2019 Microlabs

Fragile states are characterized by weak capacity or weak legitimacy that make citizens vulnerable. It is estimated that 26% of the world’s population lives in fragile states and may face the risks of severe poverty, lack of access to education, high rates of child and maternal mortality, migration, refugees, war, and the increasing impact of climate change. Learn more about the sophisticated efforts now being designed to provide care and protection to people in fragile states, respond to changing humanitarian and environmental challenges, help prevent attacks, and counteract violent extremism.

From planetary health to personal health, these leaders in data, science, and public health are looking in depth at the state of our world. Join them to talk about microcosms, global systems, and what these diverse SwitchPoint speakers see as the best path forward.

Immerse yourself in virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and machine learning). In this Microlab, you’ll discover how to use these in education, training, research, empathy-generation, and research to advocate for social change and help solve global health issues. A team from RTI International will show the potential of immersive technology across industries through use cases in health, communication, and assistive technology.

SwitchPoint gathers diverse ideas and people together to bring humanitarian concepts to life. Meet four SwitchPoint speakers in 15-minute one-one-one mentoring sessions driven by you. Ask your questions, share your ideas, learn from their experiences, build your networks, hone your goals, design your future. What is your SwitchPoint and how can you make it happen?

Did you know that online misinformation fuels the spread of diseases such as tooth decay, Ebola, and measles? And did you also know that disease today spreads via Facebook statuses and Google results? From fake news to real news, from citizen reporting to rumor mills, how can we trust information in a sophisticated, fast-paced world where digital misinformation is having increasingly catastrophic impacts? Come learn more about this phenomenon, how to validate information, and how to ultimately stop the spread of both diseases and misinformation.

We all want to get, be, and stay healthy without the burden of financial hardship. But what do we actually need to make this a reality? Join leaders in the field to map a pathway from commitment to action on universal health coverage and brainstorm new ways to develop momentum among diverse stakeholders, including policy-makers, civil society, technical experts, innovators, the private sector, thought leaders, and scientists.

See the impact art can have as a tool to advocate for change. Learn from visual-artists-turned-activists how they are using different mediums to express big ideas about the direction of the world and the way visual information is perceived. Get your art on and create your own form of personal expression that can drive policy, foster inclusion, and spark engagement.

Emojis have clearly become intertwined in our culture of communication as evidenced by the more than six billion emojis sent each day. Hamdan is using emoji data to analyze reactions to current events in politics, culture, and society and to interpret and better understand human behavior. Join this Microlab to learn more about what your emoji usage has to say about you and others around the world.   

Human capital. What does it mean? The World Bank and other major global institutions are looking much more closely at human capital as a driver of a country’s capacity to develop. But how do you measure human capital? How do you incentivize growth? Can you index creativity and innovation? Join leaders from the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, and IntraHealth to learn about future trends in development and global productivity.  

Immerse yourself in virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. In this Microlab, you’ll discover how to use these in education, training, research, empathy-generation, and research to advocate for social change and help solve global health issues. A team from RTI International will show the potential of immersive technology across industries through use cases in health, communication, and assistive technology.

See a problem, create a solution. Join this lab to hear how the 2018 Africa Prize winner, a CEO science superstar, and education and innovation torch-bearers are doing just that. This enterprising group is keen on fostering a culture of innovation, especially among young people, as a key to solving some of the world’s toughest problems. Come hear more about how to harness the power of learning for the greater social good.

Artivism (art + activism) can raise social, environmental, and political awareness. Come hear from two of Africa’s top artists about their work, their process, and their favorite medium. Bring a smock and join in making contemporary art. Choose your medium, choose your subject. Your art is your tool, your voice, your cause.  

SwitchPoint gathers diverse ideas and people together to bring humanitarian concepts to life. Meet four SwitchPoint speakers in 15-minute one-one-one mentoring sessions driven by you. Ask your questions, share your ideas, learn from their experiences, build your networks, hone your goals, design your future. What is your SwitchPoint and how can you make it happen?

What does data sound like? Can data create music that creates a narrative that informs surprising results that prod action? Hear from artists, filmmakers, and poets about how sound can tell stories, convey complex information, and underscore the evolution of culture unlike any other medium.

Meet leaders in engineering and design, technology, journalism and citizen reporting, sound arts and photography, global health, development, and humanitarian innovation—each of whom are having a unique impact in Africa and the world. Focus stations in this interactive Microlab will give you the chance to work side-by-side with SwitchPoint speakers while learning more about the latest wave of African innovations, ideas, and leaders.

Join puppeteers, dancers, communicators, and political activists to learn more about how the arts can incite action. In what ways do art, communications, and the creative process transform ideas, people, policies, and leadership? How do we create a space for dialogue in this divided world? This interactive workshop will help you look at the world and yourself just a little bit differently.

The global health and development landscape is in flux. The global community is looking to the private sector to unleash greater impact and organizations of every size and shape are exploring new ways of creative partnering. In an increasingly resource-constrained world, the ability to drive impact is imperative. But what does this mean for impact on the ground? Where’s the industry going and why?

Each of these Microlab leaders is using data science as a tool for change. Using every tool and medium available—including satellites, microscopes, misinfodemics, and music—these speakers are gathering information on climate change, migration, conflict, refugees, human health, communication, advocacy, arts, language, and culture. How do data help us illuminate human and global stories and how will they affect future generations?

What motivates action? Faith? Science? Empathy? Come hear different perspectives from global health nonprofit representatives who are unified around a desire to improve global health equity. In this season of sharp political divide, compromise and collaboration are what we really need to make progress in health and development.

How are people solving issues on the front lines of care in fragile states around the world? Frontline responders, health workers, artists, and humanitarians all have something in common: tenacity. How do you persist through devastating circumstances? How do you persevere when you have no support or infrastructure? And how do you diligently provide health care for others when you are worried about your own safety? Come hear inspiring stories from these tenacious individuals and flex your own tenacity muscles.

70% of the health and social-sector workforce are women, yet half of women’s contributions to global health are unpaid. Without action, health coverage expansion may be thwarted by a severe shortage of health workers. Female frontline health workers are essential to implementing maternal care, preventing disease, providing access to family planning, and more. These same health workers often compensate for the shortcomings of health systems through individual adjustments, at times to the detriment of their own health and livelihoods. Come learn more about the path forward.