Four of the business leaders, Craig Barrett, Chairman, Intel Corporation; John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco Systems, Inc.; Yousif Ghafari, Chairman, GHAFARI, Inc.; and Dr. Ray Irani, Chairman, President and CEO, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, formed the U.S.-Lebanon Partnership in September, at the request of United States President George W. Bush.

Additionally, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was introduced as a new member of the Lebanon Partnership leadership group today.

"Lebanon faces real and substantial challenges in the wake of the recent conflict, with damages to homes, schools and other critical infrastructure costing billions of dollars. The U.S.-Lebanon Partnership is a great friend to the people of Lebanon, and a leader in the effort to marshal international support for the rebuilding efforts. We will continue to work with the leaders of the Partnership to find a more stable and prosperous future for the Lebanese people," said Fouad Siniora, Prime Minister of Lebanon.

"The United States is deeply concerned about the people of Lebanon and is committed to finding enduring solutions for the challenges they face," said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "The U.S.-Lebanon Partnership is making important progress towards that goal, helping to lay the foundation for sustained economic growth and long-term stability."

Today, the Partnership announced initiatives in five key areas critical to creating sustainable economic growth in the region, which include crisis relief and response, information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, workforce training, job creation/private sector revival and connected government.

Crisis Relief and Response

The Partnership is working with proven non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Lebanon to help address the immediate needs of adequate housing, education and worker training. Today, the Partnership announced a series of steps being taken by the NGOs which are funded by the Partnership, including:

* Habitat for Humanity (HFH) will assist approximately 50 families to repair damaged homes and will establish a new Habitat Resource Center to help with ongoing disaster response programs, directly and indirectly helping more than 3,500 people.

* The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will accelerate efforts to return normalcy to children and families, with a focus on improving health and nutrition, child protection and education. As part of this, UNICEF will rehabilitate 10 schools in southern Lebanon, relying in part on youth volunteers brought in from affected areas and across the country.

* American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) will distribute Partnership funds among 10 southern Lebanese community-based organizations to link the neediest populations to educational and worker training materials through ICT.

* Mercy Corps will rehabilitate 10 schools, expand their extra-curricular offerings, provide IT access and computer training and encourage school engagement among parents and other community members.

ICT Infrastructure

Currently, Lebanon is burdened by a nascent and inefficient ICT infrastructure. The Partnership has pledged to support development of an International Gateway and an Internet Exchange Point to Lebanon which will help develop Lebanon's economy by enabling open communications in a competitive environment. This support may include donation of equipment, training and consulting. The International Gateway will offer improved international Internet connectivity for Lebanon, and the Internet Exchange Point will strengthen local infrastructure to stimulate local economic development. This project has the potential to improve the speed and efficiency of Internet traffic flow throughout Lebanon and help decrease costs.

Assistance also will be made available to the Lebanese Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in establishing an enabling environment for ICT in Lebanon that can promote innovation, investment and infrastructure development.

Workforce Training

Sustainable economic growth in Lebanon requires a skilled workforce and businesses built to compete in a global marketplace. The Partnership is working to identify and place 500 Lebanese interns in Lebanon and the United States over the next three years. Members of the Partnership have initially committed to placing 115 interns within their own companies.

In addition, Cisco has pledged to double the number of its Networking Academies in Lebanon. The Networking Academy program prepares students for IT jobs through a combination of online, e-learning curriculum and hands-on lab work.

Job Creation / Private Sector Revival

Growing Lebanon's private sector is the linchpin to creating jobs for the Lebanese people. Over the past two months, the Partnership has conducted extensive outreach and worked with local stakeholders to identify private sector projects that could be accelerated through injection of capital and joint ventures with companies worldwide. The result of this outreach is an initial list of more than 100 promising projects in six key industries - technology, tourism, banking and finance, agribusiness, health care and manufacturing - which will contribute to job creation in Lebanon.

The project acceleration phase will start in mid-February, and the Partnership will work with the United States Chamber of Commerce, Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Near East Consulting Group to create joint ventures between Lebanese businesses and compatible foreign business partners and provide needed funding and insurance incentives. This will be done with the help of key Lebanese business development organizations including Kafalat, IDAL and the AmCham.

