Five inspiring TED talks you should watch this weekend

 Ted

It's only been online for a couple of days and Pope Francis' TED talk already has nearly a million views. The Holy Father's address ranged from the importance of good relationships to the dangers of power-grabbing politicians.

If you haven't seen it yet, enjoy the talk here:

But the Pope isn't the only one issuing inspiring messages via TED.

Here are a few more, beloved of the Christian Today team.

Megan Phelps-Roper

What's it like to grow up within a group of people who exult in demonising everyone else? Megan Phelps-Roper shares details of life inside America's most controversial church and describes how conversations on Twitter were key to her decision to leave it. In this extraordinary talk, she shares her personal experience of extreme polarisation, along with some sharp ways we can learn to successfully engage across ideological lines.

Alastair Campbell

Alastair Campbell considers the effect of adversity upon achievement and reveals that it was his own experience of depression and breakdown that taught him most about the true meaning of success.

Alastair Campbell is a writer, communicator and strategist best known for his role as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman, press secretary and director of communications and strategy. In recent years he has become increasingly involved with mental health charities and causes and in 2009 he received the Mind Champion of the Year award in recognition of his work to break down the stigma around mental illness.

Sally Kohn

It's time for liberals and conservatives to transcend their political differences and really listen to each other, says political pundit Sally Kohn. In this optimistic talk, Kohn shares what she learned as a progressive lesbian talking head on Fox News. It's not about political correctness, she says, but rather, emotional correctness. (Contains profanity.)

Father Gregory Boyle

Father Gregory Boyle, founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries, is an acknowledged expert on gangs, intervention and re-entry and today serves on the US Attorney General's Defending Childhood Task Force.

Homeboy Industries, now located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, is recognised as a national and international model for youth seeking to move beyond gangs and achieve a life of hope.

JR

Street artist JR made a wish in 2011: Join me in a worldwide photo project to show the world its true face. One year after making his TED Prize wish, he shows how giant posters of human faces, pasted in public, are connecting communities, making change, and turning the world inside out.

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