Reflections on TEDxUofM

I want to follow the footsteps of Jameson Toole and talk about a fantastic event that we were at recently. Last Friday (a week ago, already!), I was invited to speak at TEDxUofM, an independently organised TED event. TEDxUofM was completely student organised and executed. They did an absolutely amazing job. I want to thank Tom Crawford, Alex O'Dell, Kelsey Rhodes, Poonam Dagli, Alyssa Ackerman, Jane van Velden, Lia Wolock, Peter Kovits, and especially Victoria Johnson for all of the help and encouragement that they gave me leading up to and during the conference. I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. It turns out that it was the largest TEDx conference, ever. I am grateful for the opportunity they gave me; it was a wonderful experience, and the biggest honour I could imagine. The theme for this year's conference, staged at the Michigan Theater, was "Encouraging Crazy Ideas." Here is a beautiful video speaking about the event.

 

 Also check out the amazing intro video, all hand drawn, that was played at the beginning of the conference.

Michigan Theatre (from tedxuofm2011.posterous.com)

The speakers were absolutely amazing - doctors and musicians and illustrators and humans rights advocates. Donia Jarrar was one of the speakers. She's a musical composition student here, and she talked about her efforts in translating voicemail messages of people in Egypt during the recent revolution there. 

Donia Jarrar

Chris Van Allsberg talked about the story of the woman who decided to go over the Niagara Falls in a barrel.

Chris Van Allsburg

Jared Genser talked about his efforts to free prisoners of political dissent, all over the world. All of the speakers were current or former University of Michigan students or professors. Everyone had a connection to this incredible town, Ann Arbor.

I personally spoke about the power of individual action in combating large problems. Here is a picture that was put in The Michigan Daily. The "crazy idea" that I tried to communicate was that we don't need crazy ideas. We know all that we need to know to make huge strides towards treading lightly on this planet. (I will post the video as soon as it comes online.)

me

What was interesting about the topic of the conference, "Encouraging Crazy Ideas," is that each and everyone one of us is empowered to make the choice of truly committing to changing the status quo. This was reflected by all of the other speakers that spoke at the conference. Hopefully, such sentiments are the seeds that will grow into meaningful change in our world. As Erik Torenberg reflected in The Michigan Daily today,

"A completely student run event [like TEDx] is a crazy idea. Their phenomenal performances show what can happen when you put talented students from diverse backgrounds together for a common goal. There are more people who would like to make amazing things happen. Some were in the audience, some weren’t. 

At the reception following the lectures, I realized I wasn’t the only one who was inspired. Some friends and I talked about exciting things we could do within our organizations and on our own. We kept building off each other’s ideas, offering enthusiastic support and feedback. The energy was palpable. 

But what will happen next week when exams and papers consume our minds? What will happen when people tell us to be practical, and play it safe? Will this rekindled belief in our abilities to make something great happen fade? 

My friends and I spoke about this with some of the speakers and organizers of the event for more than an hour. How can we maintain this community of students, professors and alumni who want to make a big difference? Should it be organized formally or should it continue organically? How will we look back at TEDx in a few months? Will we see it as a genuine, perhaps revolutionary, call to action? Or merely a one-day performance?"


All I can say is that if you are willing to live the change, you will always find support, especially in a place like Ann Arbor.

Feature: Dandelion Communitea Cafe

I apologise for not having written in a few days - I have been in Orlando, Florida at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics conference. Talk about trash. Ugh. I have managed to be almost trash-free here, except receipts and a newspaper that was left at the doorstep of my hotel room. On the flights, I have remained close to trash-free, too, with nothing apart from my boarding pass being generated. I don't drink or eat anything served on the plane; I take my own water bottle (empty through security check-in), and fill it up at the water fountain at the gate and just drink that on the flight, and I just bring my own food (they don't serve anything other than peanuts or pretzels, anyway...)...

But in stark contrast to the AIAA conference, this post is about a place that is extremely positive. There are very few places that are truly genuine in their energy, their aura, and their mission. (Comet Coffee, Cafe Japon and Crazy Wisdom Tea Room are three places in Ann Arbor that I feel are genuine and thoughtful, but many places seem to have a facade up, and have furthermore been morphed into "cool hang out spots" or super hipster places.) Dandelion Communitea Cafe is one of those genuine places. Here is their mission and philosophy:


"At Dandelion, our mission is to Save the World, starting with ourselves, by:

• Cultivating an enlightened, vibrant and healthy community;
• Nourishing bodies, minds and spirits; and
• Promoting the mindful practice of simple, honest and sustainable living.

We accomplish this through delicious, organic, vegetarian food and beverages, legendary atmosphere, sustainable sales growth, conscious cost controls and manifesting prosperity with compassionate regard for the way we conduct ourselves in relation to people, planet (and all it’s creatures) and profits.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
– Mahatama Gandhi

At Dandelion, we practice a zen blend of Conscious Capitalism, Sacred Commerce and Common Sense.

We believe in social and environmental responsibility. We source organic, fair trade, local, cruelty-free and eco-friendly products from vendors who include love of people, planet and animals in their bottom line whenever possible.

We believe in the power of community. We are part of and beholden to the community we live, work and play in and continue to experience the joys of being supported by and for our community.

We believe in a local living economy. We proudly think of Orlando as “OurLando, Locally Made,” a statement which taps into the independent, progressive and community-minded spirit of a wide diversity of locally owned, independent enterprises and we strive to nurture and promote these concepts by working in harmony with other businesses, artists and entrepreneurs. (We co-created & co-founded the non-profit Progressive Local Alliance for Community Enrichment in January 2009).


We believe in the concepts of Slow Food. Slow Food envisions a future food system that is good, clean and fair and focuses on sustainable agriculture, regional food traditions, the pleasures of the table, and a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life. (For more info on Slow Food, visit www.slowfoodorlando.com)"


I have been eating almost exclusively at Dandelion, trash-free. The people that work here are truly thoughtful people, and they have been fully supportive of trash-free living. I believe that in general, the biggest hurdle to overcome when going to a new place is being honest and open about what you are doing. People will be receptive and helpful. I also believe that anywhere you go, you will find little pockets of goodness, no matter how bad you might think the place is. When people think of Orlando, and Florida in general, they think of Disney, Universal and Sea World. But Florida really is much more than theme parks and paved-over land. There are spectacular nature reserves and wildlife refuges. And there are also people that are truly committed to being the change they wish to see in the world. All we need to do is just scratch below the surface, find and support these people, places and communiTEAs.

I have been thinking about several topics to post about, and I will resume regular posting starting tomorrow. I wish you a happy, ecologically- and socially-friendly year ahead.