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Posted: September 23, 2010 01:49 PM

Arianna moderated a panel titled "Democracy and Voice: Technology For Citizen Empowerment and Human Rights" at the Clinton Global Initiative on Thursday.

Panelists Ashton Kutcher, Nicholas Kristoff, Mohamed Ibrahim, and Maria Otero discussed the impact of social media on social causes, government reform and the economy.

After the discussion, the group answered questions sent via Twitter.

Arianna directed the first to Kutcher, who was there to discuss how the Ashton And Demi Foundation was using social media to combat child sex trafficking. Girls Inc asked, "How can we allow more women and girls access and embrace technology?"

Noting that 80% of slaves today are women, Kutcher said, "What we can do right now is utilize the platforms that exist to create cultural equality between men and women... the face of slavery has changed and in many cases that face is a woman's face."

"I think the democratization of media will provide voices for those women and actually start to shift that cultural dynamic in a way that has that old saying of 'women and children first', maybe we can actually start to make that a reality. Maybe the men who tout that idea will stand up to say 'Its not OK to buy women anymore,'" he said. "Using social platforms to advocate things like that is a strong start."

In her closing remarks, Arianna pointed to the power of technology to enact social change.

"Now, the privilege that was open only to a few -- leaders in the media, the government -- is available to the public," She said. "It's really an unprecedented opportunity to bear witness and not allow the kind of crimes against humanity to go on."

Technology helps put a face on the figures, Arianna explained.

"We have the tools available to touch human hearts-- that's where the change begins. Not just to have a government index but an empathy index. Thank you so much for being part of it."

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Arianna moderated a panel titled "Democracy and Voice: Technology For Citizen Empowerment and Human Rights" at the Clinton Global Initiative on Thursday. Panelists Ashton Kutcher, Nicholas Kristoff,...
Arianna moderated a panel titled "Democracy and Voice: Technology For Citizen Empowerment and Human Rights" at the Clinton Global Initiative on Thursday. Panelists Ashton Kutcher, Nicholas Kristoff,...
 
 
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HUFFPOST BLOGGER
BobJacobson
"The Future: Live it, or live with it." - Firesign
08:47 PM on 09/24/2010
CGI does a lot of nice things. It also operates as a private American government, in the same way that Blackwater is our private army, Bechtel our private Army Corps of Engineers, and Cargill our private Agriculture Department. In fact, there's a private counterpart for every element of the US Govenment, but only CGI (with the participation of the Council on Foreign Relations) acts as our private Executive. Credit it to Bill Clinton's leadership qualities, which are exceptional. But do we really want Bill acting in our behalf -- negotiating sub rosa treaties, quietly helping to coordinate the world economy, and proposing amelioratives for the unpleasant outcomes of these initiatives -- without our consent? It doesn't say much for American democracy.
09:21 PM on 09/24/2010
The answer to your ? is KNOW.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
10:34 AM on 09/24/2010
china as we speak is building 200 solar panel manufacturing plants.....how many does the US have/is building? 0 !!!!!!!!!!! "competition is a sin".....john d rockefeller.....
09:22 PM on 09/24/2010
Thank you for the knowledge:
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sposton
right to tell what they don't want to hear
10:31 AM on 09/24/2010
Great to talk about the importance of civil society in other countries. Where is our own civil society? We like to export democracy to other countries but where is our own democracy? This is not unlike the orchestra playing music while the Titanic is sinking.

Isn't it wonderful that all these great philanthropic organizations help people whose conditions can to a large extent be traced to the exploitation by corporations owned by the same classes which own these great philanthropic foundations? ;-)
09:22 PM on 09/24/2010
Thank you for the knowledge:
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
GOATLEY3
Dream in lightyears, accomplish step by step.
08:39 AM on 09/24/2010
When did Ashton Kutcher becom an expert on anything other than bad movies?
exmate
Life is about playing a poor hand well.
06:39 AM on 09/24/2010
1. The issues DO get confused.

2. There are clearly many, mamy people who are rich who deserve to be rich.

3. There are others who deserve to be rich but not THAT rich.

4. The manner in which some individuals have become rich is not much different from the way that kingpins of crime syndicates have gotten rich. Some of them like Bernie Madoff are caught and sent to prison . Many of them even when caught, get golden parachutes.
02:35 AM on 09/24/2010
Thanks MS HuffPost. To all you out there that ignorantly Pooh Pooh technology, git the flock out of society and go live in a cave somewhere ALONE. To you woman slave traffickers "We's comin' to git yer arses"
12:34 AM on 09/24/2010
greetings...Arianna....appreciate this site very much...thank you.....it seems to me you will know that you are really being effective when you are no longer invited to be part of the status quo, and the media, through its advertisers, will have nothing to do with you.....that hasn't happened yet....
09:06 PM on 09/23/2010
electric lights are very handy but what of candles or Ghee lamps and such
___________
the assumption that democracy is freedom is not borne out by experience freedom is freedom and consciousness is freedom and consciousness is stressfree brain
_________
development should not be enforcing a ethanol solution ethanol and some biofuel is a fool's paradise e.g.
to fight malaria support green ecology [ and green agriculture ]to increase natural predators of mosquitoes , increase use of local knowledge of herbal medicine e.g. Artimesia Annua

about Iran new media does provide better weather reports but can it improve the weather muchly

what creates better weather peace harmony and all that is a group of 8 000 yogic flyers

for that [ the billion dollars endowment fund needed ] more than new media is needed new consciousness is needed

