For Immediate Release:	March 24, 2010
For More Information:	USAID Press Office, USAID, 202-712-4320
Sponsor Organization:	USAID
Ideas wanted: USG to launch online jam session ‘Global Pulse 2010’
WASHINGTON D.C. — Global Pulse 2010, a three-day virtual event aimed at bringing together 20,000 people from around the globe to create innovative solutions for the world’s most pressing social issues, will launch March 29, 2010. Created to navigate a new era of global engagement, this initiative marks the commitment of the U.S. to meet the challenges of the 21st century by working towards universal goals in partnership with a wide variety of stakeholders. “We want to hear from individuals who are not normally seated at the table with key decision makers,” said Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. “To meet the challenges we face collectively, we must take advantage of new technologies that allow us to engage in dialogue with individuals and communities on the far corners of the globe.” The themes for Global Pulse 2010 fall into 10 hot-button social issues within the fields of science and technology, entrepreneurship, and human development. This multi-country event will feature international leaders from government, private industry, and civil society organizations, along with influential individuals who will sign on to guide the live conversations, encourage participation, provoke deeper thinking, and offer insight into the topic at hand. Global Pulse 2010 is sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development, in partnership with the Departments of State, Education, Commerce, and Health and Human Services. Hosted on a virtual platform developed by IBM, Global Pulse 2010 will support thousands of participants and guide them to the conversations in which they are most interested. The virtual nature of the event is designed to provide a degree of anonymity that will reduce inhibitions to joining the conversation and foster an open dialogue. The U.S. Government hopes motivated individuals will join this living global conversation, as partnerships are built and online activity is turned into offline action. For more information about Global Pulse 2010 visit http://www.GlobalPulse2010.gov; for more information about USAID, visit http://www.usaid.gov. # # #