With the album complete, the group toured Senegal and performed live concerts, helping to get the message of child rights out there beyond those who were already involved. Plenty of challenges were faced along the way, particularly when many of the kids couldn’t actually read or write, and some couldn’t speak the national language. The group overcame those though and now those talented enough to make it through the audition process, not only helped to spread an important message, but also got the chance to help them out of the situation they were in.

If you haven’t already, take a few minutes to watch the video. It’s in equal measure heart warming and distressing.

Walking away with a $25,000 cash prize was our old friends from FrontlineSMS. This time picking up the award for FrontlineSMS:Medic which utilises FrontlineSMS software to empower community health workers in developing countries. It’s a deserving winner as FrontlineSMS has just been going from strength to strength, thanks in part (at least) to its unrelenting creator and Conversations buddy Ken Banks.

Picking up $15,000 for second place was on-demand crowd-sourced Volunteerism via Smartphone - aka, The Extraordinaries. Enabling volunteers from all over the world to dip in and volunteer spare moments in time to help solve tasks around science, medicine and government, amongst others.

$10,000 and third place went to VozMob which enables those who don’t typically have access to digital technology to still take part in open source discussion and sharing, utilising low-cost mobile devices.

We want to wish all the winners and featured projects a hearty congratulations, and also a big well done for all those taking part. Please take some time to check them out. Mobile phones offer an incredible opportunity to change people’s lives for the better, particularly in emerging and developing countries. We’ve written plenty of times in the past of the myriad ways phones can make a difference and these various projects all highlight real impact in very real situations.

Check out the brief intro on the winners below along with links to their profiles on NetSquared, and the list of featured projects.

FrontlineSMS:Medic

FrontlineSMS:Medic is a team committed to empowering community health workers in the developing world using appropriate mobile technology. After almost a year of working with FrontlineSMS in Malawi, we are launching FrontlineSMS:Medic to extend the capabilities of this software and bring it to health centers across several continents.

The Extraordinaries

The Extraordinaries is smartphone software (iPhone, Blackberry, and more) that allows millions of people to perform brief micro-volunteer tasks on their smartphones in a few minutes of spare time. People login to our system from any place on Earth within cell reception, and constructively use small windows of spare time for science, medicine, nonprofits, government, and more. Tasks are accessed on-demand, from anywhere, at any time — while riding the bus, waiting in the doctor’s office, standing in line at the post office, and more.

VozMob

Marginalized populations lack access to digital technology yet aspire to participate meaningfully in the digital public sphere. Mobile Voices offers an open-source multi-media platform optimized for low-cost mobile phones that lets users create, share, and reflect on stories about their lives and communities. An academic-community partnership, the project brings together immigrant day laborers, scholars, software developers, and community organizers for participatory design, curriculum development, evaluation and research around this emerging media tool and its social impact.

ESPOO, Finland

We do have this amazing HALO system for really good video conferencing. And we have a HALO room in Espoo and Singapore, so it made sense to invite the journalists in Singapore to connect to the people in Espoo via HALO.* We sat in on the round table discussion and took some video of what it was like (see below). Also, there were some great things said and some choice presentations. But we’ll hold off on those because we’re possibly having another round table in the near future.

So, read on to see what it was like and to see some video of the round table event.

Event summary
Using HALO, were were able to give Singapore journalists exposure to Nokia eco experts in an innovative and environmentally sensitive way. We invited mainstream as well as independent journalists based in Singapore. The main presentations were by Markus Terho, on Nokia’s environmental strategy; Francis Cheong, giving an update on activities Nokia has in Southeast Asia; Tiina Karhu, talking about environmental considerations in Design; and Ulla Uimonen, showing some cool things about package design.

There were 11 visitors cramming into the HALO room in Singapore (not counting the Nokia hosts). But that didn’t dampen the interest. The feedback we got was that while there were many global activities, it was nice also to hear about local initiatives, making the discussion more relevant. As usual, the visitors commented on how they weren’t aware of Nokia’s extensive environmental practices (we’re working on changing that). And everyone thought it was cool that we used HALO.

Bernard Leong told us that it was “a valuable session, in which I learned a lot.” He goes on to write on his site:

“The whole roundtable featured how Nokia as a corporation has navigated in making small changes through several eco-friendly initiatives - recycling, materials used for manufacturing and energy consumption. In fact, I am surprised that I did not know some interesting facts about how they are doing on sustainability and development in Southeast Asia.”

Nicholas Aaron, CNET Asia, wrote:

“This geek managed to join Nokia’s Virtual Eco-Roundtable this week where we video-conferenced via HP Halo into Finland and got a pretty good idea of Nokia’s green strategy, which includes their environmental programs in South East Asia Pacific (SEAP), environmental design, as well as packaging design.”

