About this presentation

Drawing on his extensive research into radical extremism, Google Ideas Director Jared Cohen launched a new program that will bring together former militants and extremists from around the world to foster an "intellectual collision." Through his narrative, Cohen shares the importance of unstoppable passion, the value of misperceptions, and why we shouldn't mind being called crazy.

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1:29 technology is a part pf every problem and every solution
2:08 Radicalization
3:19 the process of the idea
4:30 everything starts with misperception, every idea germinates from the misperception being shattered
10:30 avenue for violent youth
11:07 young people do not have alternatives to divert them from recruitment
12:26 middle east and columbia radicalization
14:51 big intellectual movement
16:05 solving for the wrong problem
17:36 be the most excited about your idea it's contagious
18:19 people have to feel invested
19:00 be intellectually adventurous
19:37 controversy is important
19:51 it's okay to be wrong
20:00 misperception are important for coming up with a great idea


About Jared Cohen

Jared Cohen is the Director of Google Ideas and an Adjunct Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. From 2006 to 2010 he served as a member of the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff and a close advisor to both Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton, where he was not only the youngest member of Policy Planning in history, but also one of the few appointees kept on in both administrations.

He was one of the principal architects of what has become known as "21st century statecraft", which is a new approach to foreign policy that leverages and harnesses the power of connection technologies and new stakeholders for defense, diplomacy, and development.

Prior to his time in government, Cohen traveled extensively throughout Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Afghanistan, where he spent time interviewing terrorists from groups like Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda to better understand the recruitment process, the nature and root causes of radicalization, and the dynamics between the terrorist groups and the communities they live in.

About 99U

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