Connected Government

Technology has an increasingly important role to play in the delivery of government and social services to the Lebanese people. For this reason, the Partnership will enable on-line community access in Lebanon by providing on-line access points that offer social resources such as job training, healthcare information, on-line education, global resources such as on-line libraries and other rich media content and government services to Lebanese citizens.

"Microsoft has been working with Lebanon's government and NGOs for years, collaborating on education projects, on efforts to expand technology access, and on e-government solutions," said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. "So we're pleased to be involved in the U.S.-Lebanon Partnership Fund. This builds on our ongoing efforts to help foster stability and promote development across the Middle East."

Microsoft supports access to technology and IT skills training for schools and communities through its flagship citizenship programs Unlimited Potential and Partners in Learning. In Lebanon, Microsoft works to help students, orphans, elderly and people with disabilities, and to help small and medium businesses thrive.

"Lebanon will only be rebuilt through actions focused on improving the educational and economic infrastructure," said Craig Barrett, Chairman, Intel Corporation. "The first $1 million in grants from the U.S.-Lebanon Partnership Fund will enhance the existing relief efforts. By collaborating with proven NGOs, our goal is to accelerate meeting the immediate needs of adequate housing, education and worker training."

"Only occasionally do you have an opportunity to make a difference in a person's life, much less in a community. Through this partnership, we have a chance to make a difference in a country and perhaps even a region," said John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco. "After visiting Lebanon, I have seen first-hand the serious challenges facing the country. Through the efforts of this Partnership, we can make a meaningful contribution not just for rebuilding Lebanon but to help position the country for leadership in the future. Through the unique combination of public-private partnerships and the support of the global community, together we can accomplish what none of us can do alone. We cannot underestimate the challenges associated with this endeavor, nor can we afford to ignore the great needs facing this country and all of its citizens. The time to act is now."

"It is my personal goal to help Lebanon return to the country I knew growing up," said Yousif Ghafari, Chairman, GHAFARI, Inc. "Lebanon used to be called the Switzerland or the Paris of the Middle East, there was commerce and tourism: people of different religions lived as peaceful neighbors. We were hospitable and we were entrepreneurs and our small country welcomed the world to its sophisticated night life, its beaches and its mountain resorts. The world has changed, and Lebanon has lost its luster, but its people have not lost their will to live in peace, tolerance and prosperity. I firmly believe that with our human capital, outstanding educational institutions and the Lebanese entrepreneurship we once again can make Lebanon an example for the region where different faiths and cultures can live together in peace and harmony, an oasis of tolerance and prosperity in a volatile and increasing intolerant region of the world. We cannot lose this generation to ignorance, lack of economic opportunity and a loss of hope, if we do, we have lost Lebanon. We cannot have peace without the hope of a future for the young people, they have no comfort in the memory of Lebanon as it was, they need education and opportunity and they will make a new Lebanon. The Lebanon they make, however, is up to us, they can move to the light, or they can move to the darkness of religious and cultural intolerance, and blind and violent hatred of all things Western. They can work for peace, or make war; my wish, and the reason I am participating in this effort, is to work for peace. Every small step toward peace is a step away from war."

"There has never been a more important time for the American people to show their support and generosity to those in need in Lebanon," said Dr. Ray Irani, Chairman, President and CEO of Occidental Petroleum Corporation. "I continue, along with Occidental, to very actively support a wide range of educational, health care and charitable organizations throughout the Arab Middle East, including Lebanon. It remains my hope that the work of the U.S.-Lebanon Partnership, coupled with the important contributions of numerous other non-governmental organizations throughout the United States and across the globe, can assist Lebanon in achieving a more rapid recovery and help in promoting lasting peace and stability in the region."

Interview with Cisco CEO John Chambers

What is the U.S.-Lebanon Partnership?

