International

APB speaker David Epstein has made it his mission to uncover the keys to achieving high performance in any domain, and to debunk popular myths along the way. In his recent speech at TEDxManchester, he discussed why specializing early doesn't always mean career success. Be sure to check out the video on TED.com!

Over 55 years ago, APB was founded on the mission to provide an open forum for individuals to voice their opinions and points of view. Now is the time to speak out. Now is the time to stand together. Now is the time for change. We have a long history of working toward racial justice and providing a platform to those giving a voice to the voiceless, from such leaders as Martin Luther King, Jr., Dick Gregory, and Adam Clayton Powell to the Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter. As we reflect on everything that is happening, let’s be confident that change will come – and smart enough to know that it must involve all of us.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former president of Liberia and a member of The Elders, addressed a high-level open videoconference (VTC) on the United Nations Secretary-General’s annual report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Invited because of her experiences leading Liberia through both the Ebola Crisis and its recovery from a decades-long civil war, President Sirleaf provided insights on how to manage the impact of COVID-19 on civilian populations in conflict and post-conflict situations. She urged the council to “act with boldness” to protect those trapped in conflict and “end the cycle of immeasurable loss and human tragedy.”

Former Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and APB speaker Gro Harlem Brundtland weighed in on the coronavirus epidemic, drawing parallels to the SARS epidemic that originated in China in 2002. Brundtland was at the helm of the WHO when the global threat of SARS arose, and her clearheaded leadership during a time of hysteria helped curtail and contain the spread of the disease.

Former President of Ireland and APB speaker Mary Robinson is the Chair of the Elders, an independent group of global leaders working for peace and human rights, founded originally by Nelson Mandela. In her capacity as Chair of the eminent council, she recently took part in the annual unveiling of their signature "doomsday clock" in Washington, D.C. Used as a metric that measures the existential and global level of threat to humanity, the 2020 clock is set at 100 seconds to midnight, which is the closest to midnight it has been since 1947. This is a sobering wake-up call to pressing issues of our time, notably climate change and nuclear arms controls.

APB speaker Herman Boone, a beloved football coach, mentor, leader and motivator that touched the hearts of thousands, has passed away at the age of 84 in his home in Alexandria, Virginia. Boone is best known for uniting two racially diverse football teams in the '70s as newfound head coach of the T.C. Williams High School. The incredible story, including his journey with assistant Bill Yoast, was memorialized in the mega-hit film Remember the Titans, in which Boone was played by Denzel Washington to great acclaim. Coach Boone was a larger-than-life figure in the Alexandria community, and he became a symbol of steadfastness in the fight for racial integration and equality nationwide.

APB speaker Vaclav Smil, a renowned scientist, professor and thought leader has released his much-anticipated new book Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities via the MIT Press. Smil’s expertise in the realms of climate, energy and consumption have made him a larger-than-life figure in the scientific discussions around our society’s response to climate change, especially the potential of energy transitions.

Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Laureate known as “Africa’s Iron Lady,” has been appointed Health Workforce Ambassador by the World Health Organization (WHO).

On the heels of Michael Cohen’s stunning testimony before Congress, the news media continues to look to Watergate legend Carl Bernstein for insightful analysis and no-holds-barred commentary. In an attention-getting exchange on Anderson Cooper 360, CNN political analyst Bernstein countered a jaw-dropping statement from former Republican presidential candidate and Trump defender Rick Santorum.

In three short years, Sophia has seen many firsts. She is the first non-human to address the U.N., gain citizenship and grace the covers of Cosmopolitan and Elle. She has gone on a date with Will Smith, sung a duet with Jimmy Fallon and wowed speaking audiences from Indiana to Pamplona, Spain.