CanopyLAB and the Obama Foundation have shared that when President Obama took the stage at The Copenhagen Democracy Summit in Denmark Friday, he was introduced by Obama Foundation Leader and social Impact entrepreneur Sahra-Josephine Hjorth.
In her introduction, Sahra-Josephine Hjorth spoke about her work as a social impact entrepreneur innovating at the intersection of technology and education with more than 120 NGOs. Sahra-Josephine Hjorth raised her voice to deliver a clear message to the influential audience about the future of democracy and the role of technology:
“I stand before you to appeal to you with a sense of urgency: While the increasing use of smartphones and social media first came with a whisper of a new era of democratic participation, fake news and misinformation dominate the digital landscape and result in the erosion of the fabric of truth and polarization. The young people on our learning platforms are concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the lack of advancement on climate change. We expect technology giants to enter a new era where digital ethics and transparency are a baseline, not an extravagance”.
After welcoming President Obama to the stage, President Obama delivered remarks about strengthening democracy in the digital age, and finally, President Obama was joined by Obama Foundation Leaders Federica Vinci from Italy, Tudor Iulian Bradatan from Romania and Selvije Mustafi from North Macedonia to discuss challenges to democracy and the promise of the next generation of leaders.
