Global Links Initiative Founder, Robin Rowland, received the International Business Link Award sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The award recognises the achievements of individuals and organisations who have played a leading role in increasing and fostering dynamic business links between organisations and communities in the UK and in China and Asia Pacific. These achievements may have been demonstrated, for example, by the range and scope of the business links forged, the potential for further growth, the extent to which business links encourage a two-way flow of personnel and know how, or the mutual understanding of the British and Chinese cultural and business environments. The two other finalists for this award were Cathay Pacific, London and Philomena Chen, ChamberLink, Bolton.

Global Links Initiative (GLI) received the Pearl Award for its activities as an independent, non-political, non-governmental, non-profit organisation with a new approach to supporting action on social inclusion and citizen empowerment worldwide. It uses face-to-face exchanges and IT and enablers to make practical links among socially entrepreneurial people around the world. Founded in October 2003 by a small team, GLI concentrated initially on proving it has a workable proposition by making connections between the UK, China and Japan, with a three-language website and between business and communities. Many visits have been made to community organisations in Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan and Guangdong. These include organisations dealing with rural poverty, city immigrant children, HIV/Aids, leprosy and cancer recovery as well as the old and young (for which interviews have been given for the Chinese media). The Chinese, Japanese and UK governments have all either paid for GLI's expertise or supported their initiatives.

The awards ceremony was a testament to the incredible talent and creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and enthusiasm, dedication and commitment of very many people working to improve the quality of life of their communities and of the interaction between communities within the UK, China and the Asia Pacific region. Global Links Initiative is very proud and humbled to be a part of the Pearl Awards community and our grateful thanks go especially to William Ong, Founder-Director of The Pearl Foundation and The Pearl Awards.