social awareness – SomeGadgetGuy

I’m a futurist. I believe most of the solutions to problems facing humanity will involve our ability to apply tech. It’s always a shock discovering that those same tools that I enjoy can be used to support some vile behaviors.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Carol Smolenski, the Executive Director of ECPAT, an organization which provides educational materials, outreach, and supports law enforcement in reducing child sex trafficking. They were recently honored by The Hilton Foundation winning the 2013 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize.

It was a sobering discussion to realize that child abuse imagery is on the rise around the world, and we spent some time discussing what technology’s role might be in solving this problem.

For more info please visit:
http://www.ECPAT.net
http://www.ECPATUSA.org

Tech as social awareness. I love it.

“Love is Changing History” is a new project headed up by AT&T built around sharing personal stories from the LGBTQ community. Two online films co-directed by Lance Bass and Pauley Perrette will be posted online and viewers will be encouraged to share the films, and their own experiences. All of this media will be collected and submitted to the Library of Congress.

We’re at a generational shift, and acceptance of the various gay and bisexual communities has opened the doors for some historic changes in social and political behavior. Now seems like an appropriate time to chronicle the human condition as society evolves.

For every person who shares one of the films, or the “Love is Changing History” website, AT&T will donate $1 to The Trevor Project, up to $100,000, to help fund their series of suicide prevention and crisis outreach centers for LGBTQ youth.

The first film ‘Jenny’ is already live (embedded below), and the next film ‘Two Dads’ is listed as “Coming Soon”.