This talk was given at a local TEDx event, which was held independently of the TED conferences. Many of the great social movements throughout history are strongly influenced by central leaders we call heroes. But real social movements come from the supportive community that stands in the shadows. Gerardo Calderón speaks about the real heroes of social justice based on his personal experiences in social movements.

Gerardo Calderon, 27, was born and raised in El Salvador. He attended college in his home country and studied computer science. Five years later, he received an MA in political science from Lehigh University. Back in his home country, he spent four years as a volunteer and then three years as CEO at TECHO-El Salvador. He currently works in Allentown as a community organizer with the grassroots initiative Campaign for Change.

About TEDx, x independently organized event. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. A TEDx event combines TEDTalks videos and live speakers to inspire deep discussion and connection in a small group setting. These local, self-organized events are referred to as TEDx, where x are independently organized TED events. The TED Conference provides general guidelines for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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