Why Social Good Conversations Are So Important

This post is part of a series in which Influencers and members discuss how to drive change that matters. Read all the posts here and write your own; include the hashtag #2030NOW in the body of your post.

It has been five years since Mashable launched its very first Social Good Summit event. When this event first launched, our goal was to highlight the brilliant work of those who were making an impact and trying to change the world.

Fast forward to today, and it is now a two-day gathering we convene with the United Nations Foundation, 92Y, United Nations Development Programme and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation beginning on Sept. 21 that examines the impact of technology and new media on social good initiatives around the world.

The motivation for this event was sparked when Mashable was much younger, and we were tracking the growth of new media tools that were giving voice and a platform for individuals, causes and organizations to share their efforts.

We knew the proliferation of these tools, and the evolution of technology in general, would create a whole new wave of efforts to make the world a better place, and we wanted a way to bring all those voices from around the globe together, in one place, while also making it possible for the entire world to watch and join in the global conversation.

Today, I’m proud to say that Social Good Summit is a truly global event. While the Summit is held in New York City, our live stream broadcast is translated into seven languages and we also have dozens of events in countries across the world – each promoting brilliant conversations on how we can better solve the world’s issues together.

And of course, the Social Good Summit is powered by the conversations through social media. Last year, the official hashtag of the event, #2030NOW, had nearly a half billion impressions across social media – and I hope we can make the conversation even larger this year!

Now if this is your first exposure to the Social Good Summit, welcome! This year, we have an exciting list of speakers who will be sharing their expertise on a number of issues, including climate change, education empowerment, millennial goals and the future of social good -- among many, many more topics.

But this conversation shouldn’t just be contained to the two days of Social Good Summit – they should be happening every day. There are important issues we must address, and we won’t see progress unless we have these conversations in an open forum.

I’ve made it a mission of mine and of Mashable to highlight social good initiatives year round, so we can have these discussions publicly. And now I’m asking YOU to join in this conversation right here on LinkedIn. What are the most important social good causes you think we should be having conversations about, and what can we do to better improve these issues in the world today?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below, OR expand on your reasons in LinkedIn’s longform publishing tool and share your link in the comments. I look forward to reading your thoughts and I hope to see you join in the Social Good Summit conversation on social media with #2030NOW!

The Social Good Summit is a global event focused on using digital tools to change the world. The two-day event in New York City begins on Sept. 21, but you can join the online conversation now through the hashtag #2030NOW.

Share your thoughts by writing a post on LinkedIn and be sure to use the hashtag #2030NOW somewhere in the body. Add the link for us all to read here in the comments below and tweet it to us via @LinkedInPulse.