Clay Shirky, professor in New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, is at the forefront of thought and discussion on the future of the Internet and communication technology. From the "Twitter revolution" in Iran and GitHub's collaborative coding process to the death of newspapers and the rise of the Pirate Party in Europe, Shirky has traced the way new and social media have changed the way the world works. His book Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations and his subsequent work have focused on the way people can organize online for real-world effects without the need for more traditional institutions. Shirky spoke with GRITtv about the way everyday citizens can use the same technology that brings us videos of a kitten on a treadmill to achieve results that strengthen and spread democracy and engagement around the world.