Pop!Tech selected speakers John Legend, Victoria Hale, and Jay Keasling to take part in the dialog initiated online. Here is the portion we saw on stage:
Q: What is the most powerful but under-appreciated way we can shape the future? What do we overlook as a resource or solution for shaping a better future? Is there something we have lost sight of? Some solution that can serve other purposes? Give us your thoughts! Of more than a thousand people who responded through the Yahoo! Answers website,the community selected:
A: Making our own neighborhoods and communities safe, beautiful, friendly, tolerant, cared for, functional and environmentally conscious. If every single person in America got to know their own neighbors and did two hours of work each week in their own area to help make it a better place to live, then ALL of America would be all right. People would be sharing garden foods they grew, they would be helping each other fix things by sharing tools knowledge time and work. If neighbors knew that someone needed food or assitance, they could get together and help out, share what they have, baby sit, take an older person to the store or shop for them etc. It's not about just helping people on the other side of the planet. There are people who need help very near each of us. Last winter-here in Mid Michigan- a homeless man died in a small park that was four blocks from my house in a beautiful college town neighborhood. He froze to death overnight out there. No one knew he was there until he was found. THAT is a tragedy. Think Global. Act Local.