Xavier Alpasa climbed out of poverty to the top ranks of the Philippines’ premier corporation — and then realized he wanted to give it all back. As a seminarian, he helped women sewing scraps in a slum connect with top designers to create high-end fashion pieces. Now a Catholic priest, Father Xavier is working to […]
In this new Theme on TED.com, catch up on TEDTalks from speakers who are coming to TED2011 with something fresh to share. Interestingly, only some of these speakers have appeared at a TED; others come from TEDx, from our content partners, or from the Best of the Web series. We’re pulling great ideas from all […]
Epidemiologist Chikwe Ihekweazu was in the inaugural TED Fellows class of TEDGlobal 2007 in Tanzania. Living in the UK at the time, writing articles on public health issues in his native Nigeria, Chikwe was profoundly affected by his TED experience. Now running an influential Nigerian public health blog, an alumni program for his alma mater, […]
Jane McGonigal is a game designer with an apparently simple idea: some of the billions of hours we spend playing games can be used to solve real world problems, and it can be done by playing games. Her new book, Reality Is Broken, explores the power of games to change people’s lives. It’s just out […]
In his TEDTalk (watch now), Charles Limb reviews his groundbreaking work studying creativity and the brain — by putting musicians inside an fMRI and watching as they improvise. For the past decade, he’s been working with jazz piano players, revealing astonishing new data about the way the brain creates art. And his research has recently […]
Jessica Mayberry is the founder of Video Volunteers, which trains rural Indians to use filmmaking to drive social change in their communities. The films have fostered some remarkable improvements in the villages, but according to Jessica, some of the most impressive changes are in the filmmakers themselves. Interactive Fellows Friday Feature! Join the conversation by […]
This week, religious scholar and 2008 TED Prize winner Karen Armstrong released 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life, a practical guide to the understanding and practice of compassion. On Christmas eve, the TED Blog had a chat with Karen about the ways people around the world are embracing the Charter for Compassion — the result […]
Glaciologist Michele Koppes travels to some of the coldest, iciest places on Earth for work. Her one-of-a-kind research in the Himalayas fills in gaps of unrecorded glacial change, and may help vulnerable populations adapt to shifting weather patterns. Despite the severe consequences of climate change, Michele finds hope in the optimism of the younger generation, […]
This year at TED2011, we issued an unprecedented invitation to two global thinkers: Curate a session of TED. Juan Enriquez (watch his TEDTalks) brings his astonishingly broad perspective on global issues — from the macro to the micro — to Session 9 of this year’s conference. His research and writing makes an excellent case that […]
Growing up amidst the violence of inner city Toronto, Gavin Sheppard started The Remix Project to catapult creative young people from troubled neighborhoods into lucrative careers. From presidential meetings to local crime scenes to celebrity parties, Gavin stays focused on finding new ways to keep The Remix Project evolving, and improving young people’s lives. Interactive […]
On Thursday, December 10, India’s INK Conference held its inaugural day of talks. Attendees gathered outside the theater doors at Lavasa Conference Center, anticipating three sessions of TED-like ideas. INK did not disappoint, delivering a day’s worth of breathtaking perspective and innovation, both local and global. Session 1: Science writer Anil Ananthaswamy gave an overview […]
Every year, on December 1, the global community comes together on World AIDS Day to learn more about the virus and lend support to those living with HIV/AIDS.. This year’s theme is “Universal Access and Human Rights.” To increase awareness of the effects of the AIDS virus, and to help understand its spread and possible […]
Yamini Aiyar founded the Accountability Initiative to track and inform the public of what really happens to government money in India. The Initiative also researches the effectiveness of accountability efforts in the country. The group’s work has drawn praise from Indian government officials, and even from President Obama. Taking a cue from her mother, a […]
TEDGlobal 2009 Fellow Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has announced his candidacy for president of Nigeria. In his first North American interview since the announcement, the anti-corruption activist spoke with TED’s Emeka Okafor, keeper of the seminal Africa blog Timbuktu Chronicles. There is a tremendous amount of interest in your run for presidency. What would you attribute […]
First an immunologist, then a healthcare journalist and now a writer focusing on the Arab region, Shereen El Feki also serves on the UN’s Global Commission on HIV and the Law. In addition to studying social change in the Arab region, Shereen works on development with a women’s university in Saudi Arabia. Interactive Fellows Friday […]
On Monday, the INK Conference (which is being held in partnership with TED) and the Rajeev Motwani Foundation hosted US President Barack Obama at an Expo on democracy and open government. The organizers were tasked with the critical job of showcasing new Indian innovations that might improve the relationship between citizens and government. The result? […]