians, we were on a roll.

Throughout the debate you could hear laughter, sense tension as boundaries were pushed, felt people squirm while other heads nod vigorously in agreement.  Comments, questions and opinions from the audience were equally as varied, the highlight being the hilarious Rosie McAdam who gave Eric a run for his money. But it was really Linda O’Shea Farren’s comment “for god sake, when dealing with disability, just act normally” that was the perfect end to the debate, because regardless of the differing opinions that may exist around business and disability, her comment reflects the need for common sense – that human beings are simply different.

The feedback from the night has been quite phenomenal and unexpected. The energy in the reception afterwards was maybe the best indicator that we hit the right note and if nothing else we got people talking, thinking, discussing and arguing, completely in the open about something that so traditionally remains hidden.

Maybe this debate has gone some way in Kanchi achieving its ultimate mission – to be obsolete in 10 years.  Because by then I hope that we don’t need conferences, debates and awards schemes to convince people about something that seems so very obvious – the value of difference!!

A huge thank you to everyone who helped made the Kanchi Network Launch such a success but a vey very special thank you to our star panel and chair who took the risk with us.

In early December when I last wrote a blog (I am the worst blog writer) I finished with

“I believe our next big break is moments away. I don’t know why or what proof I can give. But something is about to happen. Something is about to change!”

And boy did it happen. On the 17th January we had the gala event for the first Spanish Telefonica Ability Awards. The fact that 10 years earlier, the 17th January marked the first day of my 1000km trek across India on Kanchi, made that moment, as my Indian friends would suggest, auspicious.

Not only did I witness the superb finale of the first ability awards franchise outside Ireland, but in his speech, Cesar Alierta, the President of Telefonica, announced an historic collaboration between Kanchi and Telefonica SA. Telefonica have made a commitment to invest in Kanchi to enable it create the platform for a global Ability Awards franchise and will also help us deliver the ability awards in 5 countries in 5 years. That is some “something big”!!!!

Not only has the world’s second largest communication company invested in Kanchi, a tiny Irish social enterprise but, the ability awards, is now a proven business methodology being exported internationally with significant business influence.

I can’t even explain how proud and excited I was on the 17th as Julio Linares, Guillermo Ansaldo and I presented 48 Spanish CEOs with their Telefonica Ability Awards before the official ceremony hosted by her Majesty the Queen where the 6 category awards and 3 absolute awards were presented.

Aside from the extraordinary level of influence in the room, highlighting the interest and burgeoning commitment of the business community in the disability case, it was the speeches of the winners that best demonstrated the change that is happening.

To witness the Ability Awards in another country, to see the logo that Shakira Neilis worked on 6 years ago projected on the side of Telefonica’s headquarters, to hear Spanish leaders, Ministers and Media own their Spanish Ability Awards and to feel that unique magic that comes from beginning something new, something big, something ambitious and something that will drive change, makes all of those ups and downs that any social innovation experiences worthwhile. But as I watched the night unfold, with the Kanchi team, board and supporters smiling with pride, literally giddy trying to suppress the sheer excitement of our new partnership with Telefonica and seeing all that we had worked on for years in Ireland being replicated in Spain, I could not have been happier. Over the years I have worried we were going to slow, that we weren’t achieving enough – yes I am annoyingly impatient – but Monday was like a wink or a slap on the back to keep going!!

Today I am in Riyadh, at GCF2011. I am speaking about the disability business case as part of a panel discussing the broader topic of future jobs and talent.

When we began Kanchi 10 years ago, my inclusion on such a panel simply would not have happened. 10 years ago, the idea that we would be building a platform for a global franchise around disability best practice would have seemed mad. 10 years ago, my greatest challenge on a daily basis was learning how to ride and work with my elephant Kanchi, an elephant that had more issues than you can imagine.

But during those four months we travelled together, I had a lot of time to think as I sat on her back, watching the intoxicating world of Southern India pass by. And it was then that I knew that I wanted to be part of changing how disability was understood and that business was part of that solution.

But little did I know where that would lead.

It’s amazing how things start, but I think that even the most open minded person struggles to comprehend that the Ability Awards began with a challenging little elephant called Kanchi.

In fact, I can hardly believe it myself.

Saturday 22nd January 2011

Kanchi and Telefonica have announced a unique global franchise collaboration which will see Kanchi’s Ability Awards rolled out across five countries around the world over the next five years.

