June 15, 2007
It could have been here
Forgot to say that the organisers of TEDGlobal were originally planning to host their conference here in Ethiopia. The venue was booked, the hotels contacted. Then someone started setting off bombs around the capital. And suddenly Arusha looked like a much better option.
We'll just have to imagine what might have happened. Addis Ababa as the meeting place for the next generation of African entrepreneurs. Global coverage as the techerati toured Ethiopia's top tourist attractions (instead they all went off on safaris up and around Kilimanjaro). The TED audience also included some of the world's top technology investors including John Doerr of venture capitalists Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. Who knows what deals might have been done.
Another big announcement to come out of the conference was Google's decision to set up its first African base - in Kenya. No idea whether Ethiopia was ever in the frame - almost definitely not. If it was, the deciding factor against it wouldn't have been bombs. It would have been bandwidth.
Technorati Tags: tedglobal2007, ted, arusha, tanzania, ethiopia
Posted by aheavens at June 15, 2007 7:41 AM
Comments
I am glad you brought this up. TEDGlobal conference and the implications it would have had, had it been held in Addis would have been huge. Aside from all the reasons you laid out, the enthusiasm it would have created for the new generation would have been enough. What a missed opportunity and good evidence why we should live in peace with our neighbors and within ourselves.
BTW: Is it possible to hold the next event in Ethiopia?
Thank you!
Eyoel Getachew
Posted by: Eyoel at June 15, 2007 10:37 PM
our priority now is to lay the foundation of free society who have the right to think and do with out being intimidated by the government or any one else.let us make sure we do that first. everything else follws. if we can do a good job in our democritzation process, those people will come looking for us. they are business people after all. where ever they see opportunity, they are always ready to jump in....
priority is the essence here.
Posted by: jibaw at June 16, 2007 8:25 AM
Good post Andrew.
But then, speaking of the bombs, it is sad that they became the immediate cause to deny our country such an opportunity (not to mention the lives lost and wounded), but the bombs themselves, I would think it is safe to assume, aren't really where things began. Things were put out of order in Ethiopia at that moment(still are), and when that happens we can only expect disorder (not what we wish, but what really happens).
We don't even know who was behind it anyway.
Posted by: ETgirl at June 18, 2007 1:09 AM