”After all is said and done, a lot more will have been said than done.” – Unknown
This is a quote that displays how I feel after many summits and conferences. However, the Social Good Summit is the first summit where I feel there is a different mood in the air. Speakers end by explaining what people in the audience and in general can do to help in different causes. Simultaneously, there is a continuous conversation happening on Twitter called #2030NOW all over the world. Concurrently, the speakers are relaying important information and rallying the troops using social media and technology at large.
Different panelists shed light on their organizations, passions and raison d’être. Here are a few examples:
RYOT.org is a news outlet that is changing the scope of information and viewership. Not only does RYOT provide up-to-date content for their audience, but they have a unique component in which they encourage the viewers to react. Building on empathy, the online newspaper provides links to donate, registration for volunteers, petitions that can be signed and other similar actions. They have modified the job description of a journalist from sharing news to figuring out how to get the audience to care and act on what they are hearing.
End7 is a campaign to end the 7 neglected tropical diseases. Have you ever heard of them? They are hookworm, trachoma, elephantiasis, snail fever, roundworm, river blindness, and whip worm. The best part (or worst depending on how you look at it) is that we have the medicine. All we have to do is get it to the people who need it. All it costs is the price of two gumballs. Go to http://www.end7.org to join the campaign, donate and/or learn more.
One of the biggest topics that is always talked about and has been around for a long time is poverty. This touches the hearts of most people. ONE campaign has this mission at its core and if we act with urgency now, we can eliminate extreme poverty and preventable diseases by 2030. Take action by signing your name to support a bill that will bring electricity to 50 million Africans for the first time. Imagine what good this will bring about when 7 out 10 Africans currently do not have access to it.
To conclude, I urge everyone to join the conversation (#2030NOW) and keep it lively, organize a meetup, sign petitions, tweet, share stories, whatever, but most importantly, don’t allow the movement to falter.