Washington, D.C., 21 September 2010 (PAHO/WHO) - An event on Monday 20 September, coordinated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Sabin Vaccine Institute, marked the 10th anniversary of the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals. TEDxFoggyBottom was held at PAHO headquarters in Washington, D.C., simultaneously with TEDxChange, an event in New York co-hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The New York event featured more than 150 of the world's leading thinkers and doers. Convened by Melinda French Gates, the event explored what the future holds for health and development around the world. What changes have taken place in the last decade? And what more needs be done to ensure the health and well-being of future generations?
A global audience participated on the September 20 webcast hosted by TED curator Chris Anderson, as TEDx communities around the world, including TEDxFoggyBottom, hosted events around the live webcast.
The event featured live streaming transmission from New York, featuring Melinda Gates, Graça Machel, Hans Roslins, Mechai Viravaidya, and music of Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew, followed by a moderated discussion on the potential impact vaccines and other preventative measures can have in relation to achieving the MDG's, led by PAHO Deputy Director Dr. Jon Andrus and Sabin Institute's Dr. Ciro de Quadros. A networking reception happened from 1:15 to 2:00pm.
"TED" stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design — three broad subject areas that are, collectively, shaping our future. It showcases ideas that matter in any discipline. The diverse audience — CEOs, scientists, creatives, philanthropists — is almost as extraordinary as the speakers, who have included Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Frank Gehry, Paul Simon, Sir Richard Branson, Philippe Starck, and Bono. TED was first held in Monterey, California, in 1984. In 2001, Chris Anderson's Sapling Foundation acquired TED from its founder, Richard Saul Wurman. In recent years, TED has expanded to include an international conference, TEDGlobal; media initiatives, including TEDTalks and TED.com; and the TED Prize.
TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At the TEDxFoggyBottom event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the most broadly supported, comprehensive and specific development goals the world has ever agreed upon. These eight time-bound goals provide concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions. They include goals and targets on income poverty, hunger, maternal and child mortality, disease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality, environmental degradation and the Global Partnership for Development.
