Cisco: Change Systems - Change the World - Seite 2

Our approach operationalizes our purpose - and it's becoming a key differentiator for our business. A talent magnet. And a reason to stay and grow with Cisco. Analysts are clamoring to learn more - and they're factoring it into their predictions of future value.

Moving forward, I'm working with my team - and with leaders across the business - to identify opportunities to communicate powerfully about the impact our work is having on building an inclusive future. Within the next weeks, I'll start meeting with industry analysts and other external thought leaders to ensure we are maintaining an innovative and forward-looking point of view.

Change systems - change the world

Cisco's 12 Actions for Social Justice were always designed as a cohesive, interconnected strategy to drive impact within our enterprise - across our ecosystem of customers, partners, and suppliers - throughout our communities, and around the world.

This is the kind of approach that Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, articulates in the bold vision for philanthropy in the twenty-first century he calls "From Generosity to Justice". This groundbreaking philosophy truly resonates with me as it challenges us to consider philanthropy as a tool for achieving economic, social, and political justice. When I came to Cisco, I saw this bold vision was evident in our Social Justice strategies. In essence, Darren Walker's philosophy is that generosity will always be needed - and we will always be investing - but it's an intermediary goal and insufficient in driving long term outcomes. The shift to justice is in eliminating the conditions within a system that only address the symptoms - not the cause - and perpetuate the need for continuous generosity.

In other words: To change the world - we must change systems.

Consider this in relation to our Action to Commit $150 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Changing systems means we look at the impact we want to create - and the inclusive future we want to power - from a systems perspective. Then, we break down barriers and create opportunities to drive the outcome: Thriving HBCUs leveraging best-in-class technology and modernized infrastructure to provide quality STEM education. Communities bridging the digital divide and creating environments where students and their families are connected and empowered. Students rising to their full power and potential to graduate as the next generation of tech talent. Finding an abundance of highly paid opportunities within the digital economy. Companies rising to their full power and potential through an influx of talent.