Entries from TED Blog tagged with 'TED Fellows'
29 September 2009
TED Fellows on CNN: Darius Weems and Logan Smalley
TED Fellows Darius Weems and Logan Smalley recently appeared on CNN to talk about their inspiring documentary adventure Darius goes West:
From the TED Fellows Blog:
"On Sunday, Darius turned 20 and was able to watch "Darius Goes West" on MTVU and MTV2. In its first ever TV premier, "Darius Goes West" was broadcast into over 80 million homes around the world!
Darius' birthday on September 27th marked the end of their yearlong road trip, having raised nearly 2 million dollars for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research (and counting!).
Congratulations, Darius and Logan!"
Want to learn more about Darius and Logan? Visit the Darius goes West website here >>
24 September 2009
TED Fellow Peter Haas and AIDG honored by Bill Clinton for work in Haiti
From the TED Fellows blog: At Day 3 of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, Bill Clinton honors TED Fellow Peter Haas and his group AIDG (Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group), along with Fonkoze, Partners in Health, BRAC, Jacob Fruitfield Food Group, Habitat for Humanity International, Green Family Foundation, Sunnight Solar, International Action, Micronutrient Initiative, and James Lee Witt Associates, for outstanding work in Haiti. Watch the video below:
There are still a few hours to apply to become a TED Fellow in 2010. Applications close tomorrow, Sept. 25, 2009 >>
23 September 2009
TED Fellows deadline approaches
There are only a few days left to apply to be one of 25 TED Fellows who will attend TED2010 in Long Beach, California, February 9-13. All applications must be in by Friday, September 25. If you haven't applied yet, don't delay any further.
The Fellows program brings new innovators to the TED community. Our Fellows are drawn from all disciplines: technology, the sciences, engineering, the arts, economics, journalism, entrepreneurship, NGOs and more. Achievement is valued over credentials -- making and doing over diplomas and certificates. Learn more about the current TED Fellows.
TED Fellows attend without charge and participate in a two-day pre-conference that includes an elite skills-building courses taught by world experts, exciting social opportunities and surprise extras.
You may apply yourself or be nominated by another person. Follow this link to apply. To nominate a candidate, email fellows@ted.com.
13 August 2009
Apply to be a TED Fellow for TED2010
The search is on for the 25 TED Fellows who will attend TED2010 in Long Beach, California, February 9-13. We’re looking for world-changing innovators from around the globe and from all disciplines.
The Fellows program brings new and dynamic individuals into the TED community and with its help, amplifies the impact of their remarkable projects. Fellows are drawn from technology, entertainment, design, the sciences, engineering, humanities, the arts, economics, business, journalism, entrepreneurship and NGOs. We value achievement over credentials -- making and doing over diplomas and certificates. Learn more about the current TED Fellows.
From Tom Rielly, director of the TED Fellows program:
“What the world needs now is 25 amazing individuals from all over the world to form our fourth group of incredible makers and doers that we call TED Fellows. The program has proven life-changing for the vast majority of 2009’s participants. It’s time to throw your hat in the ring.”
TED Fellows attend without charge and participate in a two-day pre-conference where they can present a short talk or video,elite skills-building courses taught by world experts, social opportunities and surprise extras.
The TED Fellows program is accepting fellowship applications through Sept. 25, 2009. TED Fellows may apply themselves or be nominated by another person. Follow this link to apply. To nominate a candidate, email fellows@ted.com.
09 July 2009
Q&A with Sophal Ear: From refugee stories to international policies
In yesterday's TEDTalk, development economist and political scientist Sophal Ear shared the deeply personal story of his family's escape from the Khmer Rouge. In today's interview with the TED Blog, he continues that story and gives us details on his current path in international aid policy.
Your mother cleverly pretended to be Vietnamese to escape the Khmer Rouge, but how did your family continue to survive after reaching Vietnam?
Yes, you see, just getting to Vietnam we weren’t off the hook. The Vietnamese required that people who had returned from Cambodia be picked up by their relatives, or they would be sent to “kinh tế mới” (New Economic Life) -- which was essentially hard-labor, working in agriculture.
