If you think democracy is some kind of inevitable, default setting for the world, then you aren't going to have it for very long, says historian and author Timothy Snyder. From World War I to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Snyder dives into the structures that uplift and tear down political systems, offering a historical perspective on the current state of democracy around the world as well as the patterns of thought that lead to tyranny. Learn more about a new approach to democracy that could help create and protect a future of freedom.

This conversation, hosted by TED current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. Visit http://www.ted.com/membership to become a TED Member.

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Janaki Sabesh dons many hats as an Indian media professional, actor, model, storyteller, author of children's books, theatre, and voiceover artist. Throughout her 25-year film career, she has played the "screen mother" to several leading actors, appearing in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam movies such as "Minsara Kanavu", "Jeans", "Ghilli", and "Singham." Over the last 7 years, she travelled with entertaining stories to a larger audience through her storytelling initiative "Golpo Tales Unlimited" with sessions that are designed and curated through an interactive mix of narration, music, movement, and audience participation. She is the author of a picture book called "The Jungle Storytelling Festival" that was published in around 9 languages, as well as the recent work, "Paati’s Rasam." In this talk, Janaki Sabesh speaks about the obstacles she faces through her career and the importance of embracing opportunities when they knock on your door. As a storyteller, she says, "The most important story of my life is the story I tell myself every day." Janaki Sabesh is an Indian media professional, actor, model, storyteller, author of children's books, theatre, and voiceover artist. Throughout her 25-year film career, she has played the "screen mother" to several leading actors, appearing in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam movies such as "Minsara Kanavu", "Jeans", "Ghilli", and "Singham." Over the last 7 years, she travelled with entertaining stories to a larger audience through her storytelling initiative "Golpo Tales Unlimited" with sessions that are designed and curated through an interactive mix of narration, music, movement, and audience participation. She is the author of a picture book called "The Jungle Storytelling Festival" that was published in around 9 languages, as well as the recent work, "Paati’s Rasam." This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx