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The Documentary: The Hundred Million Dollar Question: The Hundred Million Dollar Question - Part One

Discussion & Talk

The Hundred Million Dollar Question

30/08/2017 GMT

The Hundred Million Dollar Question - Part One

BBC World Service - The Documentary, The Hundred Million Dollar Question, The Hundred Million Dollar Question - Part One

What’s the best way to spend $100 million to fix one of humanity’s problems?

The MacArthur Foundation's 100&Change competition is offering a $100 million grant to fix one problem in the world today.  We hear the eight semi-finalist ideas.

What is the best way to spend $100 million to fix one huge problem in the world today? That is the challenge laid down by the MacArthur Foundation in Chicago, distributors of the “genius grant”. 

They created the 100&Change competition to inspire solutions for some of the looming disasters facing people, places or the planet. The prize is a colossal grant of $100 million over three years for the project which can make the most lasting difference to people’s lives.

The foundation received nearly 2,000 submissions. They have narrowed down the list to eight ideas. Ed Butler and a panel of expert guests hear the details of the first four of eight challengers, which range from using puppets to educate child refugees in Syria to eliminating river blindness in Nigeria. Is $100 million enough to tackle these challenges and what are the consequences, intended or not, of philanthropy on such a big scale?

(Photo: Dollar bills being thrown towards viewer. Credit: Shutterstock)

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