My aunt, my mother’s sister, was married to a Vietnamese man and living in Vietnam. Somehow, my mother got to the market and managed to meet a friend who then got word to her sister that we had arrived in Vietnam. It was a completely random occurrence. Her sister’s husband managed -- I think he must have bribed his way through -- to get us in the middle of the night from where we were detained. Then we went to Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City, where we spent one and a half years before we got out.
There was no way to get to the US, where my mother had another sister living in California. We redeclared ourselves as Cambodian, and as we were not Vietnamese there was suddenly no problem with letting us leave. They wanted us out! My mother had a nephew in France who was a university student. He was really poor, just a starving student. And, he had to somehow figure out a way to get us all there. My aunt in the US sent him some money. Then, he happened to meet a French gentleman who, for some unknown reason, decided that he wanted to help. This gentleman went to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out what could be done. He then found a lady whose last name was the same as my mother’s, and convinced her to sign paperwork claiming familial ties.
Now, keep in my mind that through all of this my mother has five kids with her, and two of them she hadn’t given birth to. One was my half-sibling and another is an adopted daughter. When this opportunity came about, people offered her money left and right to switch their children with hers. She could have compromised her principles, she needed the money. But, she didn’t.
We all managed to make it to France by ’78. We were only supposed to be staying there temporarily. But, for some reason, my mother just decides that she’s had enough and we’re going to stay put indefinitely. It ended up being seven years before we moved to the US, to California. That’s when I started seventh grade as an American kid.
My mother struggled so much, sacrificed so much, and by doing so she allowed all the kids to pursue their dreams. And our story, it’s about the kindness of strangers, about people taking critical actions at critical points. It’s not Schindler’s List, but just five siblings who were able to succeed despite difficult circumstances.
Can you speak a little more to the value of civil complaints like the one you filed about your father?
I feel that the tribunal as it’s currently set up at least allows for civil complaints, which I think is important, but I’ve been a skeptic. It’s deeply troubled. I’m not trying to be an advocate for the tribunal itself. I don’t want to lend credibility to a process by sanctifying the tribunal in some way. I have to accept that it’s deeply troubled -- with corruption and such. In 2002, I wrote to The New York Times and praised the UN for pulling out of discussions with the authorities, as the UN was clearly being manipulated.
For me, the complaint is really about justice for the past accountability for the future. If you have a situation where nearly two million people die and no-one is held to account, then it can happen again. Impunity is a problem in Cambodia. If you’ve got power and money, then nothing can happen to you. As a victim -- and I hate to call myself that -- but, this could be a step towards holding those who are responsible to account.
Also, although some in the international community consider the state of affairs in Cambodia to be disagreeable, they don’t see what’s happening now as unacceptable because if you’re better than the Khmer Rouge, then you’re OK. Many current political leaders are, let’s face it, former Khmer Rouge lower-ranking cadres. Obviously, there are issues of reconciliation and governance when some of your own people caused this.
But, at least, I can put it on record that my father passed away and that it was as a result of the conditions he was subjected to.
Today you work on post-conflict reconstruction and development. How much of what you do today has been influenced by the events of your childhood and your experiences? Did you always want to do this?
I grew up as a refugee. My experience has been very different from that of people who haven’t. I’ve traveled and lived around the world. It’s shaped my view of my responsibility to others. I feel like I have a responsibility to help other people in conflict situations.
I went back to Cambodia in 1996. I was riding around in a cyclo, which is essentially a rickshaw, and being led by this young boy who was about my age at the time. I couldn’t help thinking, “If I had stayed here, if my family hadn’t been able to escape, I would have been him.” I’ve been very lucky.
And, because I was a refugee in France, I speak fluent French. People think that I’ve had a privileged childhood because of my languages and my traveling. But, no, I haven’t. And as a result of all this, I was able to work for The World Bank as my first job coming out of Princeton. There, because of my French, I ended-up working on Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
You’ve spoken to your family’s achievements, but you’ve achieved quite a lot in your own right. Could you tell us about your personal journey as a young man?
