Immediate Actions You Can Take For Social Good & World Change

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Alan Kay

It was a true honor to participate in the Social Good Summit LIVE this past weekend in NYC. Hosted by Mashable, the UN Foundation, Ericsson and more, it was the first event of its kind: an epic 3-day global conversation with participants from more than 163 countries, including over 200 meetups all focusing on how to use technology for social good and world change.  Film company One Day on Earth even set up a studio in the art gallery of the 92Y, splicing videos from various countries in real time to accompany the heavy hitting lineup of global leaders, visionaries, artists, celebrities and more.  Overall, the common goal at the Summit was to shorten the distance between identifying the world’s problems and implementing creative solutions for sustainable change.

What was clear is that a great many people are moving more towards their heart centers & embracing radical empathy. They WANT to do GOOD! They just need the tools, platforms, connections & buttons to click in order to do so.  There are those individuals that are still in ‘professional denial,’ though, fueled by the industries that want to keep the status quo – and they continue to destroy our planet and the reality of a sustainable future in the process. Don’t be one of them! Below are some highlights from the Summit & ways that you can easily get involved. The idea is to not just uplevel your own life, but the life of all beings in our global village. Geographical divides are no longer a barrier to unified action. With technology and social media, anything is possible!  And as Maggie Fox from @ClimateReality stated, “You’ve got your Time, your Dime & your Voice. Use all three all the time.”

Climate Change

Social movements are essential for political change and climate change is still the #1 issue facing our planet today. The cases of extreme weather and its effects are all around: natural disasters, rampant storms, flocks of birds falling out of the sky dead & everything you see around you each day. If things don’t change, our species could be extinct in 200 years. Increase the noise around the country about climate change. Learn the realities of “Dirty Weather’ that is being caused by all forms of unrenewable energy.

Actions you can take today

Modern Day Slavery

We just passed the 150 anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, where we truly became a free country & stated that slavery would no longer exist. But the reality is that there are more slaves in the world NOW than there were in 1862. Transnational organized crime brings in 820 BILLION DOLLARS each year, with human trafficking pulling in 32 BILLION of that total.  Slave labor & human trafficking are a global dilemma. These horrible practices have permeated every continent and could even be in our neighborhood, but we often fail to see them.

Actions you can take today

Poverty

“Every country can develop. Every country can end poverty.” – Jim Yong Kim @Worldbank (click to TWEET)

Mobile devices are one of the top 5 advances in the world to lift us out of poverty. Technology is helping to foster equality.  Through companies like mPowering, women and young mothers in developing countries are using cellphones to empower themselves (see more at their web site, http://mpowering.org/) . The potential of every young girl needs to be realized in our world.

Actions you can take today

  • Enter the mWomen design challenge to benefit and break down barriers for millions of poor and marginalized women (www.designchallenge.mwomen.org)

  • Join the @Worldbank campaign #Whatwillittake to end poverty and boost prosperity. Send ideas via Twitter. Help bend the arc of history to end poverty much sooner than predicted.

Foster Peace

“Over 1.5 Trillion is spent on armaments right now & 700 Billion for military, yet only 300 Billion on peace.” @JeffDSachs

You must connect with people and their stories so you can relate on a heart level. We all have hopes, desires, dreams aspirations, loves. Open your eyes to what’s going on right in front of you. Your empathy and connection will grow. You can’t forget to see yourself in others.

Love grows. It’s a commodity that expands once you start to use it. @ForrestWhitaker(click to tweet) – Artist and UNESCO Goodwill ambassador

“Together we can solve the problems and educate the world.”

Actions you can take today

Youth Education

There are 61 Million kids not in school around the world. Every youth in the world should have access to the same learning materials. The Global Give Back Circle, sponsored by the Gates Foundation, is helping to bridge the occupation gap and give youth in developing countries access to learning opportunities.

Pregnancy and childbirth is the #1 cause of death in teenage girls around the world, largely due to lack of knowledge & access to education. Child marriage is also an issue. Allowing a girl to learn about her health and wellbeing can change the future of our globe.

