Yes We Can: Obama, Dave Eggers & The Politics of Hope

I hate to be conventional, but popular is popular, and rumor has it that the TED (technology, education and design) conference closed with this particular meme as a launch pad. I give you: Barack Obama, Yes We Can.

On January 29, 2008, Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas had the idea for the above video while watching Sen. Obama in a televised debate. By February 2nd, the musician had already produced and uploaded the video with the help of filmmaker Jesse Dylan (Bob Dylan's son) and a star studded cast. Since then, the video has been viewed over 13 million times in various online video hosting sites. The point: Individuals are inflecting the political debate. Yes we can!

*UPDATE: I just found this a cappella version. Egads!

TED & THE POLITICS OF EDUCATION
Another notable activist at this year's TED Conference is Dave Eggers -author of "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" and founder of both McSweeny's publishing and the 826 Valencia Writing Center. Eggers is an advocate for increased access to education and is one of the 2008 TED Prize Winners.

The prize includes $100,000 and a wish to change the world. Below is Egger's wish/request:

Find a way to directly engage with a public school in your area' and then share the story of their involvement on the OnceUponASchool website, hoping in their inspirational effect to start a virtuous circle, 'so within a year we have 1000 examples of transformative partnerships.

If the above doesn't warm the cockles of your heart, Eggers also just completed the screenplay for Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are."

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Yes We Can: Obama, Dave Eggers & The Politics of Hope

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