Polycom pledges support to Ugandan education

World-leading unified communications provider Polycom has given a $25,000 (£13,000) grant to a video conferencing education programme for Uganda, but wants other companies to follow suit.

The project run by the Global Nomads Group organises live video debates between students across international boundaries, with pupils in the UK, US, Canada and Uganda having already participated in discussions about the war in Iraq, HIV and genocide in Rwanda and Sudan.

Challenging others to match his company's donation, Bob Hagerty, the chairman of Polycom, said: "We are proud to expand our support of Global Nomads and believe their mission of uniting today's youth face-to-face to discuss critical global issues is a perfect application to demonstrate the power of video conferencing."

The next stage of the project will give Ugandan students the chance to tell their international fellows about their experiences of the long-running conflict in the north of the country.

Again issuing a rallying cry for support, Mr Hagerty said: "Students receive a first hand education of the impact of political, environmental and economic issues on people's lives and develop lasting friendships with their fellow students.

"They become more compassionate and informed global citizens as a result."

Polycom is a popular provider of video and sound networking hardware among the VoIP business community, with many of its products seen as the among the best in their class.