TEDxMyeongDong launched TEDx event at the first in KOREA took a big movement. That was joining TEDxChange partnership for spread out UN MDGs in the world. We thought this event was one of the most meaningful TEDx event we have ever seen before. Many TEDx organizers also participated in our TEDxMyeongDong event for TEDxChange. And it made the event more meaningful. One of TEDx organizers participated in the event said "I acknowledged why we do TEDx event" That was an impressive quote in the event. One thing made different was our event invited local speakers and kept the variety of speakers. There were a middle school student,a high school student,a university student,and people related to MDGs to make one voice for MDGs. It was so exciting moment.

Seoul
South Korea

Jeong-tae Kim

co-representative of the UN MDG Report Korean committee “Think global, and act as personal as possible” “Think global, and act as personal as possible” is his slogan and he emphasizes that people need personal unique creativity regarding international issues. If people only think of those international issues and developmental problems by head, it cannot have any influence. We should try to go through the stage of ‘personalization’ of those problems as much as possible, make ourselves uncomfortable and unsatisfied and then at this point we can find ‘vision’ to these issues at last. With the hurdles and obstacles that he faced while going through the process of human development, he lets people know what human development of ‘freedom development’ is, and is making progress on related projects.

Hyun-jin Kwon

MDGs News Monitor 5th with global sharing campaign “Switching thoughts, daily practice will make bigger changes” When I started to study on poverty problems, it seemed as if everything was so irrational and I was skeptical about the changes that I, nothing more than a mere person, can make in this irrational world. I am still trying to study on wider structural problems, to have critical point of view and to keep thinking of what I personally could do to those problems. I am designing a campaign for the day of the poverty and I have a little promise. I might go into other parts of the job field but still want to keep this promise. What I want people around me to see through me is this promise of differences that doesn’t come from the big sudden accident that bangs the world but differences that come from our routine actions and daily thoughts. In order to get rid of poverty, summits of the countries meet together to announce MDGs and each country announce ODA. However, the true poverty reduction isn’t just something that is totally unrelated to daily life like those difficult and formal projects. If we realize and reconsider things that we thought as normal before and try to put those into practice, then I believe those will make big differences in the end. For example, exchanging take-out coffee cups with tumblers, reducing the use of paper cups and lowering the air-conditioning, these little everyday things can be good ways to get one step forward to the goal of poverty reduction. Questioning things which we had previously taken for granted and coming up with ideas that we can do in our everyday life are what I want to tell everyone. Instead of waiting to help others until we earn a lot of money, changing little habits in our daily lives will really start to change the world not only for me or you but for all of us.

Myeongshin Kim

A young man who dreams of world with sharing “Change of world, imagination plus action ImaginActioN!!” In 2007, he suggested joint of university/youth organization called USAN (United Students ActioN) and started ‘global poverty reduction campaign.’ Later, he tried to draw out the joint and collaborated behaviors among University/youth who are doing international activities. He believes that youth are not the problems of our society. They are the most core and creative people who can solve the global problems. He dreams to make a field for youth to make changes in the world and behave together. Interests in world East Timor UN peacekeeping force (Republic of Korean Evergreen Unit) PEACE BOAT (Earth University) (Traveling around the Earth for 98 days) Up with People (Traveling around the world for 19 weeks & musical) MBC 100 minutes talk (citizen debater) Worries over changes University of Applied Science Switzerland (Swiss Exchange student, management) Seoul National University International graduate school (International trade) University of Melbourne (Australia Exchange student, international trade) Making a sharing world UNESCO Asia Pacific international understating educational school (Asia pacific faculty training) UNESCO Korea Committee (international understating education & continuously improving developmental education)

Shindong Kang

idosi.com “Things and cities serve for people” Introducing world’s first personal computer and Sony’s compact disk into the world, TED has been always showing the world “the future we make” by introducing new technologies into the world. Then, what could be “THE FUTURE WE MAKE” in the field of technology? These days, with the groundbreaking life style with the supply of SMART phones, we can see Kang Shin-dong’s services which connect cell phones, DSLR cameras, robot cleaner and air-conditioner to SMART phones. Also, we can have a look at interesting up-to-date daily services lecturer made ahead of time like cell phone getting the talking screens to talk. Through the steps that make new services like building toy blocks, let’s imagine future services that help people live a better life.

Hyochul Ahn

– a social worker “Let’s find ways of contributing to international society from our consciousness of human rights” I was brought up in a very normal environment without big worries. After I graduated university, I started working at a welfare facility for handicapped in 2001. Starting there, I got a chance to meet handicapped people, to find out about their lives and later on, I could look at those people and environment surrounding me. The more I see, the more I had worries about myself. In order to solve those worries, I tried to make difference from the root in my own way. Now, I dare talk about human rights at National Human Rights Commission and work for education which is not easy. After South Korean Ban Ki-moon was designated as the UN secretary general, we looked back on how our society hadn’t contributed to the international society and had such a small role so far. Then people started to talk about the plans and our roles for the international society. However, in different parts of the world, some say that this is one strategy to gain supremacy over politics in the international society and others say that this is an opportunity to solve unemployment among young people. At TEDxChange, we are going to look at ourselves in the international society in the true sense and through this step, to find what we could do to reflect our authenticity to UN new millennium development project by looking at consciousness of human rights.

Youngeun Nam

When I firstly got into African interest, I was filled with this dream that I want to help sick Africans. After, I challenged myself to go to Kenya for volunteer work, I ensured myself about this dream. I was interested in African culture, language, people. Then, I got to know this "Female Genital Mutilation" (FGM) issue in Africa. It was originated in Egypt and spread out to all over the African continents over thousand of years. Now, it is the horrible ceremony or practice that young girls have to experience. The problem is not the practice itself. However, the lack of hygiene and low status of women and following complexes were the serious problem that scares African girls. I did not know what should I do as a foreigner to them to resist this practice. I just started researching about it. I have read hundreds of papers and articles and talked to many women who have experienced FGM from Africa. As a result, I have a wish that more people would like to look into the problem and discuss about it. This December, I start my new journey to Africa for two months to make a documentary film about FGM. The subject is FGM, but hopefully, the film could give more attention about what is going on in this world despite it might be topics which people do not usually talk about just because it is too scary or private. My belief in the rising "the status of human rights" might be too huge to talk about. However, I believe that we can change the future by taking a little interest around us.

Minhae Kwon

She is just a 16 years old. She is interested in getting various experience through debate,swimming,and snowboard. And she has thought about how she can contribute something for the world in various fields. Since she saw TEDtalks, She was almost addicted by the remarkable stories from TED. And finally she decided to launch the first TEDxYouth event in Korea calling "TEDxYouthSeoul" Actually the motivation was from TEDxSookmyung&TEDxMyeongDong event. So she got the advise from TEDxMyeongDong director Victor Choi to direct TEDxYouthSeoul event. And this experience is a huge inspiration to her. So she will do something positive to the world to change the world.