Wivina Belmonte

Brainstormer, Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Event planner, Global soul, Idea generator, Journalist, Life mentor, Photographer, World traveler

Committed to humanitarian/development issues and global affairs, an expert in communications for change, advocacy, persuasion and engagement. Currently working with UNICEF. Previously with the Intl Red Cross/Red Crescent Federation/Geneva. I've guest lectured at Harvard's Joan Shorenstein Centre on social media for social change, been a consultant leading media training workshops for NGOs (MSF, Red Cross/Red Crescent), and taught journalism in about 15 countries with the Reuters Foundation and the Commonwealth Broadcast Association. My first career was as a journalist, commentator, senior producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Coverage highlights over 15 years included; South Africa's historic 1994 election of President Mandela, the Hong Kong handover, the famine and civil war in Somalia (early 1990s), the siege of Sarajevo, Gulf War I, the return of refugees from Goma back to Rwanda, the Belfast peace accords, the deaths of Lady Di, Deng Xiaoping and Yitzhak Rabin and the Olympic Games/Atlanta. For pleasure and perspective i spent a couple of summers leading cycling and walking tours through vineyards in France and Spain.

Inspiring people to instigate change

Innovation - Ideas into Action, Persuasion communication, Public Policy - Analysis and Evaluation, social media for social change, strategic communications

TED is where i go when i need a jolt of thought provoking inspiration. TED has accompanied me on my travels around the world. Thanks to TED, my travel time has become its own escape -- and is often dedicated to learning, absorbing, thinking, laughing and being thoroughly entertained. The TED talks have become a go-to place to tease, feed and tantalize my imagination, heart and soul. Looking forward to meeting those who make up this amazing community -- as I participate in my first ever TED Global. Please introduce yourself!

dancing -- it's the Spanish DNA!!