On the 24th and 25th of May, The United Nations held their first ever UN World Humanitarian Summit. A gathering of great minds to raise awareness about world problems, garner support and talk about solutions, the two-day conference was populated by a who’s who of CEOs, leaders and powerful figures from across the globe. Samsung had a presence there, of course, in Samsung Electronics Turkey president DaeHyun Kim. At the summit, Samsung made a number of contributions, financially and otherwise, including lending their VR chops and some equipment to create a viewing center for some immersive films that the UN’s various members had created to highlight world issues. Using the Gear VR setups provided by Samsung, participants were able to view nine movies produced by UN members.
The premier film, “Home”, centered on the Syrian refugee crisis and took viewers on an in-depth journey alongside the UN attorney general, giving viewers an inside look at what’s being called the biggest humanitarian crisis the world has faced since World War 2. There were a number of other films available, touching on topics ranging from life in a border village to coping with the loss of loved ones and empowerment through community resources, and even an in-depth look at climate change in the Arctic. All of the films were available via Gear VR and Galaxy handset pairings set up for public use and created to be as immersive as possible, taking advantage of VR features where possible.
While at the conference, it was revealed that Samsung contributed $150,000 to help outfit a women’s safe space in Şanlıurfa with ultrasound machines, benefiting roughly 26,000 women who would otherwise not have access to sophisticated health and prenatal care. There was also talk of Samsung contributing to worldwide education in the future, with DaeHyun Kim speaking with Global Business Coalition for Education leader Sarah Brown about the topic. This is not the first time that Samsung has used their technology to do something progressive and heartwarming, of course, but by far one of the more impactful moves they’ve made on the humanitarian spectrum. DaeHyun Kim spoke highly of Samsung’s mission in the humanitarian field.