Using Social Media to Inspire Peaceful and Positive Change

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and ITVS have partnered up to present Media that Moves Millions summit on February 28, 2013 in Washington D.C. The event marks the fourth installment of the Media as Global Diplomat leadership series, aimed at leveraging global media to highlight innovative models for international conflict prevention. 

Media that Moves Millions looks beyond the headlines to understand the role of social media in mass movements for peaceful social change. A gathering of tech savvy peacebuilders and change agents, the day long summit will feature many of those people and organizations at the forefront of innovation, including: Nicholas Kristof, journalist, author, op-ed columnist, and a winner of two Pulitzer Prizes; Ben Keesey, CEO of Invisible Children; Frank Sesno, award-winning American journalist; Matthew Perault, manager for privacy and global policy at Facebook; and Alec Ross, senior advisor for innovation to the Secretary of State. 

Other notable speakers include president and CEO of the United Nations Foundation, Kathy Calvin, CPB president and CEO Patricia Harrison, and Sally Jo Fifer, President & CEO of ITVS. The first part of the Media that Moves Millions summit will explore campaigns that have captured the world’s attention by successfully using participatory media for social change, including the We Are All Khaled Said, Half the Sky, and Kony 2012 campaigns.

The second portion of the day will offer hands-on instruction by experts from Facebook, Twitter, and Indiegogo to individuals and organizations seeking to use the ever-expanding toolkit of media for social change and peace building. Among the topics to be discussed: the nexus between participatory media and civic activism; how social media can contribute to raising global awareness and financial support for action on pressing social issues; how old media organizations are using Facebook for new media strategies; how professional content creators and community organizers are harnessing the creative power of the crowd; best practices and strategies for utilizing Twitter for engagement; and crowd-funding technologies and platforms and their role in peace building. 

The afternoon will also include a sneak peak at the new Half the Sky Facebook game launching on March 4, as well as a preview of 10 x 10, both a feature film and a social action organization, presenting global documentaries about women and education. For those who aren’t able to attend the panel presentations, PBS NewsHour correspondent Hari Sreenivasan will host a live stream broadcast on-site. In addition to watching the panels live, in real-time, Sreenivasan will be answering questions from bloggers and citizen journalists from around the world and providing a behind-the-scenes account of the event. Join the conversation by using #GlobalDiplomat on Twitter. 

Click here for a complete list of speakers and the full conference agenda.