And here’s more motivation to watch. Below, just a few of the great talks that have been given at TEDxChanges past:

• Melinda Gates: Let’s put birth control back on the agenda
• Hans Rosling: The good news of the decade?
• Melinda Gates: What nonprofits can learn from Coca-Cola
• Mechai Viravaidya: How Mr. Condom made Thailand a better place

Watch the webcast »

Photo courtesy of TEDxChange

TEDxChange, happening this Wednesday, April 3, is a global conversation on some of the most pressing and intractable health and equity issues in our world today — like access to clean water, to schools, to medicine, to technology and to information. Overall, the event will deliver inspiration to those who have the courage to believe that change is possible.

The event, hosted by Melinda Gates, will begin at 9 am (PDT) at the Gates Foundation Campus in Seattle, Washington. The 90 minute program will stream live online at TED.com and TEDxChange.org.

Why should you be one of the many people watching TEDxChange live?

The theme: Positive Disruption. We all want our world to be a better place to live in. But most of us know that sometimes that’s easier said than done. Sometimes, it takes a shake-up to our assumptions, our traditions, our schedules, our values and our communities to get us to spring to action and make real change happen. This is where TEDxChange comes in. It’s that (positive) disruption to your regularly-scheduled program. RSVP to watch »

You won’t be alone. More than 200 TEDxChange events will be bring together folks around the world in their schools, homes and businesses as they watch the TEDxChange livestream and discuss the ideas they hear in it. Find an event near you »

The speakers.  Melinda Gates has traveled the world seeking out great speakers with bold ideas for change. Here is the speaker lineup:

• Julie Dixon, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication
• Spoken-word poet David Fasanya
• Halimatu Hima, Niger’s first Youth Parliament president
• M. Cathleen Kaveny, a professor of law and of theology at the University of Notre Dame
• Salim Shekh and Sikha Patra, 15-year-olds working to eradicate polio from their communities
• Roger Thurow, author of the book Enough: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty

Tune in tomorrow at 9:00 am (PDT) to watch TEDxChange »

Or find a TEDxChange livestream event near you »

Melinda French Gates (right) speaks to TED’s Chris Anderson. Photo courtesy of the Gates Foundation.

Can a person change a world rife with problems — villages without basic healthcare, girls turned away from schools, hospitals unable to get life-saving vaccines to the people who need them? For three years, TEDxChange, a partnership between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the TEDx program, has said yes, by spotlighting people who are taking risks, thinking big and making change happen.

On Wednesday, April 3, the conversation continues at TEDxChange 2013: Positive Disruption. TEDxChange will begin at 9 am (PST), April 3, at the Gates Foundation Campus in Seattle and will stream live online at TED.com and TEDxChange.org. The program will run for 90 minutes.

Hosted by Melinda Gates, TEDxChange features seven speakers:

• Julie Dixon, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication
• spoken-word poet David Fasanya
• Halimatu Hima, Niger’s first Youth Parliament president
• M. Cathleen Kaveny, a professor of law and of theology at the University of Notre Dame
• Salim Shekh and Sikha Patra, 15-year-olds working to eradicate polio from their communities
• Roger Thurow, an author of the book Enough: Why the World’s Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty and a recipient of Action Against Hunger’s Humanitarian Award

Around the world, you can gather at an independently organized TEDx event to watch a live broadcast of TEDxChange. This year, at 200 events in 65 countries — including ones in Amsterdam, Kyoto, Delhi, Bogotá and New York — TEDxers will consider TEDxChange’s theme of how disruption can lead to good. Spaces are still available at many of these events; to join the positive disruption and find a TEDxChange livestreaming event near you to attend, click here.

Here, TEDxChange host Melinda Gates chats with TED Curator (and former TEDxChange host) Chris Anderson to talk about positive disruption. Below, their conversation:

Chris: Melinda, I’m really looking forward to TEDxChange and am excited to see you host this year. Tell me a bit about the speakers you’ve lined up…

Melinda: Thanks Chris! With only one week to go, I’m focused on preparations for my role as host. It’s quite different from the work I did leading up to my talk last year — and given the impressive job you’ve done as TEDxChange host until now, yours are big shoes to fill.

