Theme: Our Future is Now

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Erbil
Iraq

Khasraw Jaff

Khasraw Jaff is an Engineer, a writer and an artist. He was born on the night of Kurdish new year (Nawroz) on 1945 in a village called Kalar. He finished the primary school in Kalar, and after finishing his secondary studies in Khanaqeen, he graduated from high school in Baghdad. He studied Architecture at the college of fine arts of Tahran University. Then, he obtained the Master of Science (M.Sc.) diploma in Architecture Engineering. He has authored 60 books, and a number of them has been translated to other languages. He has been honored quiet a few times because of his great works.

Hoshyar Ali

Hoshyar Ali a symbol of courage and unbroken determination. In the 1980's during the Iran-Iraq conflict, Hoshyar tragically lost both his legs. After his loss, the pragmatic and inspirational man dedicated his life to eradicating land mines. He has removed and defused more than 1,386,000 land mines; cleared 540,000 km2 and evacuated 160 dead bodies from mines fields on the Iraqi-Iranian border.

Sazan M. Mandalawi

A journalist, blogger and author, lived in Australia and currently is in Erbil working for Rudaw and the Kurdish Globe. She has a BA in Politics and International Relations and an MA in Diplomacy. As the author of the book, My Nest in Kurdistan,Sazan often focuses on cultural heritage and the life of Kurdish people.

Ali Zuhier

Even though Ali is in his junior year of high school he has many accomplishments in his life so far. Ali is not only one of the best students in his school but also locally well known as the leader of his school "Ishik high school" . Ali has participated in several global Olympiads as well as local Olympiads in different subjects including biology and Turkish. Ali has won medals and certificates for all of his participation. One of them was in the summer of 2012 where he took the third place in the GENIUS Olympics which was held in the USA.

Sarbast Majeed

He is B.S.C holder in Information Technology from the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani.He has participated a three-months internship with AT&T in the field of IT Project Management in St.Louis-MO, USA. he has also participated in a variety Leadership programs and cultural exchange. Currently he holds a position of Core Network Engineer at a major telecommunication company in Kurdistan. In 2012 his team was placed 3rd in the Imagine Cup Competition-Kurdistan for the Home Automation System (Coole Nest).In 2011 he was placed 6th among 150 teams from 49 countries in the Global Initiative in Science and Technology (GIST) in Istanbul, for presenting the idea of Home Automation System without even having the prototype ready.

Sabah Ahmed Mohammed

As a distinguished inventor and a valued designer, Sabah got many prizes and international certificates for his different achievements and new inventions. Among his numerous and varied inventions, is a remarkable mine-disposal machine; that is capable of saving countless lives. He also invented many impressing machines, for instance that one collect sand up to two tons without a driver.

Omar Fadil

Omar Fadhil is an ecologist and wildlife photographer working for Nature Iraq; the first and only environmental conservation group in Iraq. He is also a Biological Researcher at the University of Baghdad.

Bilar Aziz

Bijar is a young man who is in his senior year of high school, his teachers describe him as a clever , multi-talented and creative student. His dream has always been to serve humanity through science.In spite of his young age he has managed to receive many certificates and medals locally and internationally in several subjects including Biology and English , despite those subjects that he received certificates in he's working on his robotic project He recently won the bronze medal at the I-SWEEEP Olympiad for his environmental project which was held in the USA, and he won many other medals locally.

Diyar Falah

Besides of being a medical student, diyar is an activist in community development sector through his hard work with I CARE group and college development projects.He participated in two high school science projects in 2008 and 2009 and he was the first Iraqi to be chosen for ISWEEEP international science Olympiad in Houston/Texas.He was an IYLEP 2012 Alumni as participant in Public policy and also doing some trainings as a certified trainer from the Organization IFMSA.

Beri Shalmashi

Beri Shalmashi graduated at the Netherlands Film Academy and received her MA at the Utrecht School of Arts. Shalmashi won the ECHO Award 2008, as most excellent bicultural student in the Netherlands, rewarded with sessions at the UCLA. She made several awarded films. Recently, the City of Los Angeles officially recognized her ‘outstanding achievements’. Shalmashi adapted the bestseller ‘The house of the mosque’, to be directed by Bahman Ghobadi. Her debut novel, a love story set in Cairo, will be published by De Geus in 2013. With her roots in East Kurdistan, she tutors at the Salahaddin University, Faculty of Arts in Erbil, where she is now based working on new films.

Nariman Anwar

Since he was 11, Nariman Anwar started thinking creatively. Born in Hawler, his passion with airplanes made him determined to build a real functioning airplane. His dream drew closer to reality in 1997 when he made the promise to build an airplane.

Kamaran Najm Ibrahim

An Iraqi Photojournalist from Kirkuk and founder and managing director of Metrography, The first Iraqi Photo agency based in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq , which was founded in 2009. Najm is a respected trainer in photography, editing, and international journalism.Standards , his Work has appeared in leading publications globally, including The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, The Times Of London, The Financial Times magazine and some others. Najm is the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious World Press Photo MENA Master class; Best Photographer 2011 By the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Minister Of Youth&Culture.