Final speaker list unveiled for prestigious TEDxWWF event

Dubai, May 15, 2013: WWF and EWS-WWF have announced the stellar speaker line-up for the TEDxWWF event, which will be held in the capital Abu Dhabi next Tuesday.

The event, which aims to enable insightful and relevant ideas to encourage other individuals to support or even seek more sustainable solutions in their daily lives, is free to attend but there is limited seating remaining. The UAE community is encouraged to visit the event website www.tedxwwf.com to register for a ticket ahead of the event on May 21.

The diverse and interesting final line-up of speakers will cover a number of issues related to sustainability, art, sport, renewables, innovation and music: 

• ●     Andreas Keller - the co-founder of the iShack project, using solar power to improve slums
• ●     Andy Ridley - Co-founder of Earth Hour, the biggest global environmental grassroots movement
• ●     Bruce Ferguson – Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and a professor at Masdar Institute
• ●     Elham Al-Qasimi – the first Arab and Emirati woman to complete an unassisted expedition to the North Pole 
• ●     Ginger Dosier Krieg - inventor of the bio brick revolutionizing the building materials industry
• ●     Julie-Ann Odell – Founder of Dubai Drums – using music to connect to life’s rhythm
• ●     Luc Marin – Dubai based French sand artist
• ●     Lucy Orta - British contemporary visual artist who tackles ecological and social factors through her artwork
• ●     Majid Al-Qassimi - one of the most prominent and vocal Emirati environmentalists and strongest advocate of using culture and education in environmental conservation
• ●     Sara El Sayed - certified Biomimicry Professional and biologist who uses biomimicry to create opportunities for positive change in Egypt
• ●     William Gaillard - Senior Advisor to the President of UEFA on using sports as an arena for social change

For more information on the inspiring speakers please visit: tedxwwf.com

Sudhanshu Sarronwala, Executive Director, Communications and Marketing of WWF International, said: “The TEDxWWF platform brings together thought leaders and entrepreneurs from a range of disciplines who challenge us to think about sustainability in different ways - for the planet and for its people.”

TEDxWWF will take place at the Sofitel, Abu Dhabi on Tuesday May 21, 2013 from 9am – 5.30pm. A limited number of tickets are available to the public and interested parties need to fill out an online application following which a registration form will be issued: www.tedxwwf.com

Ida Tillisch, Director General of EWS-WWF, said: “All our TEDxWWF speakers are impressive individuals bringing to the table very interesting and innovative ideas. We welcome the community to join us in Abu Dhabi or by watching the event live at www.tedxwwf.com.  EWS-WWF is very excited to be hosting what we anticipate to be a truly inspirational event.”

To live stream TEDxWWF on May 21, log-on to www.tedxwwf.com

TEDxWWF in Abu Dhabi is organized with the generous support of Etihad, ADMAF, Sofitel, IRENA, Farnek and Abu Dhabi Events.

ENDS

About TED 

TED is a global foundation devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together innovators and leaders from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then, its scope has become ever broader.

With its two annual conferences, video website TED.com, initiatives and community projects, TED is now a platform and a global movement focused on meaningful change through the power of ideas.

TED.com has over 1,400 amazing talks. It has become the gold standard for innovation in digital storytelling.

About TEDxWWF                                                                                 

The first TEDxWWF took place in October 2011 at the Palladium, City of Geneva, while the second took place in June 2012 at the INSEAD Asia Campus in Singapore. These talks are still gathering momentum with more than 50,000 views on www.tedxwwf.com.

About Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF)

Emirates Wildlife Society is a national (UAE) environmental non-profit organization established under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan: Ruler’s Representative in the western region and Chairman of Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD). EWS works in association with WWF, one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations.  EWS-WWF has been active in the UAE since 2001 and has initiated and implemented several conservation and education projects in the region. The mission of EWS-WWF is to work with people and institutions within the UAE and the region, to conserve biodiversity, tackle climate change and reduce the ecological footprint through education, awareness, policy, and science-based conservation initiatives. In the UAE, WWF works in association with Emirates Wildlife Society and is known as EWS-WWF.

For more information about EWS-WWF please visit www.ewswwf.ae

About WWF

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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