SHELBURNE, Vt., June 12, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The people have voted! Population Media Center, a global leader in entertainment-education for social good, has been chosen to be part of the program line-up at the 2014 South by Southwest Eco (SXSW Eco) conference taking place October 6-8 in Austin, Texas.
SXSW Eco attracts several thousand members of the global community to explore, engage, and co-create solutions for a sustainable world each year. This piqued the interest of Population Media Center's Texas-based state chapter (PMC-TX) – which works to engage local elected officials, community leaders, and the Texas public on population and sustainability issues, explaining how Population Media Center (PMC) addresses these issues in ways that enhance human health, human rights, the environment, and economic justice.
PMC submitted a proposal for the panel "Women First: Improve Society and Protect the Environment" featuring four female panelists from a diverse group of organizations that focus on entertainment-education, technology for social good, and women's rights and empowerment.
"It is an honor to be part of this event and take a leadership role in convening this panel," says Keith Annis, the Director of PMC-TX. "SXSW is well known and respected around the world, and the competition to be selected was tough."
PMC's idea for the panel had to be voted on by the general public to gauge interest. Response was so strong that the panel was selected to be included in the first wave of 2014 SXSW Eco programming. The panel will feature Missie Thurston from Population Media Center, Kelly L'Engle from FHI 360, Katie Mota from Wise Entertainment, and Diana Lugo-Martinez from the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.
These women, experts in their field, will discuss and address:
- The definitions of sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and the challenges being faced locally, nationally, and internationally in realizing them.
- How the attainment of sexual and reproductive health and rights for women locally, nationally, and internationally translate into healthier societies and improved environmental protection – in addition to the individual benefits for each person.
- What innovative methods are being used to address these incredibly personal, cultural, and often controversial topics. Powerful behavior change communications examples that will be discussed include, but are not limited to, entertainment-education, gaming, and targeted use of technology.
"I believe the diversity of experience and depth of knowledge represented by our panelists, as well as the timeliness of our topic, were two of the most important reasons we were chosen," says Annis. "This promises to be a panel that anyone who cares about the environment won't want to miss. It's an angle of environmental protection that's not often discussed and in addition to protecting the planet, it improves the lives of men, women, and children today."
"Women First: Improve Society and Protect the Environment" promises to enrich the SXSW Eco programming, engaging the audience in dialogue to further explore the issues and approaches. If you want to be part of this lively and enlightening conversation, register before June 20th to get a discounted admission.
ABOUT POPULATION MEDIA CENTER (PMC):
Population Media Center (PMC) is a nonprofit, international nongovernmental organization, which strives to improve the health and well-being of people around the world through the use of entertainment-education strategies, like serialized dramas on radio and television, in which characters evolve into role models for the audience for positive behavior change. Founded in 1998, PMC has over 15 years of field experience using the Sabido methodology of behavior change communications, impacting more than 50 countries around the world. www.populationmedia.org
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