When Julius Maada Bio first seized political power in Sierra Leone in 1996, he did so to improve the lives of its citizens. But he soon realized that for democracy to flourish, its foundation needs to be built on the will of the people. After arranging an election, he voluntarily gave up power and left Africa. Twenty years later, after being dem...

Filmmaker Newton Aduaka shows clips from his powerful, lyrical feature film "Ezra," about a child soldier in Sierra Leone.

Reporter Janine di Giovanni has been to the worst places on Earth to bring back stories from Bosnia, Sierra Leone and most recently Syria. She tells stories of human moments within large conflicts -- and explores that shocking transition when a familiar city street becomes a bombed-out battleground.

What drove David Sengeh to create a more comfortable prosthetic limb? He grew up in Sierra Leone, and too many of the people he loves are missing limbs after the brutal civil war there. When he noticed that people who had prosthetics weren’t actually wearing them, the TED Fellow set out to discover why — and to solve the problem with his team fr...

As President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio seeks to find ways to make progress happen -- not to dwell on the obstacles that impede it.

Astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison‘s inclusive, audacious journey to improving life here on earth and beyond is paving the way for human interstellar travel.

Aaswath Raman is a scientist passionate about harnessing new sources of energy, mitigating climate change and more intelligently understanding the world around us -- by better manipulating light and heat using nanoscale materials.

About this event: TEDxYouth@KingTom is the first TEDx event specifically dedicated to youths in Sierra Leone. TEDxYouth@KingTom will be a platform for inspiring curiosity, fostering critical thinking, showcasing youthful talents, and reflecting ideas that will empower young people and spur them to action. Our full day conference will feature authentic and inspiri...

Even the most advanced prosthetic isn't useful if it's hard to wear. This observation guides TED Fellow David Sengeh's work at the Biomechatronics group in the MIT Media Lab.

Jessica Jackley is the co-founder of Kiva.org, an online community that helps individuals loan small amounts of money, called microloans, to entrepreneurs throughout the world.

Khadija Gbla is an award-winning inspirational speaker, facilitator and cross-cultural consultant. She is a former refugee from Sierra Leone currently living in Australia.

Janine di Giovanni reports from war zones around the world.

Newton Aduaka's award-winning Ezra, told through the eyes of a young boy in Sierra Leone, illuminates one of the most harrowing consequences of war: the recruitment of child soldiers.

Samantha Nutt envisions a world where no child knows war.

A persistent sight in David Sengeh's childhood, growing up in Sierra Leone: amputees. Losing a limb was an all-too-common fact in the civil-war-torn region. But the aftermath was almost worse, Sengeh saw, as he watched family members and friends struggle with ill-fitting, uncomfortable prosthetics that hurt too much to wear. Here, the 201...

About this event: TEDx Freetown is about creating space for dialogue and interaction, exchange and network building. TEDx Freetown will provide influential Sierra Leoneans the opportunity to speak to the inherent need for innovation in order to gestate change with the aim of ensuring a future where anything will be possible. TEDx Freetown will serve as the c...

At the end of Session 2, the Asphalt Orchestra led a parade of TEDWomen attendees to the gorgeous Atrium for dinner and a bonus session of speakers and interviews. (Photo: Michael Brands / TED) Nancy Pelosi spoke with Pat Mitchell in an intimate conversation on women and power. (Photo: James Duncan Davidson / TED) Marjorie Marg...

Session 5 of TEDWomen 2019 is all about seeking meaning: in our political lives, creative lives, healthcare systems, criminal justice and beyond. The event: TEDWomen 2019, Session 5: Meaning Seekers, hosted by Helen Walters and Anna Verghese When and where: Thursday, December 5, 2019, 5pm PT, at La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta...

Tuesday afternoon at the TEDx Africa Skype station, host Kelo Kubu chatted with TEDx events in South Africa, Ghana and Ethiopia. It was on the verge of midnight in Johannesburg when Bongi Mkhabela of TEDxSoweto talked with TEDWomen attendees about the importance of listening to different perspectives -- a strong theme in Session 1. Halla Tom...

About this event: Visionary Leadership: harnessing to technology to change lives

About this event:

Each week, TEDx chooses four of our favorite talks, highlighting just a few of the enlightening speakers from the TEDx community, and its diverse constellation of ideas worth spreading. Below, give this week’s talks a listen. Using big data to save lives: Joel Selanikio at TEDxAustin While big data is revolutionizing modern business, ...

About this event:

Some ideas simmer below the surface. This session is dedicated to speakers who bubble them up, from a surprising management thinker to an Ebola researcher who found new inspiration in a song. Short recaps of the talks in this session... Work, the ultimate social experience. Margaret Heffernan is here to flip our thinking on what makes ...

Sangu Delle is an entrepreneur and clean water activist. A TED Fellow who hails from Ghana, he sees incredible potential in the African economy.

Power drives everything. Whether it's political, economic, online -- power makes the rules and makes things move. At Session 2 of TED2019, we explore how different centers of global power are dramatically playing out across the world stage. The event: Talks and performances from TED2019, Session 2: Power, hosted by TED's Chris Anderson an...

"It all depends on what we do in the next few weeks," said infectious disease expert and TED Fellow Chikwe Ihekweazu, speaking about Ebola at TEDGlobal on Friday. What happens next: will the number of new Ebola cases grow or plateau? And how can the world know the right thing to do? Reliable news about the outbreak has been hard to find, espe...

The effect of laughter on someone who’s sad. The danger and excitement of dirt biking. The reason human beings need so much sleep. The thought of infinity. These are just a few of the topics that students are exploring through TED-Ed Clubs. This new program, announced today by our educational initiative TED-Ed, is a way to celebrate the ideas...

Here's what happened on Tuesday of TED2019. A few news-making highlights first: Jack Dorsey proposed a new way Twitter could work -- by following topics and not individual people and brands. Hmm. Also, fun fact: If he had it to do over again, he would not have built the Like button. Watch for Jack Dorsey's Q&A with Chris Anderson and ...

The TED community is brimming with new projects and updates. Below, a few highlights. Malaria vaccine begins wide-scale testing in Malawi. RTS,S -- the only malaria vaccine to successfully pass clinical trials -- will be made available to 360,000 children in Kenya, Malawi and Ghana in the first round of implementation testing. Immunologis...