Luckily, I’ll be sharing the stage with some truly talented and inspiring people. I was really struck by Roger’s book, The Last Hunger Season. At TEDxChange, he’ll be telling the story of Ethiopia’s smallholder farmers and how their lives have been transformed with access to the technologies we take for granted in the U.S. and Europe. I have such admiration for Cathy Kaveny, who shares my belief in the power of faith communities to bring about positive change in the developing world. I’m excited, too, to see Halima again. We met in Niger — the country with the highest fertility rate in the world. The insights and stories she shared from her country contributed to my ongoing learning on the importance of advocating for access to contraceptives as a way to unlock the potential of entire communities.

Chris: And the theme, Positive Disruption, why did you choose it?

Melinda: Positive Disruption really comes down to courage. I’m very fortunate that my work at the foundation means I have the opportunity to travel. Wherever I go in the world, I meet so many amazing people with the courage to believe that, for the world’s poorest people, change is possible. And the commitment to make that dream a reality.

Chris: What are you hoping comes out of this event? Why does an event like this matter?

Melinda: At this year’s TED conference in Long Beach, Bono spoke about the progress that has been made in the fight against poverty. But too often these stories of progress remain untold. We started TEDxChange in 2010 to give voice to the issues that still affect so many around the world today – HIV/AIDS, nutrition, access to life-saving vaccines. My hope for this year’s event is that it will give more people the courage to be disruptive and in doing so, unlock the potential of many others all over the world.

Chris: Lastly, why TEDx?

Melinda: The TEDx community is such an awesome force for change. It’s incredible that 200 TEDx organizers, from Kabul to Amsterdam, are holding TEDxChange events this year. I’m reminded of the work of one of our speakers, Julie Dixon, who will talk about influence as a currency for change. The TEDx community has already shown that it has real influence on global conversations — but also the heart to use that influence to change lives for the better.

Children are saving lives in the slums of Kolkata. Filmed over the course of several years, “The Revolutionary Optimists” follows Amlan Ganguly and three of the children he works with on an intimate journey through adolescence, as they fight for the better future he encourages them to imagine is deservedly theirs. Read more >>

TEDxChange, happening now, is being livestreamed all over the world on TED.com and TEDxChange.org (which links to Facebook). The livestream airs at 5:30pm CEST (Berlin time), which translates to 12:30am Tokyo time, 9pm Mumbai time, 3:30pm in Dakar, 12:30pm in Brasilia, 11:30am Eastern and 8:30am Pacific time.

Speakers include Melinda Gates, Jeff Chapin, Sven Giegold, Theo Sowa and Baaba Maal … Sven Giegold is a European parliamentarian and green industry advocate; Jeff Chapin is a product designer for IDEO; and Theo Sowa is interim CEO of the African Women’s Development Fund. Never seen Senegalese singer Baaba Maal perform? You should — and here’s your chance.

TEDxChange, happening on April 5, is being livestreamed all over the world on TED.com and TEDxChange.org (which links to Facebook). April 5 is a Thursday, which means that you’re probably at work or school with a bunch of meetings to attend. Lucky for you, the program is only 90 minutes, and it’s worth it — so reschedule your calls and take a long lunch break. The livestream airs at 5:30pm CEST (Berlin time), which translates to 12:30am Tokyo time, 9pm Mumbai time, 3:30pm in Dakar, 12:30pm in Brasilia, 11:30am Eastern and 8:30am Pacific time.

Here are three reasons (among many!) you should watch online or find a viewing party near you:

Get a grip on our biggest challenges. We hear a lot about how technology has made the world a very small place. At the same time, the solutions to common problems like climate change and global poverty seem overwhelmingly complex. “The Big Picture” is the theme for this year’s event, and the program will help all attendees understand the innovative solutions that can, for example, address issues of sustainability and social entrepreneurship at the same time. It’s a great way to get a handle on these almost incomprehensible problems.

TEDxChange is everywhere. With nearly 200 events in 66 countries, there’s a pretty good chance there is a viewing event near you. Find an event near you.

