Modern Warrior: Damien Mander at TEDxSydney

Thirty-three year old Damien Mander served as a special operations sniper and clearance diver for Australia. Whilst deployed in Iraq he project managed the Iraq Special Police Training Academy, overseeing training of up to 700 cadets at one time. Following three years on the frontline of the Iraq war he departed in 2008 with no new direction in life. A trip to Africa left him face-to-face with the horrors that the world's wildlife is dealing with. Liquidating all personal assets acquired from 12 tours of duty, he founded the International Anti-Poaching Foundation. The organisation focuses on ranger training, operations and integrating modern technology into conservation.

Today, the Australian is a soldier-turned-environmental activist. He is outspoken about conservation and the nature of our priorities in an uncertain world. Damien's work has featured in National Geographic Magazine, 60 Minutes, Animal Planet, Al Jazeera, Voice of America, Forbes, Sunday Times, & Good Weekend Magazine.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

Hadithi yangu inaanzia Zimbabwe

na askari wa wanyama pori aitwaye orpheus

na nyati aliyejeruhiwa.

Orpheus akamwangalia nyati aliyekuwa chini,halafu akaniangalia.

macho yetu yalipokutana,kulikuwa na huzuni kubwa kati yetu watatu

alikuwa ni mnyama mzuri sana,asiye na hatia yoyote,

orpheus akaelekeza bunduki yake sikioni(mlio wa risasi)

wakati huo,akaanza kuzaa.

uhai ulipokuwa unatoka kwa kiumbe kilichokuwa kinazaliwa,tuliyachunguza majeraha,

mguu wake wa nyuma ulishikwa na mtego.

alijitahidi kujinasua kwa nguvu zote muda mrefu

akawa amechana nyonga yake sehemu mbili.

baadaye, akawa huru.

Mabibi na Mabwana, leo nasikia jukumu kubwa juu yangu

kuongea nanyi kwa niaba ya ambao hawawezi kuongea.

Maumivu yao ni huzuni yangu, na ndiyo changamoto yangu.

Martin Luther King anafupisha wito wangu leo.

Alisema," Inafika wakati ambapo inabidi mtu uchukue nafasi ambayo si salama,

wala si ya kupendwa na wengi.

lakini inabidi achukue hiyo nafasi hiyo kwa kuwa nafsi yake inamwambia kuwa hiyo ni sawa