What is TEDx?
TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxYouthInspire, where x = independently organized TED event.

What is TEDxYouthInspire?
TEDxYouthInspire 2010 is an open space for the Africa’s youngest visionaries to collaborate and re-evaluate the possibilities of creating a better global community.

When and where will the conference take place?
TEDxYouthInspire will take place at the Kofi Annan Centre of Exellence in ICT on 10 April 2010.

Who is invited?
Attendance to TEDxYouthInspire is free and for youth, ages 14-25 years old.

Who is on the TEDxYouthInspire planning committee?
Raquel Wilson, Edward Amartey-Tagoe, Daisy Baffoe, Sharon Brooks, Allen Manser and Worlali Senyo, along with a enthusiastic team of volunteers have all contributed to making TEDxYouthInspire a success.

What is the theme?
With the task of inspiring young people to make communal and sustainable transformation globally, TEDxYouthInspire has chosen the theme “A Good Head & A Good Heart”, taken from a quote included in former South African president Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, to exhibit how extraordinary youth leaders combine radical thought and integrity of spirit to create unlimited possibilities for a brighter future.

How many days is the event?
TEDxYouthInspire is a one-day, participatory event.

How do I register for TEDxYouthInspire?
Pre-registration for TEDxYouthInspire has closed, but open registration will commence on 15 February 2010.  Please visit www.tedxyouthinspire.org/attend/ on or after 15 February to apply for attendance.

Can I invite my friends?
Yes, but they will have to register individually.

Am I required to pay to attend the conference?
No, attendance to TEDxYouthInspire is free for youth under the age of 25.

Why did you choose Ghana as the host city?
Ghana was one of the initial three cities we scouted for TEDxYouthInspire when we wanted to present the conference in three countries.  When we were looking for appropriate venues, the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, were quick to respond to our proposal.  Since young people are leading the economic and technological growth of Ghana, we thought AITI-KACE was the perfect environment for TEDxYouthInspire. The state-of the-art facility provides a dynamic environment for innovation, teaching and learning as well as practical research on the application of ICT4D in Africa.

Who are the speakers?
All TEDxYouthInspire speakers will be under the age of 30, including some speakers who are under the age of 18.  So far we have confirmed Esi Yankah, president and founder of the African Mentor Network; Shirley Osei-Mensah, a high school student & young entrepreneur; and MacJordan Holdbrookes-Degadjor, a Ghanian journalist who reports on social issues in Ghana and across the globe.  We have also been given permission to screen an Oscar-nominated short film.  Additional speakers and our host have been invited and we are currently awaiting their confirmation.

How did TedxYouthInspire come into being?
In the early summer of 2009, TEDxYouthInspire curator Raquel Wilson, a youth and gender programming consultant who serves the African Diaspora, and a friend spoke about how to create a space of collaboration for young people in South Africa, where he was based.  Their initial plan was to do a youth arts summit in Port Elizabeth.  However as they started doing research and learning of the phenomenal progress young people were making in South Africa they decided to expand the summit to a leadership summit.  But there was a question about how to best program the summit to engage young people.  This is when Raquel discovered the new TEDx program and thought it ideal for what they wanted to do in terms of meeting the needs of youth across Africa.

It was at this time Raquel thought to create a way to connect young people from several different African countries so that they could motivate each other.  TEDxYouthInspire initially started with a plan of connecting youth in three African countries simultaneously using real-time, streaming video.  However, after trying for three months to secure venue hosts in Ethiopia, South Africa and Ghana, Accra was the only city secured.  So the event was scaled down to just one country, and unfortunately South Africa, the original country was no longer part of TEDxYouthInspire.

How frequently do you plan to host TedxYouthInspire?
At the moment we are waiting to evaluate the success of TEDxYouthInspire in Ghana before planning beyond 2010, however, if TEDxYouthInspire becomes an annual event, we would like to explore the option of connecting young people in several different countries using online collaboration tools and video technology.

What do we hope to accomplish?
We are working with an open space technology expert to create an “aftercare” plan for the young people who attend TEDxYouthInspire.  Our desire is continue the conversations after the conclusion of the conference and allow youth to continue inspiring each other with “ideas worth sharing”.

Kamau was an invited speaker at the November 20 TEDxAmsterdam event held at the Royal Tropical Institute.

Born against a backdrop of crime and hardship in the slums of Nairobi in 1980, Mark’s dream of a better future finally became reality in 2000 when he registered at web design school NairoBits.

Although he had never touched a keyboard before, Mark began as one of the first web design students in East Africa studying design, technique and African culture.

In 10 years, Mark has shown what talent and drive can achieve when given exposure and fertile ground.

Click here to watch Mark’s interview.
Click here to learn more about Mark’s TEDxAmsterdam talk.
Click here to learn more about NairoBits.