PPRI DIRECTOR WELDON RECENTLY SERVED AS AN INVITED PANELIST AT GOALKEEPERS 2017
Bill and Melinda Gates pose with Dr. Laurel Weldon and other Goalkeepers. Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
On September 20th and 21st, world leaders, scholars, Nobel Laureates, artists, and many more gathered in New York City for the first ever Goalkeepers event hosted by the Gates Foundation. The focus of the event was to bring together great minds to share ideas on how to tackle some of the world’s greatest problems. Speakers and panelists included former U.S. President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Nobel Peace Laureate and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, philanthropists and hosts Bill and Melinda Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, H. M. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, and many more including PPRI Director and Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Purdue Dr. Laurel Weldon. Director Weldon served on a panel entitled "Still I Rise: The Power of Women's Movements” moderated by Melinda Gates. 10 | WICKED
Director Weldon (with Melinda Gates) speaking at Goalkeepers 2017. PHOTO CREDITS: GETTY IMAGES
The panel’s discussion included two-time Pulitizer Prize winner and foreign correspondent for "The New York Times" Nicholas Kristof and Nobel Peace Laureate and Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee. Their discussion focused on women’s movements and in particular, Director Weldon spoke about how women’s movements are defined and what is known about their impact on women and girls.
Director Weldon was inspired by many of the speakers and their passion and dedication to tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges, but she was also reminded of how each of the Gates Foundation Global Goals is a wicked problem and how much expertise there is at Purdue that would be useful for achieving these goals, whether it's achieving sustainable communities, or quality education, life on land and life on water, climate action, or meaningful work or gender equality. To learn more about Goalkeepers 2017 visit globalgoals.org