Actions you can take today

  • Follow and engage with @10x10act, an engine to educate girls throughout the world with a full-length film coming soon.

  • Support the Connect to Learn program as part of Ericsson’s sustainability initiatives.

  • Be the spark of change for a youth. Visit www.giveforyouth.org

Empowering Women & Girls

When you see how a country is treating their women and girls, you’ll know how likely they are to prosper.” Holly Gordon of @10x10act (click to tweet)

There are 600 Million adolescent girls globally. A large majority of those girls is seen as a liability and not an asset. Healing gender roles is one issue, but if you start with educating, empowering and connecting girls it will serve the future overall by providing stronger families, communities and a planet. There’s a huge value proposition at the end. Educating & empowering girls & women sets off a ripple effect. When you’re helping one woman, you’re helping every woman.

“We also need enlightened men around us to change the discourse.” @AmericaFerrera @ONECampaign

Actions you can take today

  • Engage with The ONE Campaign supporting economic empowerment for women

  • Tell a girl in your community or family about GirlUp – a “for girls, by girls” organization that’s part of the UN Foundation

  • Message from the teen advisor for GirlUp – @SofiaCSnyc “Help my generation find their voice and use it so we can create huge change.”

  • Developing countries like Honduras want more collaboration than charity. How can you help generate collaboration?

Child Mortality

19,000 Children are dying a day.  Join the www.apromiserenewed.org campaign, whose goal is to reduce child deaths worldwide.  146 countries have already committed to helping every child have a 5th birthday.

There is also the issue of Stunting, which afflicts over 160million children. When you go without proper nutrition before the age of two your brain can’t develop, and these children don’t have a chance of reaching their full potential.

Actions you can take today

Nutrition

1 Billion people in our world today are hungry. 2 billion people are malnourished. Poverty, lack of access & deficient knowledge are just a few of the causes.

Actions you can take today

Obesity

Today’s children are the 1st generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

Ironically, as middle and low-income countries become more economically developed, we’re increasing our mortality rates thanks to modern “conveniences.”  Technology can enable the solution, along with making physical activity a priority on a social level.

“The next generation should demand the ability to reach their full potential. Greatness can be found at every level of the human spirit.” – Charles Denson @Nike #move

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Actions you can take today

  • Make sure you (and your friends, family, and colleagues) engage in 60 min of physical activity a day and begin teaching the value of being active.

  • Inspire others to #move

Global Health: Fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

One death is too many. The love of human[ity], us caring about each other makes all the difference @jimmy_wales(click to tweet)

@globalfundnews is working on an incredible campaign called #thebigpush to help end deaths from these three diseases.

Actions you can take today

  • Become part of the Big Push – Click HERE to visit the site, donate & post your picture to join the ranks of people globally

Spirituality in the Digital Age

“Action without love is irrelevant.” @DeepakChopra (click to tweet)

Social Media is influencing the brain and our evolution, raising human to a critical mass. We must think wisely of how we will use it. Social networks regulate the energy of the Universe and are spurring the evolution of the human identity into a global identity. We are laying the foundation for a global brain.  Technology is our creation. Let’s use our creation to bring about healing. At-one-ment. We are not just connected, we’re inseparable. Let’s help everyone increase their capacity for happiness and wellbeing.

Actions you can take today

  • Ask yourself. What kind of world do I want to live in? How can I make that happen?

Take ACTion

This is just the tip of a massive iceberg, but it’s never too late to join the action & help change the world. The key is to not get overwhelmed. Empathize and prioritize.  Advocacy starts at home – do what you can from where you are. Amplify your voice. Connect your brain to your heart. Utilize your creativity to change lives. Think of happiness and wellbeing for ALL instead of just 1%. Get out what you want to say and create a call to action.  Generate conversations. Take leadership. Engage in thoughtful empathy. The world needs you. NOW.

“Give me 1000 inspired people and we can change the world.” – Paull Young @Charitywater (click to tweet)

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