TED GLOBAL CONFERENCE 2007 ARUSHA TANZANIA: I will be there

The Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania will be the home to the TED Global Conference to be held from 4 – 7 June 2007. The conference, the first to have ever taken place in Africa will carry a message “AFRICA: GOOD NEWS”.

TED is an abbreviation of three subjects: Technology, Entertainment, and Design which are making the phenomenon of global village a reality. The TED conference is an invitation-only event which brings together about 1000 world's thinkers and doers for sharing wisdom, inspiration and insight.

TED in collaboration with its partners (Google GE, Sun Microsystem and AMD) has made available 100 scholarships to people from around the world who in the organization’s view have an important role to play in Africa’s future. I feel honored to be considered among this unique group of people. I thank TED and sponsors for such recognition. I am therefore expecting to attend and blog from this historic conference.

Besides the fellows, the conference will also bring together the top world innovators, thinkers, doers, and leaders to discuss the future of Africa. There will be 50 great men and women speakers including inventors, business-leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, designers, artists, writers, activists, musicians and mavericks. These are people who are passionate about Africa and care about the continents underpinning issues such as poverty, education, healthcare, HIV/AIDS, economic development, nutrition, hunger, climate change and technology. Among the prominent figures are:

• Onesmo Ole MoiYoi - A Tanzanian molecular biologist, regarded as a leader in the global research effort to develop environmentally sound ways to combat disease in humans and animals.
  
• Eleni Gabre-Madhin - Economist and leading researcher on African agricultural markets.


• Moses Makayoto - A globally recognized Kenyan scientist with a string of successful inventions, such as a pesticide for use in refugee camps, new technologies for processing honey and cotton, and a low-cost detergent made from local materials.


• Andrew Mwenda - Leading journalist, activist and Stanford Fellow.


• Dele Olojede - A journalist who won the Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles on Rwanda.


• Jane Goodall - Famous for her pioneering work with chimpanzees in Tanzania, she has become a globally recognized conservationist and a United Nations "Messenger of Peace."


• Simon Mwacharo - CEO of Craftskills, an innovative manufacturer of renewable modular energy systems based on solar and wind power.

Others not by importance are Binyavanga Wainaina, Bola Olabisi, Ken Ofori-Atta, Carol Pineau, Chris Abani, Chris Johns, Danniel Annerose, Ernest Chijioke Madu, George Ayittey, Noah Samara, H Chinery-Hesse, Jacqueline Novogratz, James Shikwati, Seyi Oyesola, Florence Seriki, Kwabena Boahen, Leon Kintaudi, Ndidi Nwuneli, Alieu Conteh, Ory Okolloh, Patrick Awuah, Russell Southwood, Ted Kidane, Ron Eglash, Raoul Peck, Spencer Wells, Patty Stonesifer