Repeat performance
It goes without saying, we were really happy with how it went. And like we said, there will be at least one more of these in the near future, but in the mean time, check out a compilation of the event below.

*By the way, we also have a HALO room in London and the Nokia Conversations team uses it every week. We use it so much that when we do come face to face, it takes us a moment to realize why it feels weird to be in the same physical location. That’s how good HALO is. Heh.

The match was played on Wednesday on the Gorak Shep, which is a plateau near the Everest base camp. Although barren, the team made the most of the flat surface by bringing their own pitch, stumps and score board (necessary to make the record official).

Team Hillary took the win with 5 for 152 leaving the losing Team Tenzing with 116 all out.

The Twenty20 cricket match was played at 5,165m on Mt Everest and although done in the presence of a Guinness representative, is still to be verified officially. I can’t see anyone denying it though - I’m sure it’s just a case of ensuring all the boxes are ticked.

It’s an amazing achievement and all involved have spent a long time training for what is a grueling expedition. The team are hoping to raise over half a million dollars for charity too, which will be an even bigger achievement. We say, well done!

You can follow the whole expedition, and check out the gallery at the Everest Test website.

I’m not the only one thinking of Tantalum. Fortune wrote a very good article on the subject of “conflict minerals,” and a European wide group of NGOs have united under a campaign called “Make IT Fair,”  calling for electronics corporations to do more to ensure materials are not sourced unethically from regions such as the DRC.

This is a very serious matter. Please read on to learn more about this and what we’ve been doing.

The mineral
Tantalum is a material used in consumer electronics. The mobile phone industry uses about four per cent of the world’s total supply of Tantalum. The DRC is one of the places where Tantalum (or rather Coltan, one of the ores that it comes from) is naturally found and mined. The DRC only accounts for around one per cent of the world’s supply of this material, but it is found in the east of the country where the conflict areas are and this is the problem. This has led to concerns that the Tantalum is being mined under conditions that breach human rights and is being sold to fund warlords and illegal activity.

Tracing sources
We have been looking into these issues for some years, trying to ensure that our supply chain of materials is sourced in legal or ethical ways. It’s a big challenge to trace materials to their original sources. This involves thousands of companies and changes in the mining industry. Also, because of the complexity in the way that metals are produced and sold, sometimes ores from many different sources are combined to make the final materials with no or limited traceability. To make further progress requires industry-level action both amongst electronics companies and the mining industry, and Nokia has been actively participating in this discussion.

In 2001 Nokia became aware of the potential link between the mining of Tantalum and financing of the conflict in the DRC and began requiring our suppliers to confirm they do not source this material from this country. This is checked on an ongoing basis. It helps that the DRC provides such a tiny amount of the world’s source of this material and there are many other countries around the world where it can be mined including Australia and Brazil.

More recently the company has been working with suppliers of other minerals, such as Cobalt and Tin, to improve transparency of the supply chain and understand how standards can be promoted. For example, the DRC supplies 40% of the world supply of Cobalt, a material used in batteries. This substance is found in the south of the country, away from the conflict zones and is mined legally by many large, well established companies.

Going further
Nokia is concerned about poor practices at some mine operations around the world, not just in the DRC. Nokia is in a position to positively influence our supply chain, promoting high environmental and social standards. We have been at the forefront of driving action and awareness of ethical standards with our own suppliers and within the wider electronics industry.

For example, we have rigorous health and safety, environmental and labor standards that all of our suppliers must meet, and we require them to apply the same to their own suppliers. Before agreeing to work with a supplier we ensure that these standards are met, and we visit a number of suppliers on an ongoing basis to review standards. We also work with suppliers on training and support to help them implement and improve standards.

If we find that standards are not being met we do not walk away but work with that supplier to address the issues and in so doing help to raise overall standards.

Global action
We welcome further public debate and action in this area if it helps to drive further improvements.

Significant action is being taken through the Global e-Sustainability Initiative, of which Nokia is a member, and the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition. Last year these groups conducted extensive research into the key challenges surrounding the supply of metals, the ability to trace and track the sources of metal used in electronic products and the industry’s ability to influence conditions.

The results were shared with various organizations and NGOs who were consulted on the next steps for the industry. Further action will now be taken to try and trace the supply of three metals, Cobalt, Tin and Tantalum, back to their original source. This will include the mining industry and other experts. The results will help inform further discussions on the obstacles of tracing metals and how this can be improved.

Actions speaking louder than words
In the end, it is a bit disingenuous to suggest that we are not doing enough in this space. We think our actions and activities show clearly what we believe in. That we haven’t stood on a soapbox or flung open our books does not mean that we are any less committed to continued efforts in solving issues around mineral sourcing and local health, safety, environmental, and labor standards.

