Weekly Program - Anonymous Companies
Anonymous companies protect corrupt individuals – from notorious drug cartel leaders to nefarious arms dealers – behind a shroud of mystery that makes it almost impossible to find and hold them responsible. But anti-corruption activist Charmian Gooch hopes to change all that. At TED2014, she shares her brave TED Prize wish: to know who owns and controls companies, to change the law, and to launch a new era of openness in business.
Global Witness co-founder Charmian Gooch is the 2014 TED Prize winner. At her NGO she exposes how a global architecture of corruption is woven into the extraction and exploitation of natural resources. Charmian Gooch co-founded watchdog NGO Global Witness with colleagues Simon Taylor and Patrick Alley in 1993 in response to growing concerns over covert warfare funded by illicit trade in timber and other industries.
Since then, Global Witness has captured headlines for their exposé of “blood diamonds” in Uganda, minerals in the Congo and illegal timber trade between Cambodia and Thailand, and more. With unique expertise on the shadowy threads connecting corrupt businesses and governments, Global Witness continues their quest to uncover and root out the sources of exploitation and conflict. As they said to the Daily Telegraph: "Consumers have a right to know what they're buying, and what was done to obtain it."
In 2014 Gooch was awarded the TED Prize (as well as the $1 million Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship). Her Prize wish: to know who owns and controls companies, to change the law, and to launch a new era of openness in business.
What is the Ted Prize?
The TED Prize is a cash award, currently for $1,000,000, given annually to a forward-thinking individual with a fresh, bold vision for sparking global change to make the world a better place. The Prize begins with a big wish – one that will motivate people around the world to get involved. Imagine an inspiring, high-impact idea that needs the support of a global community of activists, big thinkers and social entrepreneurs. Each TED Prize winner is a rare and powerful combination: someone who knows how to capture imaginations as well as how to make a measurable impact. From Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (2010) to Sugata Mitra’s School in the Cloud (2013) to our most recent Prize winner Charmian Gooch and her campaign against anonymous corporations, the TED Prize has helped to tackle child obesity, advance education, improve global health and inspire art around the world.
This talk was presented at an official TED conference, and was featured by our editors on the home page.