From PhysOrg:

Somalia’s war-ravaged capital Mogadishu will host Thursday its first ever TED talks as part of efforts to showcase improvements in development, business and security, organisers said.

Cool.  I love technology, but by no means am I on the “tech will save the world” bandwagon.  That being said, the health of any community—be it a neighborhood, a city, or a nation—depends upon the strength of the social ties that bind it together and make possible the various kinds of exchange we need in order to live.  These ties are both informal (like friendships) and structural (like stable banking and waste removal).  Things like TEDx can go a long way both in building up social ties and letting people know that institutions are returning.