First African TEDx event in prison held in Uganda

The first ever TEDx event held in a correctional facility in Africa took place on March 22 at the Luzira maximum security prison in Kampala, Uganda.

The TEDxLuziraPrison was organized by Alexander McLean the founder of African Prisons Project. The APP works to improve the lives of inmates by providing opportunities for education, healthcare, justice and reintegration into society.  McLean was moved when in 2004 he volunteered in a hospital in Kampala. He was shocked to see that the inmates admitted not awarded basic hygienic needs and were chained to their hospital beds. In conjunction with McLean, Nate Mook was a co-organizer.

Some of the speakers in attendance were Jason Flom, founder and CEO of Lava Records and Lava Music Publishing; Agnes Igoye, a human trafficking fighter who evaded The Lord Resistance Army members in rural eastern Uganda at the age of 14; and Pascal Kakuru, a current inmate due for release in 2019 to name a few.

TED which stands for technology, entertainment, and design was founded in February 1984 as a conference. 1990 marked the year in which the conference began being held annually. The company is owned by Sapling Foundation and is headquartered in New York City and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

TEDx Talks are independent TED-like events which can be held by anyone who obtains a free license.  TEDx events are organized by members of the local community it is held in.