It goes without saying that we will continue our efforts with the same high level of determination and hope to continue driving the electronics industry in the right direction.

What do you think?

[Celia Peterson and Susan Smith, from Nokia's environment communications team, contributed (heavily) to this article.]

An article we wrote last month, exploring the question of phone buy-back schemes, was called into question by some of my colleagues, setting me off on an exploration of buy-back schemes, e-waste, and a deeper discovery of how far care for the environment goes at Nokia.

Join me, after the jump, in the first part of this discovery: Nokia and the environment.

The one at the center
We all know that eco-savviness is all the rage now among corporations. Everyone is trying to burnish their image with any sort of action that can be perceived as environmentally respectful.

Nokia, known for its modesty, has been quietly taking environmentally conscious actions for a long time. Indeed, Kirsi Sormunen, VP of Environmental Affairs, has been at the center of all these efforts for many years, long before it was fashionable.

The basic principles of environmentalism have been at the core of Nokia’s actions for many years, fully integrated into the business strategy. Kirsi’s network spreads out everywhere across the company, with “agents” embedded in business units and functions. She says that it is everyone’s responsibility, from workplace resources to purchasing to those who build our services.

The work Nokia does is not driven by legislative requirements or even concentrated in one region. It’s a total, global, product life-cycle approach, with environmental considerations integrated into everything that is done.

Regularly, Nokia voluntarily phases out many materials and does this across all of its products. Like in the Nokia 5630 XpressMusic, which is completely free of PVC, phthalates, chlorinated flame retardants, and all compounds containing bromine or antimony trioxide. Such efforts pave the way for the rest of the product portfolio.

Recently, we wrote about how Nokia was part of an industry-wide effort to standardize chargers across all phone manufacturers. It started with an ambition, led to long discussions, then everyone reached a consensus that was then acted upon.

Beyond the borders
Nokia also has strict supplier requirements on the materials used to make Nokia products. It needs to make sure that suppliers are in line with corporate ethics and environmental actions.

One example is the controversial use of tantalum in capacitors in mobile phones. One place where tantalum is sourced from is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where there are concerns about illegal mining. Nokia requires all suppliers to provide documentation that the tantalum is not sourced from the DRC.

So, the efforts Nokia makes to improve overall environmental impact extends down the supply chain. Indeed, Nokia has one of the most extensive materials documentation process in the industry, so we know what goes into our products, and therefore we know what we release into the environment. Some companies, such as the Phone-Coop, in the UK, only sell Nokia phones because of this strict requirement for Nokia suppliers.

Accolades
Nokia does not do all this to win awards or get good ratings. It is clear that such actions are not only ethically sound, but also good for business. But awards are still given. And I am sure Kirsi does not mind.

In February, Nokia won the GSM Association’s CEO award for outstanding environmental contribution. Further, Nokia regularly is among the top companies in Greenpeace’s quarterly Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics.

And it’s something you don’t stop doing
Of course, we will be bringing more stories about environmental actions by Nokia. Our next article will be about e-waste, the topic that set us off on this deep dive into Nokia’s environmental efforts. In the mean time, feel free to let us know what you think of all these efforts, if you have participated in any, or if you have seen anything in your country.

[Celia Peterson and Susan Smith, from Nokia's environment communications team, contributed (heavily) to this article.]

With a new site PlanetUnplug.com leading the message “let’s pull the plug on energy waste” Nokia is encouraging users all over the world to bring a new awareness to their individual energy use. Simply unplugging a device when it’s not in use can make all the difference. It might not seem much, when it’s just you on your own doing it, but when millions, or even billions around the world engage in the same practice, then it’ll make a huge difference.

The PlanetUnplug site enables users to create their own plug socket and leave it on a virtual wall, along with a pledge as to how you’ll change your energy usage. I’ve left mine (now I just need to work out what I’m going to unplug) and if you have a few minutes I’d suggest you head over and leave yours. Make sure you spend a few minutes reading the others two. Amongst the repetitive “singing in the shower” ones, you’ll find a few gems.

Visit www.earthhour.org to find useful downloads, tools, tips and news updates or get creative and visit Earth Hour’s Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and MySpace pages to add your video and Earth Hour pictures.

You can pick up a counter for your blog too, just head over to PlanetUnplug.com and take your pick.

Don’t forget to shut down this computer when you’ve finished using it!

And, 8.30PM local time wherever you are, this Saturday (28 March 2009) - switch off the lights.

Over the past few days some of the products of “Recrafting Destiny” have been on sale at the Nokia House company store in Espoo. Proceeds from the sale are being directly sent to the “Recrafting Destiny” team to help fund the project.

