IBM, as part of its celebration of 100 years in business, dedicated June 15, 2011 as a day of special recognition for voluntary service.  IBM invited Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) and other partners to participate in centennial events focused on volunteerism and collaboration. 

IBM held concurrent events in 120 countries. DOT contributed to the celebrations in Istanbul.

Michel Charouk, IBM's Country General Manager for Turkey, hosted a morning roundtable session with local leaders from the international development community. This was followed by a "Volunteer Marketplace" during which social enterprises, like DOT, showcased their interests and experience to IBM management and employees. DOT Vice President Jane Jamieson, and her DOT Turkey colleagues Ozlem Caliskan and Zeynep Sarigok contributed to the event and described DOT's global partnership with IBM and its Corporate Service Corps and Executive Service Corps programs.

Charouk stressed IBM's social responsibility priorities and told the guests that more than 300,000 IBM employees are active volunteers who have contributed over 2.5 million hours of service in local communities. The roundtable discussion probed ways to encourage more corporate partnerships like the one IBM has forged with DOT.

Jane Jamieson spoke of how the IBM-DOT partnership started in Turkey in 2009, in the coastal city of Mersin. The IBM Corporate Service Corps programs delivered by DOT have grown to include 5 countries, and more than 300 IBM leaders have participated. DOT is now collaborating with IBM to bring this model of social enterprise partnership to other corporations seeking responsible and effective CSR program delivery. "These partnerships bring together the assets and objectives of the corporation with the delivery expertise and local knowledge of the social enterprise," Jamieson told the group.

The participants agreed that corporate volunteerism is growing in importance, but that more exposure of effective examples and best practice was needed. The attention that the media paid to this IBM centennial event was a positive sign of growing business and public interest.

DOT is proud of its partnership with IBM and DOT's management and staff congratulates IBM on the occasion of its 100^th anniversary. Special best wishes go out from the DOT teams in China, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania and Turkey who have developed lasting bonds with the IBM leaders with whom they have worked.

For more information on the IBM Centennial, please visit: www.ibm100.com.

For more information on Digital Opportunity Trust and the DOT's Corporate Service Corps Partnership with İBM, please visit: http://ibm-csc.dotrust.org/