After yesterdays announcement that Art Basel in Miami was been changed into what is now called the Regenerative Eco Technologies Fair, LeWeb organizer and founder Loic Le Meur has decided to adapt the theme of the LeWeb 2012 conference to something much more relevant and pressing, the conference theme is now Internet Of Sustainable Things.
Le Meur explained that his talk last night with European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes made him realize, that now is not the time to promote more gadgets and apps, and that this gathering of innovative Tech entrepreneurs should better be used to reflect upon more sustainable and socially equitable ways of producing and propagating internet-related development. The social and ecological challenges we face on our planet can no longer be ignored and specifically the technology sector of industry has a huge responsibility in this, he added.
The program was therefore changed. @scobleizer will now offer workshops on ecology and sustainability in gadget production. @loic himself will tackle the topic of human rights and social work conditions in countries where much of the gadget production takes place. Matt Mullenweg will reflect on the development of apps with social and political relevance geared towards helping people living in poverty and in totalitarian systems. And finally Natalia Vodianova will look into European youth unemployment and ways that the tech community can help to reintegrate the so called lost generation.
(I wish a better author than me could write this … but you get the idea)