As a small non-profit organization, the Omar Niode Foundation tried to participate in global events, gathering information that can help accelerate our missions.

One event that attracts global attention is The Social Good Summit in New York, a two-day conference examining the impact of technology and new media on social good initiatives around the world. Held annually during United Nations General Assembly Week in September, the Social Good Summit unites a dynamic community of global leaders and grassroots activists to discuss solutions for the greatest challenges of our time.

The Social Good Summit 2016 is presented by Mashable, United Nations Foundation, 92Y and United Nations Development Programme. It took place at 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, New York, a world-class cultural and community center where people all over the world connect through culture, arts, entertainment and conversation.

We applied for and were granted access to the Digital Media Lounge, a designated area of the Social Good Summit for bloggers and journalists from around the world. The lounge is equipped with WiFi, workspace, a live stream of the stage and access to the auditorium.

The tagline for Social Good Summit 2016 is “Connecting Today. Creating Tomorrow.” Day 1, on Sunday 18 September has 25 sessions while day 2, on Monday 19 September has 29 sessions.

 Image: UN

As always entertainers who conveyed messages on causes dear to their hearts received lots of attention. Actress Chelsea Handler, Sesame Street’s Zari and Sherrie Westin, singer Cody Simpson, actor Alec Baldwin, and singer Demi Lovato joined the list of speakers this year.

Among top ranking US government officials present were Secretary of State John Kerry who discussed American Leadership and Vice President Joe Biden who passionately talked about Cancer Moonshot, a mission to end cancer.

Sessions related to youth activities are also of interests, including The Connected Generation: The Leaders of 2030 by DoSomething.Org's Aria Finger, Taco Bell Foundation's Youth Leaders, and the Launch of UN Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals, and Creating a #LearningGeneration by Dr. Amel Karboul.

 Image: Wonderbag

In a session on Revolutionary Women, Sarah Collins showed an the Wonderbag, an innovation that is a unique powerless slow cooker that gives you the healthiest meals possible. It continues to cook food, which has been brought to a boil by conventional methods for up to 12 hours, without the additional use of power. Meanwhile, World famous chef and culinary innovator Jose Andres talked about world hunger, clean cooking and food sustainability.

The UNDP organizes Social Good Summit meet ups all over the world. This year, more than 80 countries, including Indonesia, will host meet ups that live stream the main stage event, while celebrating their local social good communities.

Social Good Summit Jakarta 2016 in Indonesia will be held on September 29 with inspirational speakers line up consisting of eminent sociopreneur, actors, novelists and high-ranking government officials.

 Image: UN

 The World in 2030

The theme of Social Good Summit 2016, #2030NOW, asks the question, “What type of world do I want to live in by the year 2030?” During the Social Good Summit, global citizens around the world unite to unlock the potential of technology to make the world a better place. Our next blog post will list some responses to this question gathered from Indonesian youths and friends of Eco Learning Camp, in Bandung, Indonesia.

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