News TED Prize

What you would do with $1 million to inspire change in the world

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An artist's rendering of TED Prize winners past. Could you or someone you know win the 2014 TED Prize?

An artist’s rendering of TED Prize winners past. Could you or someone you know receive the 2014 TED Prize?

The $1 million TED Prize is a way for a passionate, motivated dreamer to put a world-changing plan into action. With nominations for the prize open through June 16, so many great ideas are circulating around the TED community — and one of them could become the 2014 winner.

We want you — yes, you — to nominate a dynamic, passionate leader for the prize. It could be yourself, someone you know or someone whose work you admire. Need some inspiration? We started a TED Conversation, “What’s your million-dollar idea to change the world?” to get TEDsters’ brainstorming out in the open about the kinds of wishes they’d like to see enacted. Below are some of our favorite wishes that users offered on TED.com and through Facebook:

“With one million dollars, I would endow a scholarship in perpetuity to introduce arts education to underserved communities. The arts are a powerful way to communicate complex feelings, reactions and emotions. They are also a means of relieving stress.” —Patrij Baroch

“Inexpensive sleep pods in downtown areas to get homeless out of the elements.” —Capers Hammond

“Require all members of the United Nations to donate an amount equal to what they spend annually on military budgets to a worldwide relief fund, to be administered publically on the web, with 100 percent clarity and accountability of how all funds are spent. Goal of the fund will be to foster health and education worldwide on an as needed basis.” — Ron Bouffard

“To stop corruptions in my country Nigeria and make the citizens believe in democracy.” —Jude Ben

“The way we choose employment is largely based on herd mentality. Someone posts a job vacancy, puts up a bunch of ‘skills’ necessary for the job. A few hundred respond with padded resumes that are keyword-rich to ensure HR finds them suitable. I find this system terribly outdated and broken. We need a better way to measure ourselves and measure what a job requires. A more comprehensive match between employer and employee and one that scales up so we can spot work that fits us like a glove without getting lost in the maze.” – Arun Jose

Select positive statements only from all religious texts and combine them into one bible for one purely positive religion for all Earthlings.” — Rhona Pavis

“Make all schools teach a class on business. A class on how the core subjects relate to the current world today.” —Thaddea Thompson

“Stop human trafficking. Period. No one’s life has a price tag.” —Jennifer Valenti

“End homelessness and poverty by opening up unused fed and state lands for building small off-grid homesteads that include garden space and space for raising animals, and link it to a homestead education program.” — LaMar Alexander

Do you know someone who’s right for the 2014 TED Prize? Or do you have a wish idea that you would like to be considered? Make sure to fill out an official nomination form by June 16 »

Get lots more information at Tedprize.org »