Shell Sponsors World Challenge

World Challenge 2008 is the 4th year of an annual competition to 'discover' and celebrate enterprise and innovation within small business and projects on a global scale. The contest aims to champion and reward such organisations that 'really make a difference'.

BBC World News and Newsweek who produce World Challenge are supported by Shell and distribute a total of $40,000 USD to the competition winners (two runners up prizes of $10,000 plus $20,000 to the overall winner). These invaluable funds are invested into the projects enabling them to expand.

It all sounds like a highly commendable endeavour and there are some very worthwhile projects amongst the 12 finalists who are fortunate enough to have been picked by a panel of judges from a shortlist of 60.

These 60 projects were in turn chosen by a BBC World News representative and the World Challenge producer from an original list of entrants nominated by BBC World News' readers and viewers. The judging criteria includes use of innovative projects, ideas or technology, increasing investment or working for the benefit of the local community, adopting a responsible approach and demonstrating an entrepreneurial spirit.

Nominations by the public are made under 6 categories: Environment, Energy, Water, Health & Education, Sustainable Farming and Community Welfare & Enterprise and this year's shortlist includes: Heiveld Co-operative in South Africa who ensure a fair price for small-scale organic Roobios tea farmers, Oro Verde in Choco, Columbia who produce gold without harming the environment or the workers and Hawkers Market Girls Centre in Nairobi, Kenya where young women from the slums are given the opportunity to learn trades such as hairdressing and tailoring so they can earn an income.

Almost all the nominations seem deserving of the prize money, particularly given the often difficult circumstances under which they are striving so valiantly. Circumstances that are often preserved by a lack of support from the global community and circumstances that are predominately caused by a state of poverty resulting from the greed of financially developed countries and corporations.

It seems then, a terrible shame that the supporter of World Challenge 2008, Shell (Royal Dutch Shell), who earlier this year received record annual profits and continued the trend more recently with record quarterly profits, cannot give prize money of at least the runners up amount - $10,000 USD - to the 11 finalists who don't win the main prize.

This might make Shell's support of global small business / projects enterprise and innovation and the company's connection with the World Challenge competition just that little bit more tangible.

From: The Guardian, 31Jan08
"Shell was today accused of making "obscene" profits at a time when pensioners, motorists and industry are struggling with higher energy prices when it unveiled annual earnings of $27.6bn (£13.9bn). The oil major has made British corporate history with the record figures, which are equivalent to more than £1.5m an hour and come at the end of a three month period when crude prices have averaged over $90 a barrel. Jeroen van der Veer, chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, described the performance as "satisfactory" and admitted that overall production for the year had actually dropped 2%."

From: The Guardian, 31Oct08
"Royal Dutch Shell, the biggest oil firm in Europe, beat City expectations with third-quarter current cost-of-supply profits - which strip out unrealised inventory gains and losses - up 74% to $10.9bn (£6.7bn). Shell said it had benefited from higher oil and gas prices. Crude oil prices were more than 50% higher and gas realisations some 48% ahead of the same quarter last year."

Further Info:
World Challenge 2008 / Shell's record profits branded 'obscene' / Shell and Exxon join the profits bonanza