H&M Foundation joins first ever TEDx Event in a Refugee Camp

We´ve all seen them. Inspiring Ted Talks with big names like Ingrid Betancourt, Pope Franciscus, Sheryl Sandberg, Elon Musk and Bill Gates. But this Ted Talk will be a little bit different. For the first time, a TEDx Talk is being arranged in one of the largest refugee camps in the world. This is happening in Kakuma Camp, Kenya - home to 185,000 refugees.

“H&M Foundation wants to contribute to positive change for refugees, and we do this by supporting UNHCR efforts in many different countries. By also supporting the arrangement of the world’s first Tedx in a refugee camp, we want to take part and highlight perspectives and stories from people with their own experience of being on the run. It is crucial to counter prejudice and contribute to important knowledge - needed now more than ever,” said Diana Amini, Global Manager at H&M Foundation.

“Highlighting perspectives and stories from people with their own experience of being on the run is crucial to counter prejudice and contribute to important knowledge - needed now more than ever.” Diana Amini, Global Manager at H&M Foundation

TEDxKakumaCamp offers a different lens into the reality of life as a refugee, away from the images of devastation and suffering, and towards stories of resilience, of contribution, of creativity. The theme, Thrive, supports our belief that empowered refugees can shape a peaceful and tolerant future of our world.

“We hope this event will show refugees living not just in a state of limbo, but in an environment of transformation,” says Melissa Fleming, one of TEDxKakumaCamp’s organizers.

“We will hear not just the stories of tragedy, but ideas that will strengthen our belief that empowered refugees can thrive, not just survive.”

“We will hear not just the stories of tragedy, but ideas that will strengthen our belief that empowered refugees can thrive, not just survive.” Melissa Fleming, one of TEDxKakumaCamp’s organizers

Speakers will include current and former Kakuma Camp refugees such as Pur Biel who grew up in Kakuma Camp and in 2016 competed at the Summer Olympics as a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team. Supermodel Halima Aden is also a speaker, born and raised in a refugee camp in northeastern Kenya and today a supermodel and the first to wear hijab.

Meet the refugees who have ideas worth spreading:

• Get a sneak peak of the event, speakers and details on the livestream: http://tedxkakumacamp.org/
• Tune in and watch live on June 9 (9am-3pm CET): https://www.facebook.com/events/1046265745511847/
• Images will continuously be uploaded to: https://www.flickr.com/photos/157661096@N03/  

Representatives from H&M Foundation will be on location, attending the Ted Talk and visiting the schools in the Kakuma Camp that we support with school supplies.

The H&M Foundation is a non-profit global foundation, privately funded by the Stefan Persson family, founders and main owners of H&M group. Its mission is to drive long lasting, positive change and improve living conditions by investing in people, communities and innovative ideas. Through partnerships with organisations around the globe, the H&M Foundation aims to accelerate the progress needed to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The H&M Foundation focuses on four areas: Education, Water, Equality and Planet. In addition to this, it can also provide emergency relief. Since 2013, the Stefan Persson family has donated 1.5 billion Swedish krona ($200 million/€163 million) to the H&M Foundation. Visit hmfoundation.com and follow @hmfoundation on Facebook and Instagram.