On one awful night in 1995, Ples Felix's 14-year-old grandson murdered Azim Khamisa's son in a gang initiation fueled by drugs, alcohol and a false sense of belonging. The deadly encounter sent Khamisa and Felix down paths of deep meditation, to forgive and to be forgiven -- and in an act of bravery and reconciliation, the two men met and forged...

When Sarah Montana was 22 years old, her brother and mother were killed during a home break-in. In this moving talk, Sarah speaks to her harrowing experience, and shares how to overcome tremendous grief and decide to "really" forgive those who have wronged us.

Phyllis Rodriguez and Aicha el-Wafi have a powerful friendship born of unthinkable loss. Rodriguez' son was killed in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001; el-Wafi's son Zacarias Moussaoui was convicted of a role in those attacks and is serving a life sentence. In hoping to find peace, these two moms have come to understand and r...

Forgiveness sounds so easy, and yet it's tough to muster in practice. These talks may help.

Pardons, commutations and bankruptcy laws are all tools of forgiveness within the US legal system. Are we using them frequently enough, and with fairness? Law professor Martha Minow outlines how these merciful measures can reinforce racial and economic inequality -- and makes the case for creating a system of restorative justice that focuses on ...

Go on an emotional journey with these courageous speakers who share how they transformed their pain into forgiveness.

Colin Grant has spent a lifetime navigating the emotional landscape between his father’s world and his own. Born in England to Jamaican parents, Grant draws on stories of shared experience within his immigrant community -- and reflects on how he found forgiveness for a father who rejected him.

Losing children to illness, disease or acts of violence is devastating and endlessly difficult to cope with. These talks come from parents who have experienced such loss and found a way to make it through.

Tough conversations, lasting memories, shouldering loss together ... These speakers embody the highs and lows of true friendship.

These TED Talks advocate for creating bridges of compassion and understanding.

The pain of personal loss, war and conflict is universal. These speakers share large and small ways to remember those lost even long after they're gone.

Friendship is one of the great joys of life. These talks about connecting with others might inspire you to pick up the phone and say hello to someone important to you.

Tom Stranger is the co-author of "South of Forgiveness."

TED Fellow Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy seeks to push people to have difficult conversations about inequality and injustice.

Azim Khamisa speaks to students and adults on nonviolence, forgiveness and peace-building, and he is a founder of two nonprofit organizations that target youth violence.

Former Harvard Law School Dean Martha Minow tackles the unintended effects of technology on those already impacted by discrimination and disadvantage.

Mothers have so many roles: nurturer, provider, disciplinarian, confidant, mentor, friend, protector. These incredible talks demonstrate all of the above.

Aicha el-Wafi and Phyllis Rodriguez met around a shared tragedy -- and their friendship has become a powerful symbol for forgiveness and dialogue.

Thordis Elva is one of the two authors of "South of Forgiveness," a unique collaboration between a survivor and perpetrator of rape.

Thoughtful, actionable TED talks on how we might transform a seemingly impossible problem into a solvable one.

When we started TEDWomen in 2010, we felt strongly that we wanted to include a series of talks we called “Duets” in which we would forego the traditional TED Talk model and present pairs of speakers instead of solo ones. There is no question that the Duets sessions are often among the most popular and provocative. One such talk, given ...

About this event: Our nine undergraduate, graduate, and staff speakers will engage you with talks that will take you "Behind the Curtain" of various phenomena and aspects of the human condition including the life of a disabled college student, the plight of our soldiers, the art of forgiveness, and our racial imagination. Let them take you to parts unknown.

We depend on each other, and we can accomplish very little if we can't work together. What better way is there to spend our time than with each other? Hosted by journalists (and married couple) Courtney E. Martin and John Cary, Session 2 of TEDWomen 2016 featured five pairs of speakers and one performer exploring the time we share together. T...

Phyllis Rodriguez and Aicha el-Wafi have a powerful friendship born of unthinkable loss. Rodriguez' son was killed in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001; el-Wafi's son Zacarias Moussaoui was convicted of a role in those attacks and is serving a life sentence. In hoping to find peace, these two moms have come to understand and r...

Necessary rethinks and ambitious yet achievable solutions for redesigning systems to work for all people, not just some.

The Maxi Taxi is Port of Spain’s answer to the subway. In the capital city of Trinidad and Tobago, this network of mini buses shuttles commuters along set routes—a red line, a yellow line, a green line—bringing them from neighborhoods to business districts and back. Like commuters in many cities, Maxi Taxi riders generally avoid interactin...

Ingrid Betancourt was a presidential candidate in Colombia in 2002 when she was kidnapped by guerilla rebels. After six years in captivity and a high-profile rescue, she now writes about what she learned about fear, forgiveness and the divine.

Our passions are what drive us through our lives and our work. What unexpected places can they take us? In this session, seven speakers show the incredible range of answers. Below, the speakers who appeared in this session. Click on a speaker's name to read a full recap of their talk. Mellody Hobson advocates for financial literacy and i...

Artist Zena el Khalil doesn't have the family home she remembers from childhood. Her mother's house in Lebanon was destroyed in a U.S. bomb attack in 1983, while her father's house was occupied by the Israeli army for 22 years, until its withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. "Every home my grandfathers built was destroyed, bombed or occupied," sa...

Aziz Abu Sarah explains how he recovered from the murder of his brother and learned how peace and love can be potent tools of activism. “You are responsible for the terror attacks” said a man after a lecture I gave about religion and violence at an interfaith event in New Jersey two years ago. "Your people are trying to kill us." He was frus...