Social Good Summit: Harnessing Technology and Social Media for Change

Technology and social media have dramatically changed the world. People in every part of the globe can interact with each other like never before. But digital technologies do more than connect us — they also empower us. They amplify our voice, put information at our fingertips, open new doors, enable new solutions, and provide a platform to organize.

Thanks to the digital revolution, each of us has the opportunity to help drive positive change. And more than ever, the world needs each of us to seize this opportunity. We face big, complex problems — poverty, disease, inequality, climate change, and many others. Governments alone don’t have all the tools — or all of the answers — to solve them. Committed global citizens can and must play a role in overcoming global challenges.

This September, as world leaders gather to discuss international issues at the United Nations General Assembly, we’re asking you to add your voice and your ideas to the dialogue and debate. From September 22 to September 24, the third annual award-winning Social Good Summit will bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, and activists to focus on how we can harness social media and technology to make the world a better place.

The Summit, brought to you by Mashable, 92nd Street Y, the United Nations Foundation, Ericsson, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the United Nations Development Programme, allows anyone, anywhere to join the conversation on important international development issues. More than that, it connects people in person and online to exchange ideas, share best practices, and push for progress.

And this year we’ve got something special in store: the Global Conversation. On Monday, September 24, people from Beijing to Nairobi to New York will meet up locally to talk about how technology can address problems where they live and talk directly to each other. The ideas that come from these meetings will be shared globally, sparking innovation that can transform lives and our collective feature.

It’s easy to get involved, wherever you live. Visit the Social Good Summit website and learn how you can:

• Attend the Social Good Summit in New York City from September 22-24
• Organize or attend a Social Good Summit Meetup in your hometown or around the world as part of The Global Conversation
• Watch the Summit on YouTube and interact in real-time with the Social Good Summit community via social media with the hashtag#SGSglobal

— Kathy Calvin, CEO, UN Foundation