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Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Adam Navis.
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And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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What would you do if someone gave you one wish? Would you wish for a new home? A million dollars? To be a professional sports player? Well, Jamie Oliver has been given one wish.
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Jamie Oliver has had television cooking shows. He has written cookbooks. He owns several places to eat. But he is also very concerned about getting healthy food to children. He has worked to change the meals provided by schools in the United Kingdom, where he lives. He wanted to make them healthier. He wanted to educate children about food and cooking.
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This work is the reason he has been given one wish. Oliver is the winner of the 2010 TED prize.
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Today’s Spotlight is on TED. TED is not a person. It is an organization. The letters stand for Technology, Entertainment, and Design.
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TED began in 1984. It was a yearly conference. At first, it was just about technology, entertainment and design. But today, it is about all areas of study. TED’s mission is to spread good ideas, wherever they come from. The TED website states,
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“We search year-round for people who will inform and encourage, who can surprise and please. Our speakers run the world's best-loved companies. They design its best-loved products. They invent world changing devices and create new technology. They are trusted voices and tradition breaking thinkers.”
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Past speakers have included doctors, musicians, writers, community organizers, economists, scientists, computer developers, and investors. But these speakers cannot talk as long as they want. At a TED Conference people have only eighteen minutes. In eighteen minutes, they must give the most important talk of their life.
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But why is it the most important talk of their life? It may be because the people who are listening are successful in their fields of study. They are doctors, business leaders, inventors, and political leaders. The room is full of people who are wealthy, both in money and knowledge. They are people who can make a real change in the world.
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In 2002 Chris Anderson became the leader of TED. He was not happy with just the yearly conference. He wanted more. He wanted to start some new events.
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There is now TED India, a conference that explores and celebrates the future of south Asia. There is TED Global, which addresses global issues. There is also TED Talks. These are the speeches given at the TED Conferences. Anyone can watch them for free on the Internet. These videos are translated into over seventy languages. But not only the most popular languages.
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TED developed a set of computer programs that permit people all around the world to translate their favorite talks into their own language. This means that speakers of less popular languages have an equal chance to spread ideas in their communities. TED has changed a lot since it began. The TED website reads:
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“Today, TED is best thought of as a global community. It is a community from every area of study and culture. Members of this community have just two things in common. First, they seek a deeper understanding of the world. Second, they hope to turn that understanding into a better future for us all.”
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The biggest event of TED is the TED Prize. If you win the TED Prize, the TED community gives you one wish. And they give you 100,000 dollars for your wish. The wish can be anything. Anderson explained to CNN News.
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"The whole idea is that the winner can wish for anything. We are taking a risk. But it’s part of the nature of the prize. It is that moment of sharing that is special and it excites people."
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But no one ever wishes for something for themselves! One past TED Prize winner was the musician Bono. He wished for one million people to help Africa. Scientist E. O. Wilson wished for a record of every creature on the planet. Bill Clinton wished for a health system for Rwanda. Writer Dave Eggers wished to help teachers. Biologist Sylvia Earle wished that people would help protect the oceans. Not all of these wishes have come true. But TED continues to work to making them real.
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So why would TED choose Jamie Oliver to win the TED prize? Chris Anderson explains,
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"The issue of people being too fat, both in the US and worldwide, is a big deal. It is a shocking problem in our world. We have a lot of people starving and a lot of people killing themselves by eating too much. Or they are eating the wrong things. We were interested in finding a person who could address that."
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That is why Jamie Oliver stood before a crowd of people, ready to tell them his wish. First, he spoke about the rise in people being over weight, especially children. He said that people do not know how to cook. He said that families do not give food preparation methods to the next generation. Everyone watching nodded their heads in agreement. Then Oliver gave his wish.
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“I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food. To encourage families to cook again. And to help people everywhere to fight against being over weight.”
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He wants to start a travelling food school that will teach children cooking skills. Oliver also plans to create an internet community to fight against over-eating. He also wants to change the American culture of eating food that is not healthy.
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Jennifer Lee wrote about Oliver’s wish for the New York Times blog. She writes:
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“Following TED tradition, people listening stood up and offered their help and suggestions. They suggested people who could help. They offered the chance to speak to lawmakers. And they offered website design help and market testing.”
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TED continues to work on wishes from past years. In the past, three people got to make a wish every year. But in 2010, Jamie Oliver is the only one. This is because TED needs to put more effort into past wishes. TED may not be able to make every wish come true. But TED is trying to make the world a better place.
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