To the “Doers”
June, 2006
By Dan Shine, 50x15 Program Director
The coolest part about traveling around the world is that AMD's 50x15 team continues to introduce me to amazing, humbling, inspiring people. People who are Doers.
Doers are individuals who, against the odds and against the grain, have achieved uncommon greatness. They are heroes to many, invisible to most, and — not surprisingly — nothing special by their own account. They have saved countless lives, in many cases beginning with their own. They quietly go about the difficult business of protecting and preserving our world for our children and grandchildren. They help the sick, the hurt, the neglected and the abandoned. And they fight hard for human dignity when no one else seems to notice or care that it's absent.
Over the years, many of these Doers have developed a unique appreciation for technology. They've seen first-hand just how transformative and empowering technology can be. This is why today a new generation of Doers is working hard to ensure the world's population is enabled with connectivity. They know that the loudest voice is sometimes encapsulated in the simple click of a hyperlink and they want to raise the volume for as many people as they can.
In previous issues of 50x15 Connections, we've introduced you to Doers like Nicholas Negropointe, Theogene Rudasingwa, and Veronica Kgabo. These are people who have learned by doing, even in the wake of heartbreak and tragedy. Each of them, and millions more like them, would have found success along any path. But they chose, instead, to help others, to make a difference. Over the next several months, we'll introduce you to more Doers, like Caroline Boudreaux, Tegla Loroupe, and Flavio Pimenta. Each of these people has an extraordinary story to tell. And each of them works hard and quietly in places around the world that number too many, helping thousands of other people that are seen by too few, and not asking for anything more than the technological tools necessary to one day allow them to finish their work.
There are not enough Doers like them, but there are more than you might think! AMD and the entire 50x15 team salutes these remarkable people.
To the Doers!
Dan Shine
50x15 Program Director