Quincy Jones and the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation Unveil ''Q Fellowship Program'' at World Economic Forum Meetings, to Assist Africa in Bridging the Digital Divide

Business Wire, Feb 2, 2002

Business/Entertainment Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2002

Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation:

-- The Pilot Effort of the Organization's "Silicon Valley to

South Africa Initiative," the Program Will Tap Candidates to

Serve as an "Information Technology Peace Corps" to further

the Development of South Africa's Technological Infrastructure

Multi-Grammy winning producer and Kennedy Center Honoree Quincy Jones and his Listen Up Foundation unveiled details of the "Quincy Jones Fellowship Program," which will assist in the further bridging of South Africa's digital technology infrastructure, today during a press conference that took place at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meetings in New York. Joining Jones in making the announcement were Listen Up Foundation board of directors member Richard Parsons, CEO-elect AOL Time Warner; South African musician and producer Caiphus Semenya; and Foundation Vice President Lisette Derouaux.

The program, born out of the foundation's announcement at the 2001 WEF meetings in Davos, Switzerland, to promote technology education in Africa by bringing corporate and world leaders together to assist Africa in creating digital opportunities on the continent. The Listen Up Foundation will tap ten qualified applicants identified as emerging leaders in South Africa, currently the most technologically advanced country on the continent, to train with host corporations in the United States, Canada and Europe for an 8-12 month period, at which time they will receive practical experience in the application of their various specialties, access to the senior management of those corporations, and community outreach experience. They will then return to South Africa, where they will apply their knowledge to their various fields of expertise.

Commented Jones, "For the past year, the Listen Up Foundation has worked hard to identify the areas that required the most immediate attention in regard to information technology skills training in South Africa. Our research found that although there were several great entry-level and mid-level training programs in existence, there is a severe lack of cross-sector leadership development. We need to develop people with the skills who can leverage Africa's human resources to seize the vast global opportunities available."

Jones continued, "The 'Q Fellowship Program' will give a future generation of African entrepreneurs and social innovators vital exposure to the private, public, and non-profit sectors that are at the forefront of the rapidly changing technological landscape. The 'Q Fellows' will in turn be able to apply that knowledge and use technology in their communities to develop lasting economic viability. It is our plan that as the program becomes established, it will grow exponentially to include 'Q Fellows' from all of Africa's countries."

The "Q Fellowship Program" will welcome applicants of any status, age and background, though it will give preference to those in the mid-career range. In addition, the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation will accept nominations from South African educational, governmental, private sector, and NGO institutions. Semi-finalists will be presented to a North American and South African selection committee that will determine the final fellows. To date, members of these selection committees include MIT's Alan Kay, Senior Advisor to the "Q Fellows Program," conceiver of the laptop computer and inventor of the overlapping windows interface system; Saki Macozoma, Chairperson South African National Assembly Portfolio Committee for Communications; Mandla Mandela, grandson to former South African President Nelson Mandela; Canadian philanthropist Kim Samuel-Johnson; South African musician and producer Caiphus Semenya; Lyndall Shope-Mafole, Minister Plenipotentiary to the South African Paris Office; Mark Shuttleworth, Practitioner of Information and Communication Technologies; South African film producer Anant Singh; and Dr. Ernest Wilson, Director, Center for International Development and Conflict Management, University of Maryland.

Each "Q Fellow" will be provided with a real and meaningful job experience for an 8-12 month period, access to the host institution's senior management and community outreach training. Each fellow will also be assigned a Listen Up Foundation mentor to provide personal and professional support and to act as an independent "sounding board" for any concerns that the fellow may have during his or her stay.

Upon return to South Africa, the "Q Fellows -- Alumni Office" in Johannesburg will coordinate activities and events that will increase the fellow's local profile and help them be viewed as local leaders in their respective fields.

Funding for the "Quincy Jones Fellowship Program" will be secured through individual and institutional sponsorships. To date, sponsor organizations that have committed to supporting the "Q Fellowship Program" include Cisco Systems and Canadian philanthropist Kim Samuel-Johnson.

In 1986, Quincy Jones produced and conducted the all-star recording "We Are the World," the best-selling single of all time, raising more than $63 million to support hunger relief efforts in the continent. In 1999, Jones joined fellow musicians Bono and Bob Geldof in soliciting the world's major economic powers to eliminate the debts owed by Third World countries. Their efforts culminated with an audience, and subsequent endorsement from Pope John Paul II.