Reblogs for 20100825

On September 20, live in New York and webcast around the world, TEDxChange will examine the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs. (Watch TEDxDubai’s video, above, for a preview.)

Established 10 years ago in September 2000, the eight MDGs are an audacious set of goals for changing the world — with an equally audacious target of 2015 to reach them all. The UN has been tracking progress on the MDGs since 2000, watching as the economic slowdown pushed some goals back (like expanding access to education), while other goals inch forward (like increasing access to antenatal care). But throughout the list, much work remains to be done. You can find out more about each goal below; follow the links to reach the data-packed MDG Monitor mini-site for each goal, with stats, maps and individual success stories:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality.
5. Improve maternal health.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
8. Develop a global partnership for development.

Cohosted by TED and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, TEDxChange will look at how the world is doing on these goals so far, and energize the world for next five years.

You can watch TEDxChange live via webcast (visit the Facebook page to RSVP for the webcast), or you can join (or host) a local TEDx event.

And you can join the conversation on the MDGs right now on the new Gates Foundation community page >>

Sometimes people ask what hustling is. This great poster by Joey Roth provides one answer:

The “hustler” image on the right is pretty much what I try to do every day: lots of work, lots of messaging. The messaging isn’t always directly related to the work at hand—sometimes I’m supporting other people with their own hustling. But on a good day, there’s plenty of work and and plenty of messaging.

Another way to look at it is:

Style without substance = flash. (Also, no one respects these people.)

Substance without style = unknown. (Everyone who knows these people respects them… but not many people know them.)

Style with substance = impact. (The goal.)

Remember when we talked about strategy and tactics? The interesting thing with hustling is that people can copy your tactics without understanding your broader strategy. Charlie Gilkey recently referred me to a similar quote from The Art of War: “Everyone knows my tactics, but no one knows my strategy.”

When you take the time to build something worthwhile instead of just taking up space, you engage with strategy and tactics every day. And you hustle.

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Book Update: Thanks for all the comments, emails, Twitter messages, and courier pigeon deliveries for the 99 free books last week. It was a three-hour project to pick the winners, but Libby and the biased judges managed to overcome. If you got an email from us this weekend and sent your address via the Google form, your book will be on the way tomorrow.

Everyone else, the book will be available everywhere starting September 7th, and I really appreciate your support.