Executive Thought Leadership

In this issue of the Exeutive Thought Leadership Quarterly, I’m pleased to share with you an exciting collaboration between Cisco and the Nobel Foundation of Sweden. John Morgridge, Chairman of the Board, Cisco Systems, discusses the findings of a study that focuses on Nobel laureates’ views of the Internet. The study , conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates for Cisco, discusses not only how the Internet has benefited the laureates’ own work, but also how the Internet can be harnessed to change the way the world lives and works.

In the Guru Q&A you’ll hear from Jody Williams, Founding Coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Williams discusses how the use of the Internet has benefited the ICBL, as well as the role the Internet can play in the promotion of peace worldwide.

Thought Leadership

The Nobel Foundation's commitment to using the Internet to promote public interest in science is a sign of its commitment to the Internet as a powerful vehicle for social change.

A recent study of Nobel laureates, conducted on behalf of Cisco by Princeton Survey Research Associates, confirms that this view is not just idealism. The leading scientists, teachers, and thinkers of our time predict that the Internet will play an important role in bringing information and education to people who have not previously had access to it. John Morgridge, chairman of the board at Cisco Systems, discusses the economic impact through knowledge and promoting peace through social change in this article.

Guru Q&A

Since 1992, Jody Williams has overseen the growth of the ICBL to more than 1,000 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in more than 60 countries. In her capacity as ICBL coordinator, Williams has written and spoken extensively on the problem of landmines and the movement to ban them.

Cisco: What are some of the benefits that the Internet has to offer to the ICBL, or some of the advantages the Internet has conferred to the ICBL?

Williams: When the ICBL and I were awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1997, one of the reasons noted was that we had created a new model of diplomacy that offered hope for world peace. Our model relies greatly on our partnership with governments all over the world to resolve the problem of landmines. Part of what has made this model so outstanding has been the "power" that we have been able to spread throughout the entire campaign network through immediate communication. As everyone knows, knowledge is power, and our use of the Internet and its evolving tools has enabled us to empower people all over the world who previously have never had a voice in democratic change. In addition, it has enabled us to maintain our structure as a loose network internally as we have developed over the years, and today we have a staff of eight in five different offices on three continents. We continue to take advantage of new technologies to ensure proper communication among staff themselves. Technologies such as virtual staff meetings, online shared file structures, staff calendars, and instant messenger communication across time zones help their communication with campaign members and government partners.

More of Williams' reflections can be found in From the Experts section of the iQ Web site.