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DFI Executive Director, Amanda Palmer, announcing TEDxWWW onstage at TEDGlobal 2011, Edinburgh, Scotland |
The new partnership between DFI and TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) will build a local team to organise a three-day event open exclusively to members of the global TEDx community, together with the TED team, comprised of two days of TEDx workshops, followed by a celebratory one day TEDxDoha event in Qatar, which will bring together 700 members from the active TEDx global community.
TEDx events are independently organised local events that invite speakers to talk for 18 minutes or less, about ‘ideas worth spreading’, which is central to TED’s mission to promote global dialogue. The events promote global thinkers to inspire their communities to discuss various different subjects including education, health, community, science, design, technology and entertainment.
Ama Akuamoah, who is attending the TEDGlobal conference on behalf of DFI in Edinburgh for the first time, said: “I have been watching the TED talks online for many years. I, like many people, have found myself inundated with media stories about celebrity or pessimism, and TED has given me a unique and refreshing outlet to engage in important non-mainstream conversations. TED has inspired and educated me with human stories that have made me feel connected to a community that wants to shape a better future for all us, by including us in the global discussion. I’m really proud that DFI is hosting this incredible event.”
At TEDxWWW, TEDx organisers from around the world will connect and collaborate, share TEDx’s best practices, discuss local and regional strategies, and brainstorm new ideas and collaborations. Following the Workshop, DFI will host the second TEDxDoha conference, curated by TED, DFI and the global TEDx community. The event will feature speakers and performers from the Middle East and around the world.
“The TEDx global community is a passionate and rapidly growing global community,” said Lara Stein, TEDx Director of Licensing. “Our TEDx local organisers have already hosted more than 2,000 events, empowering their communities with the TED mission of spreading ideas and uniting communities to take part in a global conversation, either at our conferences or online at TED.com.”
Stein added: “We are thrilled to be bringing the first ever TEDxWWW to the Middle East, and to contribute to the transformative dialogue that is already taking place. The TEDx community is already connected in the region, with dozens of TEDx events hosted in the Middle East. We are proud that DFI also shares this commitment to empowering local storytelling, exchange and ideas.”
In Edinburgh with Lara Stein and a dedicated DFI TEDxDoha team to make the announcement; DFI Executive Director, Amanda Palmer, commented: “The response has been incredible. Since we announced these events, we have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the TEDx community, who via social networking, have been sending DFI and TED messages of collaboration and support. These events belong to the TEDx community and DFI are so proud to be able to host an important platform for global thinkers. Some of these thinkers are unknowns - some are famous; this is the spirit of TED, and DFI’s founder, HE Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, founded this organisation with a mission to empower storytellers - and storytelling is at the heart of TED and TEDx talks.”
Last year, DFI held two TEDxDoha events. The first, themed ‘Fun and Important’, featured local Qatari filmmaker Ahmed al-Baker, British songwriter and record producer Matt Aitken, and international designer Reem Acra, amongst others. DFI founder, HE Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, also did a TEDWomen talk in Doha, live via satellite into Washington DC, to 2000 leading women. The success of that event saw TED announce the support of the new TEDxWomen events to be locally organised this year.
Registration for TEDxWWW will begin in October 2011. Information will be available at www.tedxdoha.net or on the DFI website.