Fresh Air

Income inequality is at an all-time high between the haves and the have nots. But does the poverty gap have to be so wide, and can it potentially be eliminated altogether? In this hour, TED speakers share some big ideas about inequality, and new ways we might achieve prosperity for all. Ernesto Sirolli recounts how well-intentioned aid programs can go awry; he says the first step to addressing poverty might be to “shut up and listen.” Author and politician Chrystia Freeland charts the rise of today’s billionaire plutocrats, and wonders what concentrated super-wealth means for the rest of us. Historian Niall Ferguson explains why, when it comes to amassing wealth, it’s been the West versus the rest for the past 500 years. Ghanaian economist George Ayittey says that when it comes to Africa, it’s up to a new generation to bring about accountability. Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen Fund, discusses groundbreaking work that connects the poor to the global economy.