If you missed Social Tech Training (STT), presented by MaRS and Web of Change, you still have a chance to catch Ricken Patel’s keynote speech. STT brought together the best and brightest in the social media sector to address the important issues about creating social change through the web.
In this podcast of his keynote, Ricken Patel discusses Avaaz.org, an online social advocacy group. Patel notes the increasing importance of “people power” in democracy. There are a vast number of people who would like to be involved in making the world a better place, yet this resource is often neglected. Listen to the podcast to find out how, ultimately, ordinary people can help close the gap between the world we have and the world we want.
Since the advent of Avaaz.org it has grown on average by 50,000 members a week, now at a total of 3.3 million. Their goal is to make globalization more democratic, which they accomplish through online organizing and by posting about pressing global issues. They go by the motto, “Human beings first, citizens of our countries second.”
Nick Glanville is interning with MaRS while he finishes studies at the University of Toronto.
