Cell phones have been one of the most surprising and unexpected media technologies for communication and discussion of social issues. Example: Cell phones and poverty: helping poor farmers -- The Manobi Foundation uses technology to provide rural farmers in Africa with current market prices, giving them access to markets and sales that help them overcome poverty. The Manobi foundation program, using cell phones, have exponentially increased the earning power and transformed the lives of Senegalese farmers and their families. Could the same thing be done for small-scale northern New Mexico chile or apple growers?
 
Cell phones bridge and document political and social events. Case study in Iran: The death of the woman Neda Agha Soltan was captured on amateur videos and spread around the world in less than 48 hours on YouTube, Facebook, blogs and Twitter:
 
Videos of Soltan's death have been circulating inside Iran despite official blocking of Web sites including Facebook and jamming of satellite television signals. People have used anti-filtering software to circumvent the controls. Some Iranians have uploaded the footage to their cell phones and used Bluetooth technology to share it.
 
The bloody imagery could have an important impact on public opinion inside Iran. Persian-language postings on blogs and Twitter feeds used by supporters of the opposition called for a rally in memory of Neda and other "martyrs”. Cell phones, above all other media technology, may truly enable the democratization of social issues communications.