Denis Burgierman

Activist, Consultant, Educator/Teacher, Environmentalist, Global soul, Idea generator, Journalist, Photographer, World traveler, Writer/Editor

Denis is a journalist, writer, and curator who is currently the editor in chief of Superinteressante, a magazine on science, innovation and ideas. He is also the author of "O Fim da Guerra" (The End of the War), on the creation of new systems to deal with drugs. In 2007 Denis was awarded with a Knight Fellowship, which took him to Stanford University where he spent a year acquiring new skills for his old journalist's toolbox. After this he became one of the partners of Webcitizen, a company that builds platforms for civic engagement (he's worked there for 3 years). Denis wrote a few other books, including "Piratas no Fim do Mundo" (Pirates at the End of the World, on environmental direct action in Antarctica). He has been the first TED speaker in Brazil (in the 2009 TEDxSao Paulo) and then he led the curatorial team of TEDxAmazonia.

Complex systems, including cities, drug policy, transportation, production systems, education and democracy. I'm also passionate about bicycles.

Support reconciliation in the war on drugs – especially in Latin America, the part of the world that pays the highest price. Funding the end of the war now is as important as funding the reconstruction of Europe was in the 1940s. With one big difference for American citizens: the US didm't start the II WW, but they started this one.

Civic Engagement, Drug Policy, Editing - Professional / Creative writing, Journalism, Journalism education, Publishing

I understand that you're asking about my story with TED, right? I guess I first heard of it the way most people do: by accessing amazing links without even realizing what those three red letters meant. When I was at Stanford University (2007-08), I got closer to the event. For example: my program received the visit of Philip Zimbardo a few days before his TED Talk and, as journalistas, we helped him reduce his presentation (it was more than 1 hour long!). When I came back to Brazil I was an executive of a big media company when a TED community member called Helder Araújo invited me to be his partner at Webcitizen with less money and more work and for some reason it made sense to me. Helder brought me a lot closer to the TED world. I was one of the organizers of the unforgetable TEDxAmazonia.

Parking cars.