Zainab Salbi: Women, wartime and the dream of peace

http://www.ted.com In war we often see only the frontline stories of soldiers and combat. AT TEDGlobal 2010, Zainab Salbi tells powerful "backline" stories of women who keep everyday life going during conflicts, and calls for women to have a place at the negotiating table once fighting is over.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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• peace
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[adjuvante]

Zainab's story is incredibly moving, and a great appeal to broadening the spectrum of people involved in discussing war.

However, to what point would it be good to have a majority of people who are economically (among other fields) illiterate at such a discussion table? It is always great to pull politicians discussing at the table from abstract thinking and remind them that they are dealing with human lives, but should the people who remind them also be the ones who make the final decision?

[Nabeelco]

@0MoTheG

Firstly, many women do disagree with their sons going to war. In fact I think almost 100% would disagree.

Secondly, while women are the majority (by a very small amount), women don't have much power in society, even now a days in the western world, this is still sadly the fact.

Who was the last female President of the US? Who was the last Canadian Prime Minister who was female and actually held office for a substantial amount of time?

[pigeonflayer]

This lady is retarded. There was nothing useful in what she said. I think its insulting that she can just come on TED with some sad story and have it declared "enlightening"

[andreeaweed]

The goal of art was the vital expression of self.

[kharabeesh]

You are an amazing strong woman that the nation should be proud of.

[sdrawkcabnipyt]

@ClintSevilla its called being self absorbed

[sdrawkcabnipyt]

your talking to the country that spends as much money as the rest of the entire world spends on war. Because there are more countries that dislike us than any other country around.

I like your speech, but I feel you should be talking to a country that spends their money on WAR, not defense. None of us will give up our security, until hostile nations can put away their differences.

[ClintSevilla]

She talks about a problem that has been around for centuries and poses a solution that any schmo could come up with(fuck being inspirational I want a way to act). Then after she gives a lack luster plan she talks in a way that continues to divide the sexes. You will not convince the people in power to stop discriminating others for their gender when you paint "males' with an equally broad brush. It is more of an undertone, but it is there.

[cupty]

i agree that we need to help women. But women are just as vindictive if not more then men. I am sure that war would increase If a woman was in charge . And before you think that is a sexest pig thing to say I just mean women are full of passion and some times they fallow that more then they would like to admit.

[EclecticSceptic]

This is immensely poignant, in all the senses of the word.

[weeearthlings]

@akshunyob

it is not 'human nature to make war' - that is an opinion.

people are naturally peaceful and live that way all over teh world.

you're trying to make us sound like warring people don't THINK... it just happens.

Which is retarded.