Mobile Takeover: How cell phones are leading to economic and democratic progress

Featuring Professor Iqbal Z. Quadir, Founder and Director of The Legatum Center, MIT and Grameen Phone

Billions of people around the world now have computers in their hands that are thousands of times more powerful than the computers that guided the lunar mission. Over half of these people live in poor countries, where there are still inadequate roads, poor schools, ill-equipped hospitals, unreliable electricity, and no potable water. However, these powerful computers, better known as mobile phones, have proven a critical point: productivity tools in the hands of people empower them to take problems into their own hands.

Why is this so remarkable? Because the versatility of a mobile phone has shown that new technology can be developed, new tasks can be performed, new businesses can be formed, leading to economic and democratic progress.

The benefits of the mobile phone can also be felt by those that have the economic power to help in times of crisis. 2010 opened with the catastrophic earthquake that ripped through Haiti. The response saw a new technological revolution via mobile devices. The to-and-fro of private conversation and advertising took a back seat to mobile advocacy and fundraising and the instant (and portable) proliferation of timely information.

With the advance of global threats like climate change, pandemics, food and water shortage, the public will be called upon with increasing regularity to respond to crisis. Mobile tech is giving us a new way to leverage the humanity of people worldwide.

Source: Fortune Brainstorm Tech Blog (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/tag/iqbal-quadir/)

Join us for our mid-week discussion on Mobile Tech and the Global Threat Set.

Reception will begin at 5pm. Keynote will begin at 6pm.

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