We recently had a tour here in New Zealand from the musical legend Herbie Hancock. During the tour he engaged in a media interview where he expressed himself about the effects of the internet on the Global Community.
He spoke with intelligence and refreshing optimism about the potential of the internet and the opportunities it opens up for the world community.
In short (and I'm going only from memory here), he expressed how he felt the drawing together of individuals through the internet, and the opportunity for large groups of people to speak with a combined voice, had the capacity to initiate major change. He highlighted the further potential for large, instantaneous, interest groups, to both highlight issues and bring pressure on world leaders to initiate change.
A recent example is the petitioning of Ugandan Govt officials regarding the proposed harsh anti-gay legislation being presented before the Ugandan parliament. After several on-line petitions were started . . . the Govt there abandoned the introduction of the bill . . . for now anyway.
Herbies view was that this potential was only in it's infancy . . . and that further development will bring the opportunity for the general world populace to have more and more influence through this medium.
Many of the World's electronic Media Organisations are buying in to this trend. The BBC "World News" carries a forum type "have your say" facility which publishes opinions instantaneously to a world-wide audience.
Many mainstream TV news programmes are inviting public comment which is immediately relayed to the watching audience.
How do you see this trend? . . . could it gain greater significance and indeed become a powerful vehicle for change on a Global level?