I think I was very lucky. Just as we talked about those refugee stories and how random those things can be, that’s how my life continued. As a kid, I was going to school in the Bay Area and so I knew, of the universities around, I needed to go to Berkeley. Now, when I came to the US, I was placed in seventh grade at 10, so that I was at Berkeley at 16. And the opportunities were all very rich.
I got to Princeton because I saw a flyer on the Berkeley campus for a public policy program at Princeton. I decided to apply because, naively, I wanted to see New York. I had this idea that Princeton was much nearer the city than it is! Anyway, I was accepted and I went.
Then, I ended up at Princeton doing my Masters, and while I was there I remember being asked what I wanted to do. I said that I wanted to be a governor at the World Bank, and I didn’t realize then that I would first have to be the Finance Minister of a country in order to be a governor. And then, my first day out of Princeton, I did a phone interview for a job with the World Bank and I became a consultant for something called social protection -- I didn’t even know what that was at the time. I do now!
On July 1, 1997, I was in DC and started work at the World Bank. Social protection turned out to be, essentially, international welfare policy. I had grown up on welfare, so now to be working on these policies was simply amazing.
But then, what do I do next? I was 25, I had all this experience, but I really looked like I was still a kid. I decided to do a PhD. I ended up working on a dissertation that explored aid dependence and governance. You see, I discovered at the World Bank that things were not working quite the way they were supposed to. It was at the point where religious organizations were promoting debt forgiveness because countries simply could not repay their debts.
I’ve really been lucky. It’s been a series of random occurrences. I could not have imagined all that has happened to me. To work at the World Bank, to get to work on Cambodia, to think that my country of origin could benefit from what I’m doing is amazing. Now, I feel that I’ve had some impact on the issues around Cambodian development. I’m glad that at a critical point I could make a difference.
21 May 2009
Watch the TED Fellows video -- and apply for a TEDIndia fellowship
The TED Fellows program helps world-changing innovators from around the globe become part of the TED community. This short video conveys the intense, potentially life-changing experience of becoming a TED Fellow, through interviews with some of the TED2009 Long Beach Fellows and with TED's Community Director, Tom Rielly:
Inspired? Apply for a TEDIndia Fellowship! Applications are open until June 15, 2009, at noon EDT. Learn more about the TED Fellows program >>
11 May 2009
Ushahidi wins $200K MacArthur grant
Ushahidi -- a crisis-tracking tool with roots in TEDGlobal 2007 -- has been awarded a $200,000 grant for development from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The Ushahidi mapping tool was developed by Erik Hersman, Ory Okolloh and Juliana Rotich, who'd met as TED Fellows at the 2007 TEDGlobal conference in Arusha, Tanzania, and the programmer David Kobia. A mashup of Google Maps and texting widgets, Ushahidi allowed citizens to do real-time reporting via text during the Kenyan post-election riots. It's since been developed into an engine for more widespread reporting -- most recently, to monitor the Indian elections and to track swine flu. In his 2009 TEDTalk, Erik Hersman, a co-founder, talked about the team's big plans for Ushahidi -- making it open-source and expandable. Watch his TEDTalk to hear this vision, which the grant will help come true >>
05 May 2009
Q&A with TEDFellow Erik Hersman: When technology goes African
In his 2009 TEDTalk, techno-blogger Erik Hersman breaks down the framework of and uses for Ushahidi, a crisis reporting platform that emerged to help Kenyans avoid violence during riots after the 2008 elections. During this follow-up interview with the TEDBlog, he talks about his African ties, how the TEDFellows program has impacted him and the very beginnings of Ushahidi.
How did Ushahidi begin? We know it began during the aftermath of the 2008 Kenyan elections, but who were the key players and how did they come to contact each other and form this system?
It was very, very fast and loose. We quickly combined our thoughts around the basic idea via Skype and then got the whole thing going in a couple days. Ory, Juliana, Daudi and I knew each other from the Kenyan blogosphere, and as past TEDAfrica Fellows. I knew David Kobia, our lead developer from an interview I had done of him on my WhiteAfrican blog.
