Thousands of people engaged in global development will today be attending TEDx events all over the world themed around the millennium development goals (MDG) to coincide with the UN MDG summit in New York this week.
More than 60 public TEDxChange satellite events are planned around the world, organised as viewing parties and discussions around a live webcast from New York, convened by Melinda Gates. Around two thirds of the events are being held in Europe and North America, with the remaining third spread across Africa, Asia, South America, Oceania, and the Middle East.
TEDX is a spin-off from TED, which describes itself as a small, non-profit "devoted to ideas worth spreading". TED hosts annual conferences, bringing together innovators from the worlds of technology, entertainment and design, producing talks that are made available on their website in video form and transcribed (in an all-to-rare nod to accessibility). One of my recent favourites, very much in keeping with the philosophy behind this new global development site, is Ethan Zuckerman's talk on listening to global voices.
TEDx is a recent development, enabling people to organise mini-conferences under the TED banner. TEDx events share TED's name and format, and are required to show TEDTalk videos, but are otherwise independent, and free.
Ten years after the millennium development goals were signed by all UN members, TEDxChange is bringing people together to deliberate the world's greatest challenges.
Marieme Jamme, a member of this website's advisory panel, will host the first TEDx event in Ghana.
Among those speaking at TEDx London are the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Paul Hilder, co-founder of OpenDemocracy.net and Avaaz.org (which has more than 5.5 million members worldwide).
In a previous TED talk, Adichie, author of Half of a Yellow Sun, a fictional take on the Biafran War, spoke about how the global north often talks of Africa as a country, with a homogeneity and internal coherence (one of poverty and catastrophe) that it doesn't have.
If you wish to follow these events on twitter look out for tweets with the #TEDxLondon, #TEDxChange and #TEDx tags. The Guardian will be reporting back from the events in London and Ghana tomorrow – so tweet us at GdnDevelopment if you'll be attending either event.
To watch the live TEDxChange webcast you will need to RSVP on Facebook - the event will be streamed at 3pm GMT/11am EDT/8am PDT.
The talk by Melinda Gates will also be streamed.
