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World of Good receives 2009 Tech Awards for helping artisans earn decent wage through innovation |
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18 November 2009 |
 EMERYVILLE, Ca – The World of Good Development Organization is one of the recipients of the 2009 Tech Awards Laureates for applying technology to benefit humanity and sparking global change. Established in 2000, the Tech Awards recognizes 15 Laureates in five universal categories: education, equality, environment, economic development and health. These Laureates have developed new technological solutions or innovative ways to use existing technologies to significantly improve the lives of people around the world.
World of Good, member of WFTO since 2006, pioneered Fair Wage system that encourage fairer trade by comparing worldwide wages through their Fair Wage Guide Software. This software helps artisans and craft buyers calculate costs and determine if the artisans are being paid a fair wage for their labor time. On their website http://www.fairtradecalculator.com/ potential buyers of handicrafts can perform a quick wage test to determine how much is being paid to the artisans.
“The Tech Awards is an incredible honor, recognizing individuals and organizations whose ideas and execution of those ideas are changing the world,” said Ella Silverman, Executive Director. “We are proud to be among those recognized for their contributions, and will continue to develop solutions that improve the economic livelihood of women throughout the developing world.”
The award was made known to the World of Good on 1 September, two days before the organization celebrated the first year anniversary of their online division – the World of Good by eBay marketplace. The World of Good by eBay is one of the largest online marketplaces for socially responsible products where WFTO is one of its 36 Trust Providers. The organization will receive a $50,000 cash prize during the annual Awards Gala in San Jose, California on 19 November.
The Tech Awards
The Tech Awards is given to persons, organizations and companies that have made outstanding achievement in making technology benefit humanity. This year, the Laureates represent the truly global vision of the program, spanning countries such as Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana and the Bay Area. Their work impacts people in many more countries worldwide.
The Tech Museum of Innovation in California is the organizer of the awards, and they collaborate with humanitarian, educational, and business partners through global outreach efforts, giving people around the world the opportunity to benefit from the successful technologies recognized through The Tech Awards. The selected Laureates’ projects address multiple humanitarian efforts including developing alternate ways to generate electricity, creating free educational tools, evaluating ethical wage standards and reducing counterfeit drugs. Prominent leaders like Nobel Laureates Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Al Gore were recipients of past awards given by the Tech Awards.
Key sponsors supporting The Tech Awards include Applied Materials, Inc., Intel Corporation, Nokia, Microsoft, The Swanson Foundation, BD Biosciences, Polycom, Genentech, Wells Fargo, SAP, eBay, KPMG, Accenture, The Quattrone Foundation, Google, NBC11, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, The Fairmont San Jose, Montgomery Hotel, Marriott San Jose and American Airlines. Key partners include Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society, World Federation of United Nations Associations, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank Institute, Catholic Relief Services, The CORE Group, National Center for Technology Innovation and Opportunity International. For more information about The Tech Awards, visit www.techawards.org. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2009 program.
About The Tech Museum of Innovation
The Tech Museum is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. Located in San Jose, California – the Capital of Silicon Valley – its mission, as a public-benefit corporation, is to inspire the innovator in everyone. Through hands-on exhibits, educational programs, The Tech Challenge team competition for youth, and the internationally recognized The Tech Awards, presented by Applied Materials, Inc., The Tech Museum honors the past, celebrates the present, and encourages the development of innovative ideas for a more promising future. For more information about The Tech Museum, visit www.thetech.org.
About World of Good Development Organization
World of Good Development Organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on building strategies to substantially improve economic and social conditions for millions of women and adolescent girls in the developing world living on less than $2 a day. Founded in 2004, the organization has increased the income of over 25,000 workers, primarily women in over 60 countries throughout the developing world. For more information about World of Good Development Organization, visit www.worldofgood.org.
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