Introducing TEDxEuston 2012 Speakers - Aminatta Forna

Very often we read the autobiographies of politicians or other public figures. Rarely, one stumbles on an autobiography of a person that could so easily fit the the experiences of many of us that attend TEDxEuston. Aminnata's book "The Devil that Danced on the Water" is one such books. Her passionate and vivid account of her childhood during the most turbulent days on the African continent is a book impossible to forget. The The Sunday Times described it as "Enormously compelling and painful reading" and the "Economist" as"Hers is an African Memoir unlike any before it"....we could not agree more . Aminatta has gone on to publish two novels: The Memory of Love (2010) and Ancestor Stones (2006).

Aminatta Forna was born in Glasgow, raised in Sierra Leone and Britain and also spent periods of her childhood in Iran, Thailand and Zambia. She is a serially award-winning author and her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages, including Mandarin. Aminatta has written essays and articles for Granta, The Times, The Observer and Vogue among others and has written for television and radio. In 2003 she established the Rogbonko Project to build a school in a village in Sierra Leone, where she now oversees a number of projects in the spheres of education, sanitation, maternal health and agriculture. Aminatta sits on the Board of the National Theatre of Great Britain, on the General Committee of the Royal Literary Fund and the Advisory Committee of the Caine Prize for African Writing. She has acted as judge for a number of literary awards and is currently a judge of the 2013 International Man Booker Prize. Most recently Sterling Brown Distinguished Visiting Professor at Williams College, Massachusetts, where she taught African literature.

You will not want to miss this fascinating African at TEDxEuston 2012. Tickets are flying off the shelf! Get yours today HERE

Introducing TEDxEuston 2012 Speakers - Amina Az-Zubair

Public sector leaders in many African countries, more so in Nigeria receive a lot of criticism from a citizenry eager for development, and frustrated that our public sector is not keeping up with the pace of development occurring in the private sectors. Once in a while, a leader emerges in the public sector and there is almost complete agreement in his/her competence and sincerity of purpose in service. One such person is Amina Az-Zubair. It is no surprise therefore that  Mrs Az-Zubair served 3 Nigerian Presidents as a Senior Special Assistant to the President on the Millennium Development Goals, coordinating the expenditure of Debt Relief Funds (US $1bn p.a) aimed at achieving the MDGs in Nigeria. Prior to this, she was the National Coordinator for Education for All in Nigeria (2001-2005). She currently serves on numerous International advisory panels and boards, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the UN Global Sustainability Panel and Chairs the Advisory Board of the UNESCO Global Monitoring Report on Education.

Amina Az-Zubair is currently the founder and CEO of the Centre for Policy Research and Development Solutions (CPRDS), a think-tank aiming to address the policy and knowledge gaps in Development. She is also an adjunct Professor at Columbia University, New York. Just a few days ago, the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, appointed Mrs Amina Az-Zubair as his Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning. In 2010, Bill Gates invited her to speak at a special session he organised at the TED conference.

So why do presidents, UN Secretaries and business leaders all want Mrs Az-Zubair to lead the work on women and children on their behalf? What makes Amina Az-Zubair deliver where others stumble. What makes Amina Az-Zubair challenge conventional wisdom on public sector leadership in Africa? 

There's only one place to find out - on the TEDxEuston stage! You will not want to miss it. Tickets are selling out fast - save the date - December 1 2012, get a ticket today!. It will be the best present you get yourself this year... that's a promise!

Find out more about TEDxEuston and all the other speakers HERE. 

Registration opens for TEDxEuston 2012

It is that time of the year again...as we open registration for our biggest TEDxEuston yet!


Visit our brand new website to read the profiles of 13 exciting speakers who are challenging conventional wisdom on the continent. From the arts to archaeology, from social venture fund managers to social entrepreneurs, from newspaper publishers to digital artists, from music producers to public sector leaders, from writers to psychiatrists and even some royalty - you will not find a more exciting, eclectic mix of speakers focusing on Africa anywhere in the world in 2012 - that's our promise!. Visit the website and see for yourself.

The new TEDxEuston website

Once you have made your decision to attend, don't put it off. It will be your best investment of the year - promise! Register NOW.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. Last year we sold out way in advance and sadly had to turn away hundreds of interested attendees. You are the reason we do this, so we have substantially increased capacity and moved the event to an exciting new venue in London "The Mermaid" with a beautiful view on the Thames. Registration will include full access to the event, a light breakfast, 3 course lunch and the after party, and all the speakers have promised to stay through the day to brainstorm further, sign their books, and you may even get to dance with them at the after party! When the tickets are gone, they are gone. Share with your friends and see you in December! Your TEDxEuston team is working hard to make it an unforgettable experience for you!

TEDxEuston 2012 Opens - June 16 2012

On the 16 on June 2012, we will reveal another exciting line-up of speakers for TEDxEuston 2012!

