By Hira Nafees Shah
Participants of the Social Media Summit with U.S Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson
Nearly 400 alumni, social media gurus, journalists and civil society activists enthusiastically took part in the groundbreaking Social Media Summit March 29-30, 2014, in Islamabad.
International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumnus and Progressive Youth Forum (PYF) General Secretary Abdullah Dayo organized the summit, which was funded by a grant from the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network and supported by a planning committee of alumni volunteers.
International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Alumnus Abdullah Dayo
“I arranged this Social Media Summit, to provide a platform to social media activists to share their experiences with the local community in Pakistan,” Dayo said.
Attending an alumni-led social media summit in Delhi, India last fall, also served as inspiration, Dayo said. In addition to panels on a variety of topics, including women’s empowerment, entrepreneurship, peace promotion, and youth activism, Dayo made sure to include a Skype panel with several experts from India to discuss strategies for regional cooperation.
The hashtag for the summit #SMS14 became a top trend not just on Twitter in Pakistan, but also internationally as it elicited a response from U.S Secretary of State John Kerry.
The gathering kicked off with a video message by Macon Phillips, a State Department official and brains behind the social media strategy for President Barack Obama’s 2008 successful presidential campaign.
“Social Media is a powerful platform to make sure your voices are heard,” said the chief guest at the occasion, U.S Ambassador Richard Olson, while pointing towards the impact that the medium could produce locally in the country.
U.S Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Olson taking his first selfie with IVLP Alumnus Abdullah Dayo at the Social Media Summit
The first session at the function included a dynamic panel discussion on the use of Social Media in Pakistan featuring senior journalists Moeed Pirzada, Nasim Zehra and Wusatullah Khan, in which a diverse array of opinions were voiced, about whether the state should have any role in regulating new media in the country.
“It was a thrilling experience interacting with the younger generation at the Social Media Summit,” said Wusatullah Khan after the session. “Dialogue should be welcomed because intolerance increases in society because of less interaction.”
A participant said he could relate to a different session at the summit: “I think the social entrepreneurship panel was the best because I learned a lot and found a path that I could follow,” said Khawar Paracha.
The Social Media for Social Entrepreneurship panel included renowned names like Jahan Ara, the president of Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA), singer Aaroon Haroon Rashid and Sarah Adeel, Fulbright alumnus and CEO of LettuceBee Kids.
“We are going to launch a new song with an anti-piracy message,” said Rashid while talking about Taazi.com, a platform which aims to promote music copyright laws in the country.
Panelists at session on “Social Media in Pakistan-Perceptions and Realities”
Four breakout sessions were also held during the event on Youth Activism, Peace Promotion, Women Empowerment and the Power of Digital Storytelling. The Youth Activism panel pondered the power of social media in Pakistan and questioned whether any limits should be placed due to its use by banned militant outfits to propagate their ideologies.
This ability of social media in influencing public discourse also came up in a session on the impact of blogging and Twitter on journalism in Pakistan.
“We get instant reactions on social media,” said Jahanzaib Haque, Editor Dawn.com. “Social media is holding journalism accountable every step of the way.”
As for the participants, many of them appreciated the amount of learning that they had received about the online world, by taking part in the event.
“I really liked the idea of live streaming and displaying tweets on big screens at the conference,” said Syed Kashif-ul Hasnain, a social media manager at a private software house.
He also said he would pitch the idea of live streaming to tech organizations who might be interested in holding similar gatherings.
Famous Singer and Composer Aaroon Haroon Rashid performing at Social Media Summit
“I absolutely loved the Social Media Summit,” said Madeeha Raza, a director at Morango Films. “The event gave me valuable tips about how I can use the social media to reach more people and have a dialogue with the national and international community.”
The conference also included a Skype session with U.S. social media activist Sean Martin McDonald of FrontlineSMS, who paid homage to the power of the medium to transcend boundaries.
As for the main organizer, Abdullah Dayo, the next step is to ensure the summit becomes sustainable. He has launched a website to provide a platform for the summit attendees to remain connected and integrate each other’s work. But for now he is overwhelmed by the tremendous success that his event has garnered.
“It is the first time ever that an event on social media became the number. 1 trend on Twitter in Pakistan, and also went viral because Secretary Kerry also tweeted about the summit,” said Dayo.“I feel emotional because through this initiative, the voice of Pakistani people was heard globally.”
Hall jam-packed with nearly 400 attendees of the Social Media Summit
Take a look at the photographs from the Social Media Summit at:
ttps://www.flickr.com/photos/109908453@N05/sets/72157643267403083/
For more information about the event, visit:
