Story highlights TEDGlobal has announced a short-list of speakers for its four day conference in August

The conference is back in Africa after a 10 year absence

Curator Emeka Okafor says the chosen speakers have "fresh, unique perspectives in their initiatives, pronouncements and work."

(CNN) TEDGlobal has released a preview list of speakers for its four day conference in Arusha, Tanzania this August, the first TED conference on the continent for a decade.

Details of more speakers will be released next month.

According to curator Emeka Okafor the Africans on this list have "fresh, unique perspectives in their initiatives, pronouncements and work."

Okafor says the aim of the conference is to unite a large group with genuine interest in improving the continent. He added that he hopes the speakers will spark global discussions around the need to find solutions from within Africa and the diaspora.

Here are some of the African speakers on the preview list:

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