My favorite thing about this TEDx is the fact that most of the great speakers have been women.

Rula Al-Assi, Sandra Hiari, Rawan Ababneh, Khalida Qattash, Muna Awad, Mahs Darwish, Rana Dajani.

How great for Jordan.

My favorite speaker today (aside from my mom, duh) has been Khalida Qattash, media teacher at CMS.

She started with the event as a volunteer along with her students, but ended up a speaker after her children and students pushed her.

She reminded me of all the great teachers I was lucky to have, teachers who taught me things and modes of thinking that I couldn’t have learned by myself.

This is post is a thanks to all great teachers in the world, especially Miss Khalda Qattash, who I did not know before today, but who really lifted my heart.

Thank you.

When I heard that the first TEDx event to happen in Jordan was happening in the Dead Sea, I have to say I was quiet annoyed. It wasn’t fair for Amman, I thought, the hub of the country. The Dead Sea, aside from the little towns, farms, and villages around Al-Ghor, is basically a place of super-expensive hotels and not much culture.

But I changed my mind and was suddenly glad that the event is taking place in such neutral territory.

The second session of TEDxDeadSea brought together several young Jordanians; all students, and all with an inspiring story that Amman does not have a hand in.

Omar Al-Hijazi, a student of engineering in Ma’an, who shared stories with us of the people of Amman.

Hamza Abid, a boy from the Baqaa Refugee Camp who told us about his dream.

Esraa Alasasfeh, a medical student who has a a few inventions under her sleeve at 19.

Abedl Rahman Al-Zorgan, a guy from Tafileh who does really cool things with technology.

These young people from around Jordan proved that TEDxDeadSea is truly a celebration of Jordan as whole, as opposed to an exclusive, Ammani event.

More pictures :)