Elsewhere, Nokia and Grameen Foundation are working together in rural African villages. Along with local micro-finance institutions and mobile networks, they created the Village Phone initiative, to help local women create their own local enterprise. The concept is pretty straightforward in that it enables women to fund the purchase of a phone and airtime, which they can then resell for a profit in their local village. This has a double impact of enabling the women to fund and create their own business, as well as bringing mobile phone access to others in the same village who wouldn’t typically afford to buy their own phone.

Using this model, over 5,000 new business have been created in Uganda since 2003.

If you want to read about Nokia’s community involvement, check out Expanding Horizons, an online magazine which highlights various initiatives in developing countries. We’d also be interested to hear your take, and if you have any stories to tell.

Click through to find out what you and your fellow Nokia Conversations readers reckon are the top requirements of an environmentally savvy handset.

Recyclable materials narrowly took the top slot, securing almost 27 per cent of the vote - an area that Nokia has been actively evolving over the past couple of years, both in terms of improving the recyclable content of devices, highlighting the importance of mobile recycling and enabling folk to easily recycle their devices, with Nokia’s we:recycle scheme boasting already over 5,000 drop-off points.

Natural power came in a second place with just under 26 percent of the overall vote, clearly highlighting how keen many of you are to see Nokia pursue alternative power solutions for mobile devices. This is certainly an area we’ll be keeping an eye on and reporting on when any developments arise, so stay tuned.

Eco phone charger landed the third spot, with just over 16 per cent. This is great, and a little prophetic I guess, what with last week’s announcement of the Universal Charging Solution. Plus, of course, Nokia had already committed back 2008 to the new energy star rating system for mobile phone chargers.

Below are the rest of the results in stat-tacular detail.

1. Recyclable materials - 26.79%
2. Natural power (e.g. solar) - 25.89%
3. Eco phone charger - 13.39%
4. Replacement parts (longevity) - 8.93%
5. Re-use (passing phones on) - 8.93%
6. No charger in the box - 7.14%
7. Packaging (less of it) - 6.25%
8. Other answer… - 2.68%

Post your comments on what you think about the results, or others that you’d like to see on the list - for example, one of the ‘other’ suggestions raised was ‘durability’ which I thought was an interesting idea (not to be mistaken with longevity and replacement parts). Let us know what you think to the spread of opinion - predictable or surprising? Scribble down your thoughts below.

Read on to get the full lowdown on the Universal Charging Solution, what it means and how it will work. Plus, we’ve gathered together a few reactionary highlights to this innovative eco-led phone charger initiative.

The plan is that by the 1st of January 2012 the majority of all new handsets will support the a universal charger, using Micro-USB as the common interface - the 4-star charger would be up to three times more efficient than an unrated charger. Driven by collective environmental ambition this solution could result in potentially 50 per cent fewer chargers being manufactured each year, and a shared reduction in greenhouse gases of up 13.6 to 21.8 million tonnes a year, according to the GSMA announcement.

Here’s what Mitti Storckovius, Director of Environment, Devices at Nokia said about the new UCS plans:

“Over the last few years, Nokia has pioneered many energy saving features, from chargers using 90% less energy to alerts reminding people to unplug chargers. By supporting this industry initiative on common charging solutions, and enabling consumers to choose if they need a charger with every new device or can re-use existing ones, we can contribute further in improving the industry’s environmental footprint.”

As for the reactions elsewhere, here’s a quick snapshot of what other online publications had to say about the news.

The Register was keen to pick up on the hardware aspect, alongside the eco advantages, highlighting the benefits of using Micro-USB for the universal charger:

The Register: “In addition to the obvious benefits of standardization, such as the ability to charge multiple phones using the same charger, the use of Micro USB offers two significant advantages over the current welter of proprietary charging systems. The first is Micro USB itself. Not only are Micro USB ports and plugs smaller than some current charging interfaces, they’re also sturdier. The standard calls for a stainless steel plug that’s rated for 10,000 insertion cycles and includes a locking mechanism to prevent accidental disconnection. More important from a global perspective will be the standard’s environmental benefits.”

Interestingly, Sky News touched on how this development could affect other areas of consumer electronics:

Sky News: “The agreement could be just the first step in ending the need for a bag full of chargers whenever you leave your house. Perhaps in the future then you could need just one charger for your MP3 and digital camera too. As for your laptop - that might take a bit longer.”

The website for US magazine PC World presented a more doubtful reaction, which triggered quite a reaction and a torrent of reader comments on its site (mostly conflicting with the opinion voiced in the article).

PC World: “Sure, the micro-USB port is prominent right now, but what about when a better tech is invented? What about solar-powered cell phones? These universal chargers that seemed so useful yesterday add to the compost heap tomorrow. The universal charger is an ambitious idea, but perhaps five or six years too late.”

What do you think to the news of the Universal Charging Solution? Scribble down your opinions below.