Facebook: Building a purpose-driven company

AFP PHOTO / LEON NEA

When Mark Zuckerberg, hit the stage to announce the company's new mission to community group heads in Chicago,Illinois back in June, a profound observation was discovered.

Facebook CEO told users across the world,it's changing policy direction from its mission to develop a platform to make the world more connected. Given people chances to build community  and bring the world closer.

Zuckerburg explained the companies intentions to move stating that rather than moving away from its mission of connecting friends and family,Facebook is embarking on enable people connect with 'meaningful communities'. He said "communities help users find common ground,which helps people engage with new perspectives and become aware of different issues"groups also offer individuals personal support, which gives them bandwidth to look outward and address the biggest human problems, like climate change, global health issues, domestic violence, substance abuse, and more.

 Facebook is on a mission to help people across the world gain perspective by providing them a platform to engage in groups.

“We’ve been thinking about what our responsibility is in the world,” Zuckerberg said in an interview.

 “Connecting friends and family has been pretty positive, but I think there is just this collective feeling that we have a responsibility to do more than that and also help build communities and help people get exposed to new perspectives and meet new people — not just give people a voice, but also help build common ground so people can actually move forward together.”

Many private organizations across the world are increasingly seeing the need to engage in activities that are traditionally the sole prerogative of public institutions and governments. We are increasingly seeing brands who consider impacting the lives of citizens and communities as a mission that must be accomplished with or without the collaboration of government or its institutions.

Like Facebook, other companies like Chivas Regal which organizes ‘The Venture’ – an international contest open to social entrepreneurs using business as a force for good – and the Union Bank Centenary Innovation Challenge – an initiative set to impact Nigeria by unearthing and supporting innovative ideas for addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in entrepreneurial ways – are taking Corporate Social Responsibility a notch higher by taking on far bigger national and global challenges.