15 Ways Social Media Enables Democracy

This collection of speeches focuses on the different ways social media enables democracy in different parts of the world today. From playing a crucial role in emergency assistance to spreading information about voting in an election, the digital world ushers in a variety of ways and means to create more democratic and transparent political conditions.

Mashable's founder and CEO Pete Cashmore argues that social media, at its very core is democracy-enabling as it gives a voice to people and provides them with the opportunity to freely share their messages and opinions. He references the recent uprisings in Egypt to illustrate how effective social media can be at gathering people together.

While gender equality still affects many developing nations in the world, Johanna Blakley believes that social media has the capacity to break down gender stereotypes and create identities for people based on their interests, passions and backgrounds.

These speeches offer inspiration on how technology and social media enables democracy, making the world a better place.