The TEDx YouTube channel reaches its 100 millionth video view! 5 great moments in TEDx Talks history
4 years of TEDx Talks views
Spring has been an exciting season for TEDx. In March, the program celebrated its 4th birthday; and now — just two months later — we’re excited to announce that the TEDx YouTube channel has reached its 100 millionth video view.
In 2009, the TEDx program was created in the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,” to empower individuals, communities and organizations to bring ideas to the local level, with independent organizers curating TED-like events all over the world. Now, with over 6,000 events having taken place (with at least one on every continent!) and 30,000 talks online, TEDx is truly a global movement.
So, how did we get to 100 million views? Well, one, through the hard work of TEDx’s ever-expanding network of volunteers, who put on amazing events because they believe in the power of ideas. And, two, because of you, dear video viewers, curious enough about the world around you to watch talks about things like the fruit fly brain, the economic system of Trindad and Tobago, and the very best way to use a paper towel.
And, now, to celebrate this milestone: 5 great moments in TEDx Talks history…
1. A 12-year-old app developer: Thomas Suarez at TEDxManhattanBeach
Thomas Suarez was just 9 years old when he taught himself how to build iPhone apps, and only 12 when his talk at TEDxManhattanBeach went viral. Currently, Thomas’s talk had one of the biggest spikes in viewership in TEDx history.
2. How to 3D print a house: Behrokh Khoshnevis at TEDxOjai
After Behrokh Khoshnevis’s TEDxOjai talk on the possibility of a house constructed completely by machine was posted on Reddit last August, views on YouTube exploded. Currently, the Reddit thread has 1,249 comments, which make up some very interesting conversations. Check it out here.
3. Seeing beyond my suffering: Ali Taleb Almarrany at TEDxSanaa
Only two months after its upload, Ali Taleb Almarrany’s talk at TEDxSanaa on overcoming obstacles to become a successful TV journalist became the TEDxTalks YouTube channel’s 6th most viewed talk ever. Pretty impressive.
4. There are no women’s issues: Jackson Katz at TEDxFiDiWomen
Jackson Katz’s powerful TEDxFiDiWomen talk on violence and sexual assault made waves on the Internet after Upworthy featured it on their homepage, claiming that it “might turn every man who watches it into a feminist.”
5. The First Taste: Saatchi & Saatchi at TEDxSydney
Probably the most adorable upload on the TEDxTalks YouTube channel to date, The First Taste, produced by the folks at Saatchi & Saatchi, has already been featured by Good Morning America, The Huffington Post, and Mediabistro — just weeks after premiering at TEDxSydney. The video shows 7 youngsters trying foods for the first time, from anchovies to Vegemite. As our talks manager says, “Cute kids always win.”
La première playlist de TEDx en français: 5 talks in French from around the world
With over 6,000 events (in over 100 countries and over 1,000 cities) having taken place since the TEDx program’s start in 2009, the TEDx community is truly global. And with a community like this, we at the TEDx blog have decided to try something new — language playlists!
Do you speak French? Want to speak French? Curious about the language? Then you might enjoy this — our very first playlist of TEDx Talks in French. Below, 5 talks as diverse and interesting as the French language itself — covering everything from tales of the very deep sea to the power of social media.
Bienvenue sur la première playlist de TEDx en français! Vous avez déjà vu beaucoup de conférences en anglais ; maintenant, vous avez l’opportunité de les regarder en français.
TEACHERS: Did you know it’s possible to create a virtual lesson from a TEDx Talk? At TED-Ed you can quickly flip any of these talks. Check out these questions we whipped up for Claire Nouvian’s talk and find out more about how to make your own TED-Ed lessons.
Un final en beauté!: Vinvin at TEDxParis
In this charming talk, French funny man Vinvin waxes poetic on life.
Dans cet exposé charmant, le comédien français Vinvin s’épanche avec lyrisme sur les choses de la vie.
Pourquoi il faut se mobiliser contre la pêche en eau profonde: Claire Nouvian at TEDxParis
At TEDxParis, conservationist Claire Nouvian gives insight into the breathtaking biodiversity of the deep sea with some harrowing, yet beautiful images of what goes on beneath the waves.
À TEDx Paris, l’environnementaliste Claire Nouvian donne un aperçu de la biodiversité spectaculaire de la mer profonde, avec des images à la fois belles et déchirantes de ce qui se passe sous les vagues.
La liberté sexuelle en question: Catherine Blanc at TEDxParis
Sexologist Catherine Blanc explores sex, relationships and marriage in this sensitive talk about sexual liberty at TEDxParis.
À TEDxParis, la sexologue Catherine Blanc explore les rapports sexuels, les relations et le mariage dans cet exposé délicat sur la liberté sexuelle.