Could you give some examples, from your recollections, of the most successful moments of Ushahidi -- moments where you knew you were part of an important structure?
The first week was the first indicator. To us, the system was rudimentary, but it worked. To outsiders, especially those in the humanitarian field, it was the first time they had really seen a technology tool used to bypass the establishment and go directly to ordinary people on the ground to get information. It seemed like the only thing to do to us, but it was revolutionary to them.
The other big moments were when we started to get approached by people and organizations from the rest of the world asking us to create one for them. Needless to say, we couldn't due to our having our own full-time jobs, but it proved there was a need.
Finally, having Al Jazeera pick the tool up for use to collect and monitor the Gaza situation back in January was big. It was the first time an established media organization had used our tool.
What are the elements of the system that contribute most to its success? Anonymity of reports, ability of the population to vote credibility of reports -- which to you are the most important or essential?
Well, I think the biggest thing is that Ushahidi fills the gap. It makes it easy for the traditionally unconnected, those in developing world countries and in rural areas, to start sending information in and getting alerts of things that happen around them -- all from a simple SMS only enabled mobile phone.
Beyond that there are two very important issues. First, the need for anonymity in environments where you can't trust the governing bodies. Second, a way to verify information as it comes in.
Just to probe, it seems that Al Jazeera is the only non-grassroots media group using Ushahidi? Why do you think this is? What makes Al Jazeera and Ushahidi a good fit?
There are some other NGOs using Ushahidi, but Al Jazeera is the largest organization using it to date. I happened to be in Qatar last week and had the chance to visit Al Jazeera's new media team in person. We spent a good portion of the day talking about what they're trying to do and why Ushahidi makes sense for them. It turns out that they're really trying to stretch the traditional news in new ways. Ushahidi isn't the only tool in their repertoire as they get into ways to both gather and disseminate news via mobiles. Finally, because Al Jazeera is largely focused on the parts of the world that most other large media organizations are not, it's a good fit since that's where Ushahidi works best as well.
READ MORE: Erik talks about his connection to Africa, attending TED2009, the TEDFellows program and more.
20 April 2009
Apply to become a Fellow at TEDIndia
Apply now to become one of 100 TED Fellows to attend TEDIndia in Mysore, held Nov. 4-7, 2009.
TED Fellows will attend TEDIndia, join a two-day Fellows pre-conference event before TED starts, and then take advantage of all that the TEDIndia conference has to offer -- amazing TED talks, performances and demos; conversation and connection with TED attendees and speakers; mind-expanding insight. It's an experience that may be life-changing ... see the TED Fellows blog for insights from current fellows.
TEDIndia Fellows will be drawn from many disciplines that reflect the diversity of TED's members: technology, entertainment, design, the sciences, the humanities, the arts, NGOs, business ... and we're especially looking for international applicants. Tell your friends!
Find out more about the TED Fellows program >>
Apply to become a TED Fellow at TEDIndia >>
Applications close June 15, 2009, at noon.
PS: Read our Facebook note full of tips for applying to become a TED Fellow >>
17 March 2009
Apply for a Fellowship to TEDGlobal 2009
Applications for Fellowships at this summer's TEDGlobal 2009 in Oxford are open!
TED is excited to build a class of Fellows to participate in the TEDGlobal Conference this summer in Oxford, UK, July 21-24, 2009. We are looking for an eclectic group of 25 innovators from around the world.
Who should apply: Young thinkers and doers who have the potential to change the world -- from the fields of technology, entertainment, design, the sciences, engineering, humanities, the arts, economics, business, journalism, entrepreneurship and NGOs. We value achievement over credentials -- making and doing over merely talking. Learn more about this past spring's class of TED2009 Fellows.
TED Fellows may apply themselves or be nominated by another person. Please follow this link to apply. To nominate a candidate, email fellows@ted.com. We will accept applications for fellowships through April 3, 2009.
For more information on the TED Fellows program, please visit the TED Fellows site -- and hear from this past spring's class of TED Fellows on the lively TED Fellows Blog.
TED2009 Fellow Phil Niles wrote this unofficial "FAQ for TED Fellows Applicants" >>
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