As usual, at this years's TEDxEuston, we have another exciting line up of speakers; great thinkers and dynamic individuals, all creating a new brand of leadership for African communities. This year’s event will take place at The Mermaid, a magnificent state-of-the-art conference venue, overlooking the River Thames. Our theme this year is; “Challenging Conventional Wisdom”.

Mark your calenders and don't be disappointed! The link to register will be on our brand new website launching on June 16. In order not to miss anything - follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Be ready for more exciting, profound, and entertaining ideas out of Africa by some of the brightest minds around!

Kayode Fayemi @ TEDxEuston 2012 - A pseudo-dichotomy between activism and politics

Until TEDxEuston 2011, we had never had a serving politician on stage. Politicians by definition always have an agenda and it would be unfair of us to ask them to stick to a single idea during a TEDxEuston talk. However there was something particularly compelling about  Kayode Fayemi's story that we could not ignore. Like many of us, he was previously resident in London. Before the age of blogs and Twitter, he was a prominent leader of the Nigerian opposition to military rule in exile. Kayode was  responsible for the founding and management of the opposition radios – Radio Freedom, Radio Democracy International & Radio Kudirat and played a central role in the opposition’s diplomatic engagements in exile. An account of the process and roles played in the setting up of Radio Kudirat can be found in his "Out Of The Shadows", which was available at the event. From London he eventually returned home and got his hand "dirty" with politics. He showed that it was not enough to be activists from a distance but at some point, one had to engage...and engage he did!. On the day, he appeared without the entourage of praise-singers that we have to come to expect with Nigerian politicians.

Watch his talk at TEDxEuston 2012 HERE...

Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has been the Governor of Ekiti State in Nigeria since October 2010 after winning a three-year challenge against his political opponent in the 2007, alleging electoral rigging. Prior to entering into partisan politics, Kayode Fayemi was Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development, a research and training institution dedicated to the study and promotion of democratic development, peace-building and human security in Africa. Dr Fayemi attended Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti and received degrees in History, Politics and International Relations from the Universities of Lagos and Ife in Nigeria, and a Doctorate in War Studies from King’s College, University of London, England. A prominent leader of the Nigerian opposition to military rule, he was responsible for the founding and management of the opposition radios – Radio Freedom, Radio Democracy International & Radio Kudirat and played a central role in the opposition’s diplomatic engagements in exile. He was the main technical adviser to Nigeria’s Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (Oputa Panel), which investigated past human rights abuses in Nigeria and also on the Presidential Implementation Committees on Security Sector Reform as well as a member, Africa Policy Advisory Panel of the British Government. Dr Fayemi also serves on the Governing Board of the Open Society Justice Institute. In his book "Out of the Shadows" he chronicles the amazing struggle for democracy in Nigeria

Toyin Saraki at TEDxEuston - An Unlikely Activist

When we first heard Mrs Toyin Saraki speak on CNN's African voices, we knew there was something special about this lady who belonged to an elite group of women married to state governors in Nigeria called "First Ladies". Before we approached her to speak at TEDxEuston, we examined the work she did in detail and her commitment to the health of women and children which was the focus her efforts. We found an unusual commitment to improving their fate. Unlike most other women who found themselves in her position, her work has not faded after the days close to the corridors of power but it has grown from strength to strength. So, how did all this come about? How did a woman born into relative privilege develope an instinct and perseverance that appears to grow stronger by the day? We asked ourselves the same question....

To find out - watch her talk here!

Mrs. Toyin Saraki is the Founder-President of The WellBeing Foundation, a prominent front-line maternal and child health focused Non-Governmental Organization in Nigeria. She was until recently the First Lady of Kwara State in Nigeria. Having held various leadership positions in humanitarian organizations for close to two decades, Mrs Saraki now dedicates much of her time to the work of The WellBeing Foundation and various networks of organizations that the NGO works with. She constantly advocates for accountability and improved public health policies, better working relationships between NGOs and the continuum of care for maternal, newborn and child health in communities. These efforts have made Mrs. Saraki one of the most heard voices on every issue relating to the health of mothers and children in Nigeria. Her Wellbeing Foundation Africa's 24-7-365 MDG Countdown to 2015 Advocacy And Action Campaign has integrated a strong advocacy profile with a unique model of community participation, direct action, effective communication and the development of innovative funding mechanisms in a resource constrained environment, to ensure universal access to quality basic healthcare. Mrs. Saraki gained her bachelor’s degree in law at the University of London School Of Oriental and African Studies and her masters’ degree in International Economic Law at University of London King’s College. She has researched and promoted the rights of women and children. In 2007 she was appointed Chair of the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA) Committee on the Protection of Children while more recently she has taken up a key roles as a supporter for the United Nations Secretary General's Every Woman Every Child Effort, as Board Chair of the White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria, Member of the Africa Justice Foundation and The Global Foundation For The Elimination Of Domestic Violence.

SAVE THE DATE! TEDxEuston holds on December 1 2012

We are excited to announce the date of TEDxEuston 

December 1 2012 

The theme of this year's event is:

"Challenging Conventional Wisdom"

...and will take place at beautiful 

MERMAID

Registration details out soon!