As founder of Kanchi and the Ability Awards, which began in 2005 with the support of Telefónica O2 Ireland, Caroline Casey will co-chair an International Advisory group with Luis Abril, Secretary General, Telefónica SA. Through this unique vehicle, Telefónica and Kanchi will lead a world-first global business movement for 100% inclusion of people with disabilities by promoting the disability business case on a global scale while establishing best practice for the employment and inclusion of people with disabilities within business.

The first of the five international Telefónica Ability Awards took place in Madrid earlier this week at the Telefónica Spanish Ability Awards, in the presence of HM The Queen of Spain. Over 450 applications were received – underlining the huge interest from the business community around the opportunity that the disability demographic presents. Equally importantly, it demonstrates that the Ability Awards programme is a methodology that works for business. Although the other countries have not yet been selected, initial discussions have identified opportunities within Europe and Latin America in particular.

Commenting on the announcement, social entrepreneur and founder of disability organisation Kanchi, Caroline Casey, said “I can’t express how proud and excited I am that our global ambitions are becoming a reality. This groundbreaking partnership with Telefónica is testament to the company’s vision and the value business is beginning to place on the disability community. It also proves that innovation and entrepreneurship is alive and kicking in Ireland and still has the ability to set standards internationally.”

The first of its kind in the world, the O2 Ability Awards was first established in 2005 and since then over 100 organisations have been recognised for embracing diversity in terms of employing people with disabilities or targeting them as customers. O2 Ireland has supported the initiative from the very beginning. The development of the franchise collaboration model is a natural and progressive graduation of the relationship with Telefónica.

In the words of the chairman of Telefónica, César Alierta, the Ability Awards are unique because they “put people with disabilities at the centre of the value chain.  The initiative goes beyond philanthropy, and empowers innovation through the creation of new sustainable business models that are able to meet their needs.  Above all, the Awards demonstrate that, when you incorporate people with disabilities into the productive structure of any institution, you create value for everyone. We all end up winners.”

Kanchi positively promotes the ability and value of every person with a disability and challenges traditional stereotypes through innovative initiatives aimed at a wide range of stakeholders. Kanchi works with leaders in business, government and the media to accelerate change.

The Ability Awards is the first charity to have attracted grant investment by Enterprise Ireland and proves that Ireland still has considerable capacity to lead on innovation globally.

-ends-

For further information contact:

Kanchi
Kerryann Conway

Conway Communications

Tel: 086-8215246

Telefónica O2 Ireland

Diarmuid O’Neill

Head of Public Relations

Telefónica O2 Ireland

Tel: 086 8542255

or

Nuala Buttner

Q4 Public Relations

Tel: 085 1744725

ENDS

About Kanchi (pronounced can-she)

Kanchi’s story began when its founder, Caroline Casey, a visually impaired social entrepreneur, trekked 1000km across India on an elephant called Kanchi. The aim of the journey was to positively change the way people think about disability, to motivate people to see the value and potential of difference. Kanchi, named after Caroline’s elephant, believes that disability is society’s elephant in the room – the thing we don’t want to talk about due to misunderstanding and fear of getting it wrong. Kanchi works to change that. It works to change the way we see and understand disability so that the 650 million people in the world with a disability are seen for their ability and value in society. Visit the website: www.kanchi.org. Ian Elliott is Kanchi’s Programme Director for the international roll out of the Ability Awards.

About the O2 Ability Awards

The O2 Ability Awards, created and managed by Kanchi, are the first business awards in Ireland for Best Practice of the inclusion of people with disabilities, both as employees and as customers. Examining all aspects of employment and customer service, the O2 Ability Awards recognise progressive attitudes in organisations that see disability and diversity as a corporate asset and key to success. The O2 Ability Awards Programme celebrates organisations and business leaders that think and act differently about people with disabilities; seeing an employee’s strengths and abilities over any disability and recognising the economic potential of making their products and services available to all customers. Visit the website: www.theabilityawards.com

About Telefónica

Telefónica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world in terms of market capitalisation. Its activities are centred mainly on fixed and mobile telephony businesses with broadband as the key tool for the development of both. The company has a significant presence in 25 countries and a customer base that amounts to 280 million accesses around the world. Telefónica has a strong presence in Spain, Europe and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth on strategy. Telefónica is a 100% listed company, with more than 1.5 million direct shareholders. Its share capital currently comprises 4,563,996,485 ordinary shares traded on the Spanish Stock Market and on those in London, Tokyo, New York, Lima, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo. Visit the website: www.telefonica.com