With six weeks to go, excitement is building up for the MobileActive08 Summit.

Hosted by SANGONeT and MobileActive.org from 13-15 October 2008 in Johannesburg, the theme of the event is “Unlocking the Potential of Mobile Technology for Social Impact”.

This will be the largest international event to date focusing on this topic and is the only global gathering that is connecting leaders who are working at the convergence of civil society, mobile technology and social change.

The more than 300 participants will include non-profit practitioners using mobile phones in innovative and creative ways, mobile technologists, researchers studying the use of mobile phones, government officials, and representatives from the international donor community and telecommunications industry –  all sharing a common interest in the use and application of mobile technology in support of social impact.

At MobileActive08 participants will explore how mobile phones are used to advance civil society and development work, assess the current state of knowledge in the use and effectiveness of mobile technology to advance social action, and investigate trends, needs and investment opportunities.

The MobileActive08 programme is intentionally designed to be cross-disciplinary as learnings and experiences span various disciplines in this emerging field. However, specific attention will be given to the role of mobile technology in health, human rights, economic development, advocacy, education, citizen journalism, and democratic participation.

During the first day and a half of the event more than 50 speakers will share their experiences through a variety of workshops and skill-share sessions, rotating mini-talks, SIMlabs and SIMplaces.

The second part of MobileActive08 will be conducted in an ‘open space’ format where participants will delve more deeply into the topics discussed during the first part of the event. We hope that this will allow the many conversations started as a result of the formal presentations to deepen in small groups during dedicated time.

We are looking forward to meeting you in Johannesburg in October!