The debate over foreign aid often pits those who mistrust "charity" against those who mistrust reliance on the markets. Jacqueline Novogratz proposes a middle way she calls patient capital, with promising examples of entrepreneurial innovation driving social change.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former finance minister of Nigeria, sums up four days of intense discussion on aid versus trade on the closing day of TEDGlobal 2007, and shares a personal story explaining her own commitment to this cause.

Dr. Ernest Madu runs the Heart Institute of the Caribbean in Kingston, Jamaica, where he proves that—with careful design, smart technical choices, and a true desire to serve—it's possible to offer world-class healthcare in the developing world.

In his home of Namibia, John Kasaona is working on an innovative way to protect endangered animal species: giving nearby villagers (including former poachers) responsibility for caring for the animals. And it's working.

In Bangladesh, some of the world's most vulnerable people are being adversely affected by climate change, particularly more intense and frequent storms. But Mohammed Illias, a fisherman on the Meghna River, has adapted his boat with help from a local NGO to make it stronger and more resilient.

The guinea worm is a waterborne parasite that has plagued humans since ancient times, but organizations such as the Carter Center are determined to eradicate it completely. In this video, Nicholas D. Kristof follows a young Sudanese boy who is being quarantined for treatment.

Concerned about the health and environment issues created by the absence of public toilets in most Nigerian cities, social entrepreneur Isaac Durojaiye started a unique mobile toilet initiative to provide decent toilet facilities in strategic locations across the country.  This video, shot by Magnum photographer Eli Reed, is part of the Rippling project, an Ashoka-Magnum Foundation partnership.

Meet 14 year-old Titu Illias, who is using his talents as a singer to educate his community about the changes occurring in the environment -- a pressing issue in Bangladesh, considered by many to be one of the most climate-risk countries in the world.

Trash can be recycled and turned into many things—the Ciudad Saludable organization in Peru is using it create employment opportunities for local people in the city's poorest neighborhoods.

There are 8 million rickshaw pullers in India. Most spend years paying high rental fees and never succeed in owning their own vehicles. But Pradip Sarmah has designed a new type of rickshaw that is helping some of the hardest-working people in India obtain a better reward for their labor.

In Northern India, the Bhalyani forestry department is taking an inclusive approach to environmental management. In this video, members of the local community tell the story of how they helped to establish the different facets of this sustainable project, including some of the challenges they faced.

Indonesia's Dayak Meratus communities have created co-operatives and developed business institutions that protect their resources. However, the encroachment of private businesses on the local forest threaten their way of life and have forced them to respond in the best way they can: collectively.

Young people make up half of all new HIV infections, but one group has been living with the virus longer than most. In Romania in the 1980s, thousands of babies and children were infected because of unsafe medical practices. They are now coming of age and entering adulthood, full of life and hope for the future.

Life in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro has long been dominated by powerful drug gangs and corrupt cops. But Banda AfroReggae—part rock band, part community movement—wants to tell a different story, and give favela youth a different option. Co-founder Anderson Sa tells the group's uplifting story.

During conflicts and natural disasters, young people, at a crucial stage of their development, are faced with numerous challenges. Yet in the midst of these difficulties, youths will also help to raise their younger siblings, put food on the table, contribute to peace movements, galvanize their communities, and contribute in numerous other ways to positive changes. Crucial as these stories are, most of them are never told.

The head of the Setulang Forest Management Agency introduces us to the forbidden forest of the Oma'lung tribe of Borneo. He discusses the ancient laws that protect it, and the vital role his tribe is playing in the fight against climate change.