Esra’a Al Shafei put it all in perspective Saturday. Speaking via Skype from her home in Bahrain, the founder and Executive Director of MideastYouth.com, showed the crowd gathered at Social South the true power of social media, the internet and the idea of freedom. Al Shafei was denied a visa by her country to attend the event, which was the least of her concerns.

Her grassroots organization of young people around the world to fight against oppressive regimes, civil injustice and even genocide puts the 20-something young woman in constant danger. If the governments of any number of countries she travels to routinely discovered who she was, she would be imprisoned or, more likely, executed. Her actions put her in a state where she should constantly fear for her life.