By Michele Sullivan, President of the Caterpillar Foundation
There is a Zambian proverb that reads, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, walk together.”
Over the past few years, the Caterpillar Foundation—along with a host of other corporations, development organizations, and public sector partners and nation states—has been deeply involved in the shaping of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Along the way, it became clear that one of the primary things the private sector could bring to the table is the art and science of collaboration! Collaboration will be essential if we are to end extreme poverty by 2030.
Photo credit: Caterpillar Foundation
The causes and implications of poverty are complex and will require more than strong sentiment and robust conversation to reverse. It will take a long and disciplined approach to addressing root causes, systematic injustices, and the long term effects of extreme poverty.
The Caterpillar Foundation believes we cannot do this alone. We need all three sectors to partner in this effort. To that end, Caterpillar has launched its platform called “Together. Stronger.”
Photo credit: Caterpillar Foundation
“Together. Stronger” is the Caterpillar Foundation’s innovative approach to partnerships through which they strive to facilitate collaboration and leverage commonalities among partners. The “Together. Stronger” platform encompasses three specific focus areas: Girls & Women, Energy Access, and Economic Resilience (including Water & Sanitation). (The Girls & Women focus area is branded as “TO GET HER STRONGER.”)
Caterpillar has learned from its business and years of philanthropic work that the bigger the project, the better the team needs to be! “Together. Stronger” is our effort to build the best team possible… because ending extreme poverty is something that will take all of us.
Check out ONE Girls & Women to learn more about our November curator, Michele Sullivan, and her work with the Caterpillar Foundation!