State department needs translators and new consciousness

civil society is good but party politics makes civil war;american democracy is brutal party warfare ;consciousness is peace

dumping too much on local people is to much future shock

fro millions of reasons a group of 8 000 yogic flyers is the highest priority

Hillary can fund it from allready approved money

any multimillionaire can fund it , structured as a research project with measurable parameters
12:08 AM on 09/24/2010
Candles?
They're a fire hazard.
They polute the air.
They're made from petroleum products.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
GOATLEY3
Dream in lightyears, accomplish step by step.
08:45 AM on 09/24/2010
I though candles were made from wax....which can come from bees?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Lloyd Cata
09:01 PM on 09/23/2010
Saw Trump talking about China eating US lunch. Says his friends leaving the USA over 3% tax increase. How many Chinese would leave their country for 3%. Good riddance! Arseholes never had any loyalty but a dollar, or a yuan, or a peso........

Oh how persecuted they are in America after blowing up the US economy and having American people bail them out. Boo-hoo-boo-hoo, we're all meanies and their all rich. No class warfare where their going...only one class in hell!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
whyus
San Francisco native
07:53 PM on 09/23/2010
Arianna, you're everywhere! Good for you.
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HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Tabby Biddle
women's leadership expert, writer & writing coach
07:22 PM on 09/23/2010
Great moderating this morning at CGI Arianna! You asked an important question about how we can move from wanting to do something about the problems to actually doing something about the problems. I think using our voices as journalists and general citizens to spotlight the issues (particularly violence against girls and women, sex trafficking, and maternal health) is a crucial first step. Like Ashton Kutcher said: Ninety percent of the top 100 media moguls are white males over the age of 40, aka a specific gender and socio-economic level. On Twitter and FB, 30 percent of the top 100 are women and 7 percent are African American, aka a different socio-economic level than the media moguls. This allows issues that don't necessarily have profitability to gain public attention, such as educational access for girls in developing countries, sex slavery and trafficking, women's health, HIV, malaria, etc. I applaud HuffPost for creating a national and global forum where we can spotlight and discuss these issues and start shifting the global mindset and culture. Our voices are an integral piece of turning ideas into action. As more women and girls are given access to forums where they can use their voice, we truly can change the world. Thanks Arianna for creating this space and opportunity.
10:37 PM on 09/23/2010
One voice is a start, and when more join it's a catalyst for change. The panel gave great examples of the impact a tiny group can have by catching the world's attention, driving the conversation. And yet, skeptics seem to have the louder voice...fortunately not at this site! Thanks for the conversation - sharing this. http://bit.ly/kaywhitaker
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gaudeamus
igitur juvenes dum sumus
07:16 PM on 09/23/2010
"I think the democratization of media will provide voices for those women and actually start to shift that cultural dynamic in a way that has that old saying of 'women and children first', maybe we can actually start to make that a reality."

not to diminish kutcher's sincerity or intent nor to disagree with his contention, I nevertheless find ironic that he chooses a traditional, gender-based cultural bias (women and children first) to exemplify the democratization of media.
HUFFPOST PUNDIT
anothervoice2
332 electoral votes is a mandate
09:38 PM on 09/23/2010
Clearly you missed the context.  When children and women are so far behind in so many parts of the world, "putting them first" is just a small first step. It doesn't imperil men ruling the world - certainly not immediately.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
GOATLEY3
Dream in lightyears, accomplish step by step.
08:49 AM on 09/24/2010
The problem is that when you put women first you end up with a situation such as we have here in the us. We have put women first too long creating, most evidently, inequalities in education for males. The result has been schools systems that as evidenced by graduation rates and college admissions are biased towards the learning needs of women.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
ccairnes
"Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will"
05:53 PM on 09/23/2010
1. Literacy
2. Electricity
3. Connectivity
FreeHat
Really?
05:50 PM on 09/23/2010
We have to start melding US policing efforts with the European approach. Do I want your average community college b student to be carrying a gun playing John Wayne. No. Completely absurd.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
MohammedAbbasi
Co-Director, Association of British Muslims
05:41 PM on 09/23/2010
Forget the summits lets get together with diverse activists from the Social Media field internationally and discuss things and maybe that would be better ?