John Chambers: In September I had the privilege of participating in a presidential delegation of American businesses that was asked to visit Lebanon. We went there to listen, learn and develop a joint action plan. We saw the goodness of the Lebanese people and the traits they have in common with our own people such as family, faith, resilience and optimism. What became obvious was that no one group could achieve this on its own. Through public-private partnerships along with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the global community, together, we can accomplish what none of us could do alone. We are calling upon citizens and the global business community to share their financial resources and expertise with the Lebanese people to contribute to a safe, stable and prosperous nation.

The call to action is clear: the door to hope is now open for Lebanon, but to cross that threshold, the effort will require the power of public-private partnerships. I, along with three fellow American business leaders-Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel, Yousif Ghafari, chairman of Ghafari Inc., and Dr. Ray Irani, chief executive of Occidental Petroleum-were asked by President George W. Bush to spearhead the U.S.-Lebanon Partnership. Our goal was to develop a joint action plan to help make a difference in Lebanon and for the Lebanese people.

Most recently, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive officer, joined our group. Together, we look forward to contributing to the stability, economic recovery, and job creation opportunities in Lebanon. We encourage other businesses to join our effort by visiting www.lebanonpartnership.org.

How will the U.S.-Lebanon Partnership help Lebanon?

John Chambers: While we can't underestimate the challenges associated with this endeavor, we also cannot afford to ignore the great needs facing this country. Our hope is that economic recovery will help return stability to Lebanon. Public-private partnerships can help spur this recovery by assisting with education, job training, business development, and technology infrastructure. The Partnership aims to create greater support from the business community and leverage its financial, technical and entrepreneurial expertise.

Since we visited Lebanon, the Partnership has been working with the U.S. and Lebanese governments, local businesses and NGOs to assess the situation and identify where help is needed most. From this, we have developed initiatives in five key areas critical to sustaining economic growth in the region. These areas include: crisis relief and response, information communication technology infrastructure, workforce training, job creation/private sector revival and connected government.

One example of how we are helping is in the area of crisis relief and response. The Partnership is working with NGOs in Lebanon to help address the immediate needs for adequate housing, education and worker training. Habitat for Humanity will help close to fifty families repair damaged homes. UNICEF will rehabilitate ten schools in southern Lebanon. Mercy Corps will also rehabilitate ten schools expanding their extracurricular offerings providing IT access and computer training. ANERA will distribute partnership funds among ten southern Lebanese community-based organizations to link the neediest populations to education and worker training materials. These efforts will help address the immediate needs of adequate housing, education and worker training.

What specifically is Cisco contributing?

John Chambers: Cisco is making a $20 million commitment to this effort. For example, we are contributing to job creation through $10 million in venture funding and the creation of internships. We are also helping to establish community centers in Lebanon by providing the information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. In addition, we are donating two Cisco TelePresence systems to the government of Lebanon to help facilitate communications and collaboration within the country. And we are more than doubling our Networking Academies in Lebanon to forty-four with the goal of reaching 2,500 students.

Beyond Lebanon, what do you believe should be the role of businesses as members of the world community?

John Chambers: Today's global businesses are in a unique position to help improve the future of Lebanon. I also believe that there is an opportunity to create a successful model that can be replicated in other areas of the world. By applying the combined resources and expertise of businesses, our efforts can be much more effective than if we acted alone.

Cisco has also announced plans to donate its TelePresence technology to countries in the Middle East. What is the goal of this effort?

John Chambers: Cisco has announced that it will present two Cisco TelePresence systems each to the governments of five nations in the emerging markets, including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. In an increasingly global world, communications and collaboration will become even more important not only for people and companies, but countries as well. Cisco TelePresence has introduced an entirely new way to communicate and collaborate and the adoption of this technology by these countries illustrates the role ICT can play for countries in the emerging markets to leap frog existing infrastructures. We believe that the implementation of leading edge technology such as TelePresence in each of these countries will help foster greater interaction within both the countries and the region, presenting new ways to enhance the lives and opportunities for their citizens.

For more information about the partnership and contributing to the effort, visit www.lebanonpartnership.org

Source: Cisco Newsroom