Melinda Gates, Jeff Chapin, Sven Giegold, Theo Sowa and Baaba Maal. Ok, they technically make it seven reasons — but they’re all speaking. Sven Giegold is a European parliamentarian and green industry advocate; Jeff Chapin is a product designer for IDEO; and Theo Sowa is interim CEO of the African Women’s Development Fund. Never seen Senegalese singer Baaba Maal perform? You should — and here’s your chance.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user TEDxDupontCircle

TEDxChange Brisbane: September 21, 2010, Brisbane Powerhouse. Photo: TEDxBrisbane / Mark Lobo

TEDxChange, convened by Melinda Gates and hosted by Chris Anderson, will focus on “Big Picture” thinking around our most complex problems — and their solutions.

Around the world, nearly 200 events from 66 countries will watch the livestream together. We asked some of the TEDxChange event organizers to complete the sentence, “The reason you should attend my event is…” in seven words or less. Here are their answers:

The reason you should attend my event is:

“To change the world … and drinks & snacks.” Patricia, TEDxSKEChange, Lebanon >>

“To close your mouth, open your soul and listen without prejudice.” Giorgio, TEDxDubaiChange, United Arab Emirates >>

“To be the change!” Elena, TEDxChisinauChange, Moldova >>

“Much better together in Madrid than alone!” Antonella, TEDxMadridChange, Spain >>

There are:

57 events in North America
43 events in Europe
31 events in Asia
26 events in South America
11 events in the Middle East
10 events in Africa

On April 5, TEDxChange will be livestreamed from Berlin at 5:30 P.M. CEST on TED.com and TEDxChange.org. Find an event near you.

What is your role in solving the world’s biggest problems? Climate change, global poverty, the AIDS/HIV crisis — solving these problems will demand big thinking and unprecedented international cooperation.

That’s where TEDxChange comes in. TEDxChange 2012 is a platform for sharing game-changing ideas — and the world is invited to join the conversation.

Solving big problems means seeing the big picture. This year’s theme, “The Big Picture,” goes beyond single-issue solutions and highlights the interconnectedness of today’s most pressing problems.

TEDxChange will be streamed live from Berlin on TED.com and at TEDxChange.org at 5:30 PM CEST on April 5. The program will run for 90 minutes.

The event — convened by Melinda Gates and hosted by Chris Anderson — will feature Sven Giegold, European parliamentarian and green industry advocate; Jeff Chapin, product designer for IDEO; and Theo Sowa, interim CEO of the African Women’s Development Fund — plus the amazing Senegalese singer Baaba Maal.

Nearly 200 communities in 66 countries around the world are already taking part by watching the livestream together and hosting conversations. Find an event near you.

Learn more about TEDxChange >>

Do you know of a hero for the “global good”? Someone who inspires with their work to reduce poverty and improve health around the world? Someone who has ushered in significant change in their community through commitment and creativity?

Then nominate this hero to take the stage alongside Melinda Gates at TEDxChange, happening this coming April 5th in Berlin, Germany.

TEDxChange is exploring “The Big Picture” — how fresh ideas and new perspectives can help to solve some of the world’s most pressing health and poverty issues. The event is seeking to find and elevate those new and undiscovered voices who have a lot to say.

Nominate your hero of “global good” to speak at TEDxChange.

Melinda Gates will announce the final speaker line-up at the beginning of February.

The program will be streamed live on TED.com but you can also organize a TEDx event around the TEDxChange webcast. 96 events have signed up so far!

To learn more about the event and how you can take part, visit the TEDxChange Facebook page, and follow TEDxChange on Twitter.

In this reel, TED recaps an amazing year of talks from three conferences, a bunch of smaller TED events — and a powerful year of TEDx. Dive in, and then follow up with talks that intrigue you … You’ll see, in order of appearance: The LXD, Chris Anderson and Julian Assange, Bill Gates, Chip Conley, Naomi Klein, John Underkoffler, Marcel Dicke, Van Jones, Deborah Rhodes, Rufus Griscom and Alisa Volkman, Brian Cox, Diane Laufenberg, Clay Shirky, Hillary Clinton, Craig Venter, Laurie Santos, Raghava KK, Jamie Oliver, Hans Rosling, Miwa Matreyek, Rory Sutherland, John Kasaona, Sheena Iyengar, Michael Specter, Sir Ken Robinson, Barry Schwartz, Jacqueline Novogratz, Jody Williams, and Beverly and Dereck Joubert.