The second half of September is marked by the New York UN Review Summit on achieving Millennium Development Goals in the first ten years of XXI century and on setting agenda for the near future. Although it is a worldwide summit, activities are mainly addressing problems in the least developed countries.

In the second half of October, there is another event - addressing problems of one of the mosts developed ones - the USA. It is organized in New Orleans by the Daily Beast, an online magazine founded by famous American editor Tina Brown: "Reboot America! That’s the mantra of the first-annual Daily Beast Innovators Summit, taking place from Oct. 21 to 23 in the city that has become a laboratory for reinvention, New Orleans. We’ll brainstorm with some of the brightest, most original minds from the worlds of business, culture, media, government, and social innovation to suggest new ways to lift us out of the economic glums."

To me, this event is interesting for three reasons. First, because it is organized by a media outlet. This shows one of the ways to maintain media relevance in an era of growing media crisis. Second, it sees innovative thinking (and acting) as a way to solve some of the pressing problems. Third, it borrows hi-tech terminology which turns out to be quite handy: "...please note our choice of the verb “reboot.” We aren’t saying “rebuild” or “remake” or “reconstruct” America. For all its many problems today—political, economic, educational, and social—America is still, emphatically, the world’s leading economy, the world’s security scaffolding, and the greatest magnet for immigration."

Many countries in the world have so grave problems that very classical solutions - if available - would suffice. But in some cases we really need to look for something original, creative, inspiring and testing. Which may become classical solution sooner or later.

At the same time, another great American media personality - Arianna Huffington (I wrote about here here) is promoting her latest book: Third World America which is "chronicling the assault on America's Middle Class...and the solutions". On the Huffington Post new section of the same name is launched. As she put it: "There, the crises will be seen and the stories will be heard. And there will be many ways for you to get involved -- things we can all do to make sure we never find ourselves living in Third World America."

This fall seems to be all about thinking big and doing something about it. We can be proud to be part of that process through our work in this platform and elsewhere.

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