Global Brain Panel Discussion: Media as a Force for Change

The U.N. is on a mission to spread the message of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

The Media as a Force for Change panel panel will bring in voices from some of the most important storytellers for social impact films, creatives, technology, innovators, and communications agencies. The panel will focus on the role the creative industry plays to communicate the issues and solutions that directly relate to these 17 Sustainable Development Goals. 

April hundreds of world leaders, businesses and civil society organizations will gather together at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to kick-start the implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and to sign the Paris Climate Agreement.

The focus of the panel discussion was of critical importance as we move to the implementation of the climate agreements as well as the new sustainable development goals. Our intention is to create a road map for a new way on influencing action on mainstream media. How every single one of our initiatives has created impact, the lessons learned and we can create toward a path forward to elevate media for social impact in a way that is more cultural relevant to the global citizen. It will be an opportunity to explore the creation of joining other partners efforts to create the People+Planet Festival in which films, creativity and innovations  collide once a year to celebrate Social Impact Films, campaigns and initiatives that will catalyst action and awareness in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Program

12:00pm Security Access at UN Headquarters

1:00pm Side Event:

COMMUNICATING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS - FOR EVERYONE

UN Headquarters 1:00-3:00 pm, April 21, 2016 in Conference Room 5 - Lunch will be provided.

4:00pm DMZ ( Digital Media Zone) Various Presentations

Hilda Heine - President of Marshall Islands

Achim Steiner – Executive Director of United Nations Environmental Programme UNEP

Steve Howard - Chief Sustainability Officer, Ikea

David Nabarro - Special Adviser to the UN Secretary - General on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change

5:00pm “Media as a Force for Change” Panel Discussion

MODERATOR: Pat Mitchell
PANELISTS:
Bob Pilon - Participant Media
Jody Gotlieb - Vulcan Productions
John Rutherford Seydel III - Revolution Nation Network Lucia Grenna - The World Bank

Molly Swenson - RYOT

Stacey Smith - USC Annenberg School of Media and Journalism

Natalia Vega-Berry - The Global Brain/ People+Planet Project

Closing Remarks by Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division in the United Nations Department of Public Information