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Academics, business leaders, creatives, entrepreneurs and politicians enter line up for inaugural TEDxTripoli event

Libya's Deputy Prime Minister and Ambassador to the UAE joined by Filmmaker Abdulaziz Belhaj and Harvard Business School Professor Bruce R. Scott among others at Rixos Hotel based event
TRIPOLI, LIBYA, FEBRUARY 13, 2012 - (ME NewsWire) : "A Bold New Libya" will be the theme of TEDxTripoli to be held on 13^th February 2012 at the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli, Libya. This inaugural event, which is invitation only, has already generated a strong following with members of Libya's business, educational, entrepreneurial, arts, cultural and non-profit classes as well as drawing speakers from other markets.

TEDxTripoli is an independently organized event, licensed by TED. Speaking ahead of the upcoming event, Mustafa Abushagur, Deputy Prime Minister of Libya said:

"TEDxTripoli is all about encouraging free dialogue and innovation and during the event I will be trying to answer three main questions; Are Arabs innovative? If not, why? And, how do we encourage innovation in the Arab world? We are supporting SME's and to achieve our goals and build our new Libya we are also focusing on education, and we are working with some of the world's leading academic institutions to help us reform and open new chances for the Libyan youth."

Bruce R. Scott, Professor, Harvard Business School, added:

"My discipline of historical political economy can suggest lessons from other countries which might serve as partial models for the new Libya. At present many US institutions favour the creation of an economic oligarchy, which is neither sound in terms of democratic governance nor economic progress. I will be discussing the idea that it is not minimal government, but smart government which is able to identify the needs of its people, which will be a catalyst for the earliest stages of development for a newly liberated Libya."

Other confirmed speakers include Mohammed Omran, Chairman of Etisalat, who will present his vision for the telecommunications and ICT sectors in the region and the great impact broadband can have on emerging markets in terms of creating employment opportunities, providing access to essential services such as education and healthcare. Dr Aref Ali Nayed, the Libyan Ambassador to the UAE will be discussing the metapolitics of revolution and the moral grounding of civil society. Dr Aref will present the notion that there are political and spiritual conditions of possibility for democracy without which a true civil society cannot arise. These conditions can provide the framework for political activity and partisan politics for a new Libya. Joining them will be Abdulaziz Belhaj, filmmaker; Perry Chen, Co-Founder and CEO of Kickstarter; Lisa Ling, Journalist and Host of Our America with Lisa Ling; Joshua Roman, Cellist; and Hannah Song, President and CEO of Liberty in North Korea (LINK). In addition to Mohammed Omran's role as a speaker at TEDxTripoli, Etisalat is sponsoring the event as a Gold Partner and joined by Al Aan, the pan Arab television broadcaster, which is gold media partner. Bell Pottinger Middle East is acting as official Public Relations partner to TEDxTripoli alongside ME NewsWire, a News Services Group company and the official news distributor of TEDxTripoli.

For more information and to apply for tickets to attend, please visit www.tedxtripoli.org or like us on facebook www.facebook.com/#!/TEDxTripoli

-Ends-

All press requests should be sent to media@tedxtripoli.org and 00971 56 690 1725. Ousama Abushagur and Adrian Hong are the official spokespeople for TEDxTripoli. Please note that TEDx event organizers are not able to speak for the TED Conference.

Any inquiry regarding TED should be sent to:
Melody Serafino
TEDx Media Liaison
TEDxPR@groupsjr.com
While we appreciate any coverage, we kindly ask that all journalists and/or bloggers be respectful of the difference between the TED and TEDx brands.
The 'x' in 'TEDx' stands for "independently organized events." Any headline or text which implies "TED" is coming Tripoli is misleading.
For more information on TEDx, visit http://www.ted.com/tedx.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 26 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. At TED, the world's leading thinkers and doers are asked to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Two major TED events are held each year: The TED Conference takes place every spring in Long Beach, California (along with a parallel conference, TEDActive, in Palm Springs), and TEDGlobal is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.

TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily; the new TED Conversations, enabling broad conversations among TED fans; and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide.

TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

For information about TED's upcoming conferences, visit http://www.ted.com/registration

Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED

*Source: ME NewsWire

The press release can be viewed online: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/4929/en

Contact:
Melody Serafino
TEDx Media Liaison
TEDxPR@groupsjr.com

Ousama Abushagur /Adrian Hong
00971 56 690 1725
media@tedxtripoli.org

© Press Release 2012