This is a very big week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. World leaders are gathered in the city for Rio+20, an event to talk about sustainable development and what progress was made in this area around the world since the first global conference on the topic, Eco 92, exactly twenty years ago. The official reports are many, and very disappointing. Not only did we not advance much in making the world cleaner, healthier and more balanced, but we still have similar environmental challenges that we did 20 years ago – only with a lot more people on the planet.
This sounds bleak, but there are some reasons to hope. I was invited to be a part of Rio+Social, a parallel event that focused on discussing how social media can help and affect change all over the world, making sustainability not just a trending topic, but also actually being an essential part of the innovative processes that might help out. The more immediate results of the event was the 6-minute collaborative speech, written by people all over the world using their website. Sending a message from the common people to world leaders like this would not have been possible 20 years ago.
The whole event was streamed online, and you can still watch here panels and lectures from people like the Mashable CEO, the Ericsson CEO, the former New Zealand Prime Minister, the former President of Costa Rica, and so on. The main message is this: now that we have the power to be heard, what are we going to do about it? Also, social media is not just a huge, free megaphone for different kinds of activism. You can bring people together, you can teach people, you can plan actions and talk to your government representatives. You can also engage with non-profit organizations to find out what kind of contribution you can make. And there is also the very large websites for theUN and Unicef, which both have a lot of information and space for collaboration.
It was inspiring to hear stories like the project from Ericsson that helps refugees in camps in Africa to find their long-lost relatives by sending out their profile information through SMS. One of the things that really stood out for me was how critical the most simple of technologies can be in a large-scale action. Refugees in Africa do not have the latest smart phones and would not benefit from a high tech phone app, but they do have millions of basic mobile phones that can transmit information at a low cost. They can receive important information at zero cost, if only the phone companies can be persuaded to help out and send out a message. How much health information could be readily available for the most humble of mothers if they can get one of our old mobile phones?
One of the most interesting panels brought together 4 youngsters from all over the world (Brazil, Nigeria, Sweden, China) to talk to elders, who happened to be former world leaders, such as the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and the former Prime Minister of Norway, Gro Brundtland. The conversation was about how different generations can learn from each other, inspire each other, and make a difference together. Very, very inspiring stuff.
Whenever we see stories on the news about Facebook or other trendy social media websites, we rarely see the community aspect of those. Stories focus on the profile building, self-promoting side of those networks, which does exist. But they can be so much more, just as we see right here, in HP Connections. It can be a live community, with common goals and beliefs. It can be a way to find neighbors, even if they live thousands of miles away. It can give you access to relevant information that will make your life better, and positively affect the lives of those around you.
One of the best examples of this in real life that I know of is a Facebook app created by a Brazilian company. Izzui was created to allow people to share knowledge for free in WBT format. They provide the WBT creation tool, which absolutely anyone is able to use, it is very easy. And then you publish your course in Facebook and anyone with an FB account can take the course. Isn’t it nice? I guess that this initiative would fall into what Muhammad Yunus would call Social Business. It is not that this company created and maintains this app totally out of charity. They have business goals and they aim at some profit. But their product can also benefit the community, while making them richer.
Another interesting aspect that was discussed was the impact of women in their communities. Being mothers, sisters and wives, educated women can greatly impact the lives of all around them. Nurturing culture and motivating their families to better themselves, women are key in areas of low income. It pays to educate the girls, which can be a challenge still in some countries. Educated women change the society in which they live, but also have a better birth survival rate, and their kids survive their first five years more often. They have less kids, too. Looking at the numbers, it becomes really clear that fighting to help free women from cultural (or actual) slavery really has a positive impact on society and the environment.
All of this goals would greatly benefit from the help of business people. Not just in the financial side, but looking at the goals with business strategy in mind and helping trace a path to achieving them. One of the things mentioned by the CEO of Ericsson was that getting involved is not just about giving money. Helping people with good intentions get organized and being practical can make all the difference.
It was a true privilege to be there, but most of all it was inspiring. I have my own small modest plans of what I can do to help. Now I`d love to see some more people getting inspired too. Take a look at the event factsheet to know more about the people there and the goals. Check out the videos and I am sure you will feel inspired too.
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