| Hearts and minds collide |
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| Written by Jayme Kuzyk |
| Friday, 16 April 2010 12:59 |
Latest TEDxCalgary focuses on humanities
Calgary is well known for bringing country mice and city mice together for two weeks of “yee haw” entertainment. Perkins and a team of volunteers are bringing talented and creative minds together by hosting a TEDxCalgary event themed Humanity 3.0 Leadership the World Needs Now. "For the organizing group we have long been interested in leadership and how to get hose ideas out,” Perkins says. “The TED framework, the 18-minute talks, the way they try to connect people is a very powerful framework for sharing ideas." 
Jonathan Perkins, Partnership Lead of this TEDx event, says leadership is important for our future.
Photo coutesy: Mark Derry
Laura Galloway, head of media relations, says 25 years ago, Richard Saul Wurman started TED – which stands for technology, entertainment and design – as a four-day conference in California. Devoted to, “ideas worth spreading,” TED asks leading thinkers and doers to spread their ideas that will hopefully help to change the world. TEDx events, although independently licensed, are created to bring the spirit of TED’s mission, ideas worth spreading, to a local forum. "We don't want people to grow up too fast but youth today have more of a stake in the future than they have ever had,” Perkins says. “We have to find a way to bring those voices into debate." Perkins says that youth and elders are underused leadership assets in society and that without them, we lose an accumulated amount of wisdom, energy, and ideas. He says we have to use those assets effectively, and then decide how we can apply that leadership to issues like conflict and poverty. So on April 29, 100 participants and 12 speakers will join gather at the Cardel Theatre, located in the Quarry Park area, to talk about youth, elders, conflict, and poverty. Michael Drew, founder of Promote A Book, will be one of the speakers. Drew’s presentation will focus on social media and it’s impact on the way we do business and how we live our lives. Drawing from observations made of shifts within society, Drew says that if people understand where we have been and where we are going, we can really change the world. Other speakers include Gena Rostein, who will be sharing her insights on the future of philanthropy, Alexi Panos, discussing her response to encountering extreme poverty in Africa, and Nick Nissley, who will be talking about viewing the world as a “possibilitarian” and applying that view to leadership challenges. Anyone wishing to be one of the 100 participants can submit an original idea or an idea that they feel is worth spreading. The application will be reviewed and successful applicants will be invited to be a part of the event. “You need to come prepared to participate and spread your idea out with the community,” Perkins says. The event organizers will be accepting applications until they reach capacity. There will be a wait list just in case someone cannot make it on the day and a live web stream for those unable to attend. For more information on the TEDxCalgary event please visit the organization’s website. |
