DHL, the world's leading express and logistics company,
announced today the launch of its Young Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (YES) Awards, a program which aims to identify and recognize young entrepreneurs who bring about a positive and sustainable social change in their communities.

Singapore is one of the five participating countries in the inaugural awards which includes Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand and Philippines. A national winner will be identified from each of the five participating countries, and an Asia Pacific regional winner will be selected from the five national winners. DHL Express Singapore will host the final awards ceremony to be held in August.

"DHL Express Singapore has always been actively involved in corporate social responsibility programs as we hold dear the act of giving back to the communities in which we serve. With the YES Awards, we put the spotlight on individuals in Singapore who have been doing good work in the community, as we feel they deserve the recognition and they may also serve as an inspiration to others. Furthermore, we are honoured to have many of Singapore's prominent figures in the social services sector serve in our National Jury", said Alec Ang, General Manager, DHL Express Singapore.

With the YES Awards' far-reaching and meaningful goals, several members of Singapore's social services sector have pledged their support. They include Mr. Gerard Ee, Chairman of the National Kidney Foundation; Mr. Howard Shaw, Executive Director of the Singapore Environment Council; Mr. Jack Sim, Founder of the World Toilet Organization; Mrs Tan Chee Koon, Chief Executive Officer of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre; Mr. James Soh, Executive Director of the National Youth Achievement Award Council of Singapore, and the recently re-elected Nominated Member of Parliament, Miss Eunice Olsen. These luminaries will form part of the National Jury, a governing group whose function is to assess the short-listed applicants on the basis of the field visit reports compiled by the Screening Organisation, to ultimately identify the top winners of the Award.

"The basis of using a sustainable solution for the greater good, including eradicating poverty is indeed worthy. But I must say that the combination of youth and entrepreneurship was what drew me to join this project. Throughout my time in social services, I have always admired the enthusiasm of youths and the nobility of their ideas. However, they are seldom given due recognition in spite of their efforts. By having an award specifically targeted at youths, I am convinced that it will serve as a guiding light and spur them on, ultimately benefiting everyone in society," said Mr. Gerard Ee.

The YES Awards are aligned with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); a blueprint agreed upon by all countries and leading development institutions to: eradicate extreme hunger and poverty; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS; malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability and finally develop a global partnership for development.

Nominations for the Awards open on 1 February 2007, and the criteria have been carefully set to recognize those who are genuinely concerned about creating positive social changes. Potential applicants must be between 18 to 40 years of age, and have their company ethos aligned to any of the eight UN MDGs, and must also have a track record of at least three years of running their organizations.

CNN, the awards' official regional media partner, will run the DHL YES Awards advertisement across Asia from early February to late March.