It’s the Monday of one of the most exciting and powerful weeks in international development, health and policy. This week, heads of state, political power players, celebrities, and non-profit advocates will assemble in New York to review the progress of the Millennium Development Goals set in motion a decade ago.
The consensus seems to be that while progress has been made (most notably, childhood deaths have fallen from 12 million to 8 million, 1.3 billion people have lifted themselves out of poverty and polio is almost eradicated) there is still much more that needs to be done. (A live web stream of the UN Millennium Development Summit can be found here)
I’m currently sitting in the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in Washington D.C. watching a live web stream of the TedxChange event in New York, convened by Melinda Gates. The Sabin Vaccine Institute, where I work, is hosting this TedxChange event in DC called “TedxFoggyBottom.” The discussion is called “The Future We Make,” and the event examines the reasons why the Millennium Development Goals are important, how far we’ve come and why we should be committed to achieving them by 2015.
1. Presentation by Hans Rosling
Hans Rosling, Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institute and Director of the Gapminder Foundation opened up the conversation by introducing the MDGs and providing some great statistical data and reminding us that we need to focus on “long term investments.”
Among the myriad of interesting/humorous facts that Rosling had to offer, two important facts resonated the most:
- There are many countries around the world that are on track with reducing child mortality by 4% per year. The Millennium Development goal for Child Mortality is possible.
- Child Mortality has been reduced tremendously because of female education.
2. A brief chat with Melinda Gates
Melinda Gates then took the stage and had a interesting angle to her discussion– she talked about Coca-Cola. In the developing world, where water and food can be scare commodities, Coca-Cola has managed to seep into the most remote villages in Asia. How is this possible? And what lessons can be learned by the international development/health community?
Coke’s success relies on…
- Real Time Data
- Tapping into Local Entrepreneurial Talent- Governments and NGOs need to tap into locals to understand what motivates people to make change. Encourage health community workers to unlock their own potential
- Marketing- The secret to Coke’s marketing is aspirational. Coke’s global campaign slogan is “open happiness”– but they localize it depending on region/country. Use innovative marketing campaigns to save lives (i.e. linking toilets to courtship in India). Health and development experts need to understand what people really WANT rather than just what they need.
Following Melinda’s Gates’ inspirational talk, we were introduced to a group called “Bajah and The Dry Eye Crew” who advocated for change through their music!
3.Musical Performance by “Bajah and The Dry Eye Crew”
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- The members of Bajah and The Dry Eye Crew
4. Discussion with Mechai Viravaidya
Following the performance we were introduced to Mechai Viravaidya, often called Thailand’s “Condom King.” He spoke about his efforts in Thailand to educate populations about contraception, safe sex, and vasectomies. Highlights included pictures from a “Condom Blowing” competition held in schools across Thailand to educate students and teachers about contraception, to a vasectomy festival held on the 4th of July where hot dogs were served! Viravaidya talked about the importance of incorporating messaging about contraception into every aspect of life, from clothing, to taxis, hotels, schools, office buildings and coffee shops. Because of the efforts in Thailand new HIV/AIDs infections have been reduced by 90%. Innovative and effective!
5. Video: Revolutionary Optimists
We then watched a video that was adapted from an new documentary called “The Revolutionary Optimists.” The touching video, “tells the story of Amlan Ganguly, a lawyer-turned-social entrepreneur working to empower children living in Calcutta’s poorest neighborhood to become leaders in improving health and sanitation by increasing polio immunization rates in their community.”
6. Conversation with Graça Machel
Following the film we heard from Graca Machel, renowned international advocate for women’s and children’s rights, who stressed the importance of putting women and girls at the forefront of MDG policy.
Here are some other points she stressed:
1. Prioritization- Governments have to put resources first before distinguishing what additional development assistance is needed.
2. Government Leadership- Leaders need to step up to their full responsibility and lead the social change that is required.
3. Social Mobilization- Ensure that all citizens are working together for the common good. Governments need to educate citizens on progress, challenges and how the community can come together to combat pressing issues.
My favorite quote from her was: “Everyone seems to have a plan for our continent. We need a plan for Africa, by Africans.”
I always really enjoy TedTalks, its a dynamic space for unique individuals to share their ideas on innovation. The conversation is easy to understand for people without a lot of background on the subject and the visuals incorporated into the presentations are always stunning. This TedxChange was no exception.
Overall, the conversation reinforced something that Melinda stressed.
That Change is Possible.