The Doha Film Institute (DFI) will host the first ever TEDxWorldWideWorkshop (TEDxWWW) from April 16 to 19 next year. This was announced at the world renowned TEDGlobal annual five-day conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, which officially started yesterday. The new partnership between DFI and TED will build a local team to organise a three-day event open exclusively to members of the global TEDx community, together with the TED team, comprising two days of TEDx workshops, followed by a celebratory one-day TEDxDoha event in Qatar, which will bring together 700 members from the active TEDx global community. TEDx events are independently organised local events that invite speakers to talk for 18 minutes of less, about ‘ideas worth spreading’, which is central to TED’s mission to promote global dialogue. The events promote global thinkers to inspire their communities to discuss various different subjects including education, health, community, science, design, technology, and entertainment. At TEDxWWW, TEDx organisers from around the world will connect and collaborate, share TEDx’s best practices, discuss local and regional strategies, and brainstorm new ideas and collaborations. Following the Workshop, DFI will host the second TEDxDoha conference, curated by TED, DFI and the global TEDx community. The event will feature speakers and performers from the Middle East and around the world. “We are thrilled to be bringing the first ever TEDxWWW to the Middle East, and to contribute to the transformative dialogue that is already taking place. The TEDx community is already connected in the region, with dozens of TEDx events hosted in the Middle East. We are proud that DFI also shares this commitment to empowering local storytelling, exchange and ideas,” said Lara Stein, TEDx Director of Licensing. In Edinburgh with Lara Stein and a dedicated DFI TEDxDoha team to make the announcement; DFI Executive Director, Amanda Palmer, commented: “The response has been incredible. Since we announced these events, we have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the TEDx community, who via social networking, have been sending DFI and TED messages of collaboration and support. These events belong to the TEDx community and DFI are so proud to be able to host an important platform for global thinkers. Some of these thinkers are unknowns - some are famous; this is the spirit of TED, and DFI’s founder, H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, founded this organisation with a mission to empower storytellers - and storytelling is at the heart of TED and TEDx talks.” Registration for TEDxWWW will begin in October 2011. Information will be available at www.tedxdoha.net, www.dohafilminstitute.com/events/te-dx-www-hosted-by-dfi, and www.ted.com.registration.

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