Sonia Melo

On Poverty and Development

Two really impressive talks by Hans Rosling: one on health indicators and another on poverty and health. Rosling compares data from the developed and developing world and challenges those two categories. He makes statistical data sound very interesting and exciting instead of the normal dull excel pages we usually get. He is a serious professor and researcher, but also a great talker and entertainer. Not very many exist like him!

Watch this one first:

http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html

And then this one:

http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_reveals_new_insights_on_poverty.html

Tcheka – a great musician

Tcheka is a great Cape Verdean musician and singer. My favorite album is Nu Monda, where he re-invents the batuque rhythm.

Lost Boys of Sudan and Smile Pinki

Filmmaking is an impressive way of telling stories, sharing  emotions and conveying powerful ideas about the world and humankind.

Documentary film is one of my favourite genres. Two films by Megan Mylan and associates deserve attention: Lost Boys of Sudan (2003) and Smile Pinki (2008).

The first tells the dramatic story of  Santino and Peter, members of the Dinka tribe, who became fleeing orphan refugees following the Second Sudanese Civil War. The films follows their attempts at making sense of their trauma and adaptation to different life conditions upon arrival to the United States.

The second film is about a happy end for children in India who suffer from the cleft lip condition. Besides reporting on an initiative that improves the health and lives of those who are underprivileged, it is is beautifully filmed too.