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“Personally I had to fetch water every morning before going to school… There are girls that live in rural areas where there is no water at all and they have to walk…perhaps the whole day looking for water…This one issue keeps them out of school.” – Maame Yankah at the Social Good Summit

Sometimes you don’t have to eavesdrop to hear what’s going on in conversations around you. In fact, sometimes you are invited in. This took place both online and offline today during Social Good Summit Day 2, and I am grateful I got the chance to hear, and engage, in some great exchanges.

Mobile phones, social media and other technologies are changing the way humans connect to each other; they’re also changing how we support one another. Today, the United Nations Foundation is launching the Global Good Challenge – an innovative digital initiative that asks people to “donate their voices” by taking action and engaging their online networks to help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems, from malaria to child marriage to child mortality.

Yesterday’s kick-off of the Social Good Summit was a buffet of great ideas and inspiration. The people on the stage were incredible, but what happened inside and outside the room made it remarkable. A friend of mine remarked, “This place is like a power-list of people who believe in progress.” Agreed.

UNA-USA Hosts Nationwide Conference Call with
UN Foundation Board Member and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus

The Social Good Summit starts tomorrow, and the buzz is building. From child and maternal health to disaster relief to cybersecurity, we’ll be discussing some of the biggest issues facing the planet and how technology and social media can be part of the solution.

Sophie Blackall, a renowned illustrator – check out her recent artwork in the NYC Subway – recently returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo(checkout her travel journal), where she got a first-hand view of children’s health with the Measles and Rubella Initiative.

UNA-USA and the U.S. Department of State are giving one U.S. student the chance of a lifetime; a chance to see the United Nations in action, in person, during the UN General Assembly and other high-profile UN events.

Talking about how to use social media for social good is one of our favorite conversations at the UN Foundation. At the upcoming 2012 Social Good Summit, we’ll be taking this conversation global – discussing how to use technology and social media for change with leaders, innovators, activists, technology experts and others around the world!

Each year the United Nations General Assembly marks an opportunity for global leaders to gather in New York to address and take action against some of the world’s most pressing issues. But for those not attending the conference, it can be difficult to find a meaningful way to participate in U.N. week and offer ideas from our own communities.