Sunday, September 27, 2009

Using Technology for Solving the Toughest Problems of the World...

"Using Technology for Solving the Toughest Problems of the World"...these are not just hollow words; believe me it can be done :). Let me first give you a brief walk-through of the “Millennium Development Goals".

The United Nations has identified and set eight “Millennium Development Goals” which are as follows:
  1. eradicate poverty and hunger


  2. universal education


  3. promote gender equality


  4. reduce child mortality


  5. improve maternal health


  6. combat HIV/AIDS


  7. ensure environment sustainability


  8. develop global partnership
These goals were agreed upon by 189 nations around the world more than eight years ago and the target date by which these goals should be achieved was set as 2015. If these goals are achieved then millions of children and mothers will be saved every year from the clutches of preventable death, millions of people will have access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, millions of women and girls will lead an oppression-free life, with more security and more opportunity. More details on the United Nations Millennium Development goals can be found at:

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals.

Out of the above mentioned eight goals, two (maternal health and gender equality) are directly related to women and therefore the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference is an ideal place to discuss the same. Women from diverse backgrounds, cultures and experiences can help millions of less fortunate women across the globe by working together to develop solutions that addresses these problems. Talking about gender equality, not only can we help our less fortunate sisters across the globe using the latest in technology, but we can also use technology (for example, social networking) to help each other tremendously by coming together and sharing our experiences-right from getting rejected from a team because of gender to being left behind when all the other male co-workers are going out on lunch together...

If you feel that you can be a change-agent, if you have that itch to do something beyond school and work-related commitments, and if you are a techno-social person, please join us in our BoF session for exploring the possibilities of collaborating on strategies and technologies for making this world a better place - "for you and for me and the entire human race".

Details of the session are as follows:

Title: Imagining Together: Using Technology and Extreme Ideas to Solve the Toughest Problems of the World
Panelists: Lani Fraizer (Synergies in Sync,
LLC), Ritu Arora (University of Alabama at Birmingham), Geetha Krishnakumar (inherIT)
Date, time and location : October 1st, 4: 30 p.m. to 5: 30 p.m., Tucson F

Heal The World

Make It A Better Place

For You And For Me

And The Entire Human Race

There Are People Dying

If You Care Enough

For The Living

Make A Better Place

For You And For Me...

....Heal the World (Michael Jackson)

See you in Tucson :)
Ritu

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