TEDxSMU and World Affairs Council bring live webcast
and discussion of U.N. development goals to SMU

TEDxSMU and the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth are bringing a live webcast of New York-based TEDxChange, a TED-styled discussion of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, to the SMU campus on Monday, September 20.

TEDxChange: The Future We Make marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the eight goals (www.un.org/millenniumgoals) set out to tackle global issues such as poverty, child mortality and disease by 2015.  Convened by Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the program will look at changes in the last decade and action necessary to ensure the health and well-being of future generations. TED curator Chris Anderson will moderate.

At a luncheon following the conclusion of the webcast, Robert Freling, executive director of the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), will present a response from the SMU stage, “Energy for All: Powering the Millennium Development Goals.”   More information on Freling and SELF is available at www.self.org.

About TEDxSMU

Bringing together ideas and interesting people from around the world and around the corner, TEDxSMU and TEDxKids @SMU are single-day conferences in Dallas, TX. Now in its second year, TEDxSMU is jointly produced by Southern Methodist University and the Idea Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas. Both 2010 events – TEDxKids @SMU on October 15 and TEDxSMU on October 16 – will take place at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. TEDxKids @SMU (the first TEDx event designed for students) hosts 350 middle school students for a free four-hour conference, in exchange for completing four hours of community service. The 575 TEDxSMU attendees must apply and be selected in order to participate in the full-day conference.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California, with simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TEDFellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

TED2011, “The Rediscovery of Wonder,” will be held February 28 – March 4, 2011, in Long Beach, California, with the TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs, California.

About the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth

The World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is a dynamic organization that brings international awareness and cross-cultural understanding to the North Texas community and presents distinguished international figures year-round for in-depth interpretations of global events.

The Council presents over 100 programs annually, primarily focusing on the international aspects of business, politics, culture and foreign policy. With the goal of connecting North Texas with the world, the Council has been educating Metroplex citizens on global affairs since 1951. Today, it serves as a gateway to the world for the region, offering an impressive range of programs and events for the public and its more than 3,500 members. The Council takes education directly into North Texas schools through its International Education Program. Additionally, it coordinates visits to North Texas of delegations and leaders from around the world through the International Visitor Program and the City of Dallas Office of Protocol.

Media Contact:

Kim Cobb
SMU News & Communications
214-768-7654
cobbk@smu.edu

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