Techniques chirurgicales: des origines, à la robotique: Bertin Nahum at TEDxMontpellier
At TEDxMontpellier, Bertin Nahum provides a fascinating journey through the history of surgery, from the problems surgeons faced in the Middle Ages to recent developments and innovations in the field.
À TEDxMontpellier, Bertin Nahum nous offre un voyage fascinant à travers l’histoire de la chirurgie, des problèmes auxquels étaient confrontés les chirurgiens du Moyen Âge aux derniers développements et innovations dans la discipline.
La transparence radicale: Christian Chalifour at TEDxQuebec
At TEDxQuebec, Christian Chalifour discusses transparency in social media within the province as well as throughout the globe.
À TEDxQuébec, Christian Chalifour parle de la transparence dans les médias sociaux, aussi bien à l’intérieur du Québec qu’à travers le globe.
Afternoon video break (this time in Arabic!): Take a ride through the city of Riyadah, Saudi Arabia with this super cool event trailer made by the TEDxRiyadh team.
Over 130 volunteers came together to make TEDxRiyadh a success. For those of you who don’t speak Arabic, here’s the English translation of the video’s text:
More than 22 speakers
More than 130 volunteers
More than 26 team members
All of them … gathered … to share ideas worth spreading!
(Video credit: Abdullah Al-Ahmari)
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posted 23 May, 2013
by Muhammad Al-Razaz - 11 notes for this post
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John Toutain is the curator of TEDxCasablanca in Morocco and one of the leaders of the TEDx Activators program in the country.
The TEDx Activators Program — in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — offers a mentorship exchange between seasoned TEDx organizers and potential TEDx organizers in developing communities.
The TEDx Activators Program is modeled after an initiative launched in Kibera, Kenya, in 2010. Organized by Acumen fellow Suraj Sudhakar, TEDxKibera took place in one of Africa’s largest slums. The passion of the organizers and attendees was astonishing.
With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we launched an experimental mentorship program: Suraj trained locals in his community to host TEDx events. Since then, several events have been held in slum communities throughout Nairobi — many of which were organized by Kibera resident Kevin Otieno.
John is currently mentoring El Wali El Alaoui Mohamed El Mostapha, organizer of TEDxTarfaya in Tarfaya, Morocco. “El Wali is completely a fan of TED,” he said, “and it’s been four months that I’ve been giving him a hand in organizing his event.”
“Every Wednesday evening we meet on Skype - he in Tarfaya and I in Casablanca - and discuss his event: the speakers, the timing, and all those questions you can have as a newbie TEDx organizer. It is teamwork imagined by TEDx.”
Two weeks before TEDxTarfaya took place, John traveled to Tarfaya to meet El Wali face to face. “Tarfaya is a city of 5.600 inhabitants in southern Morocco on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean,” he said in a diary of the trip. “I know two things about Tarfaya. First, it is far away. Damn far. To get there from Casablanca, it takes four hours by train to get to Marrakech, then a two hours connection. And, finally, a bus ride of 12 hours from Marrakech to Tarfaya. Second, that it is the town of Saint-Exupery. A city of sand, sea and scenery that inspired the famous aviator’s tale The Little Prince.”
John spent several days with El Wali preparing for TEDxTarfaya’s big day. They prepped speakers; toured Tarfaya; and even celebrated El Wali’s son’s 4th birthday.
“First thing we - El Wali and I - did when I arrived in Tarfaya was to meet each speaker and rehearse their talks,” John said. “Rehearsing talks is important, but can be a hard task. Speakers are sometimes skeptical … or have fear. They feel vulnerable and don’t want to show their flaws or be judged. Well, truth is that they reacted exceptionally well. I learned this day that behind talks rehearsal there is first a question of trust. And that if people give you their trust you can efficiently help them to improve.”
A few days into his trip, something magical happened, John said. Being a TEDx Activator became more than just advising a TEDx organizer on how to host a great event, it became a way to connect with a person in a place miles away from his home, to learn more about a community he’d never encountered before.
“After a few days in Tarfaya,” John said, “El Wali showed me a magical place outside the city. Facing the ocean, on a long sandy beach, he built a wooden hut. It is made of piece of wood he collected on the beach and plastic tarp he recycled after a festival.
“With nobody around — just the sound of the ocean and maybe one or two desert foxes — we discussed everything and put the world to right. We spent one night there: we brought mattresses, pillows, tea, beet juice, octopus with spices, tomatoes and salad.
“In a way,” John said, “this night had exactly the same poetry as the desert day we spent in Doha for the 2012 TEDxSummit: sea, sand, a campfire and inspired people willing to change the world.”
To read John’s travel diary in French, visit his blog here.
To see pictures from TEDxTarfaya, visit their Flickr here.
