08 March 2009

4 great talks for International Women's Day

To celebrate March 8, International Women's Day, we suggest these four TEDTalks gems from some amazing speakers -- artists, scientists and economists who think deeply about the role of women.

Author and activist Isabel Allende discusses women, creativity, feminism -- and the power of passionate thinkers and doers:

The former Finance Minister of Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, talks about one key opportunity to grow African economies -- by investing in women and the businesses they start:

(For more, watch Jacqueline Novogratz >>)

Scientist Nalini Nadkarni explores the world of the forest canopy -- and shares her findings with the world below, through dance, art and bold partnerships. She's working to inspire the next generation of women scientists:

The wonderful Nellie McKay sings "Mother of Pearl" (with the immortal first line "Feminists don't have a sense of humor") and "If I Had You" from her sparkling set at TED2008:

Find these four and many more astonishing women (including the legendary primatologist Jane Goodall, oceanographers Sylvia Earle and Tierney Thys, games theorist Brenda Laurel, Zipcar inventor Robin Chase ... ) on TED.com >>

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01 July 2008

Beyond the Top 10 TEDTalks: user favorites

Last week, TEDTalks celebrated our 50 millionth view by counting down the Top 10 TEDTalks of all time (so far) -- and inviting people to share their own favorites. Here are a few:

My favorite is still Susan Savage-Rumbaugh and those bonobo apes.
-- S.F., Boynton Beach, Florida

Stamets (mushrooms), Isabel Allende (passion), Dave Eggers (schools), and Ballard (ocean) -- not to be missed.
-- Marian Angele

Majora Carter's talk on her environmental work in the Bronx.
-- lydia chadwick

Majora Carter's is my absolute favorite!
-- Ariel, a TED fan

I am dropping a line to say how much I enjoyed Aubrey de Grey's speech on aging.
-- Diana Pasley

I think Malcom Gladwell is that hidden gem.
-- +Jono

I nominate Theo Jansen's talk on creating new creatures as one of the "Hidden Gems."
-- Paul

If your own favorite TEDTalks aren't on the Top 10 list yet -- or you'd like to share your own hidden gems -- write to us at contact@ted.com or post a comment.

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23 June 2008

News from Isabel Allende's 3 powerful women

Isabel Allende writes novels about self-reliant women who thrive in the midst of political turmoil. In her passionate TEDTalk, Allende praises women whose grit and selflessness transform the meaning of modern feminism -- mentioning, in particular, three women of rare courage: Wangari Maathai, Somaly Mam and Rose Mapendo. Watch Isabel Allende's TEDTalk, then read what these women are doing now to change our world.

Wangari Maathai (find her at 4:09 in Allende's talk) is
 the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. As Allende says, Maathai "planted 30 million trees, and by doing so she has changed the soil, the weather in some places in Africa -- and, of course, the economic conditions in many villages.” Writing in a recent Harvard International Review, Maathai discusses the reasoning behind her crusade -- her belief that the best way to achieve sustainable development is to empower local communities. Last week, Maathai was named co-chair of the Congo Basin Forest Fund, recipient of a £58 million grant from the British government for satellite monitoring of the Congo rainforest.

Somaly Mam (find her at 4:24)
 is “a Cambodian activist who fights passionately against child prostitution. ... She told us of little girls raped by men who believed that having sex with a very young virgin will cure them of AIDS.” Somaly Mam’s grandfather sold her to a brothel when she was 15 years old; 11 years later, she established AFESIP, an NGO that has since rescued more than 4,000 young women from sexual slavery. Named Glamour’s 2006 Woman of the Year -- and the subject of an astonishing profile by Marianne Pearl -- Mam battles human trafficking by raising global awareness through the Somaly Mam Foundation. Her autobiography, The Road of Lost Innocence, will be published in the US in September 2008.

Rose Mapendo (find her at 7:31)
 Mapendo, whose name in Swahili means “Great Love,” protected her nine children through 16 months in a Congo concentration camp. Allende tells the story: “When the soldiers break into [Mapendo’s] cell to rape her oldest daughter, she grabs onto her and refuses to let go, even when they hold a gun to her head.” Now settled in Phoenix, Arizona, Mapendo is the ambassador for Mapendo International, which evacuates and rehabilitates African refugees. Her efforts earned her the 2007 Grand Award from Volvo for Life, and last week she spoke at the White House to honor World Refugee Day. But Mapendo’s latest achievement may be the most personal; on Thursday, her organization tells TED, her parents will finally resettle in the US. Watch a trailer for the upcoming documentary about Mapendo's struggle to reunite her family. -- Karl Kong

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03 January 2008

Tales of passion: Isabel Allende on TED.com

In one of the most beloved talks from TED2007, novelist Isabel Allende talks about writing, women, passion, feminism. She tells the stories of powerful women she has known, some larger-than-life (listen for a beauty tip from Sophia Loren), and some simply living with grace, dignity and ingenuity in a world that, in too many ways, still treats women unjustly. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 18:02.)

Watch Isabel Allende's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.

Read more about Isabel Allende on TED.com.

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