TEDxDubaiChange|Attendees Batch 1

5 Comments

1. Reply

   Abood

   Posted August 22, 2010 at 8:48 PM

   TED: Ideas worth spreading… but by WHO? Who chooses what is worth spreading?

   I’m very pessimistic about “movements” where someone or someones, usually in the west, are making such choices.

   Might not be a difference between this TED thing and say, attacking Iraq. In the sense that someone ELSE is pulling the strings.

   • Reply

     Iman Ben Chaibah

     Posted August 25, 2010 at 6:52 AM

     Dear “Abood”,

     First let me clarify that there are 2 separate events, there is TED, and there is TEDx. On the one hand, you got TED as the yearly main event that has been going on for years in the United States. On the other hand, TEDx started around a year back if I’m not mistaken, and it is a licensed event to be organized by any city or country around the globe. The license is granted according to certain conditions that has nothing to do with content, except perhaps the confirmation that is not touching on politics or religion (hence not pushing the audience into any sensitive direction).

     So when we say TEDxDubai, TEDxShanghai, TEDxCairo or any other city for that matter, in most cases, the people who are selected to give talks about what they do are actually nominated by regular people either through the registration forms or through direct contact with the organizers. The main TED organizers have nothing to do with it. Each city decides for itself.

     I sincerely suggest for you to check on YouTube the talks of TEDxDubai, when you watch them you’ll understand that they are not limited to any field, and many of the speakers are actual Emiratis who talked about their personal experiences. This by no mean is chosen on them to be spoken.

     As per the concept of TEDxDubaiChange, the content is restricted to any work that has been done in the 8 Millennium Development Goals, which if you check, you’d find those are the very basic teachings by Islam! Giving the poor, education, women equality, health care, etc. So I wouldn’t say anyone is pushing us into anything that we don’t already believe in here.

     I end my response with saying this “Al7ekmato dhalat almuslim, anna wajadaha fahowa awla beha”, meaning, Muslims should always seek wisdom, if they find it, they should embrace it (of course not exact translation). Islam urged us to always look around for new and good stuff and then recreate them in our way, hence, we’re not that of track, don’t you think?

     Regards,
     Iman Ben Chaibah
     TEDxDubaiChange Co-Curator

2. Reply

   Giorgio

   Posted August 31, 2010 at 11:21 AM

   Hi Abood,

   my name is Giorgio and I curate TEDxDubai.

   In TEDx local events speakers are selected by the organizers, at TED speakers are selected by the TED curators.

   Sometimes local TEDx speakers are so innovative that go also on the main TED stage, getting showcased by 200 million people worldwide.

   At the bottom some links of TEDxDubai speakers that made it to the main TED.

   I hope this will help you better understand the means of an organization that has as its core mission ” Ideas Worth Spreading” , regardless politics, commercial values and religion.

   http://www.ted.com/talks/maz_jobrani_make_jokes_not_bombs.html

   http://www.ted.com/talks/jamil_abu_wardeh_bringing_comedy_to_the_axis_of_evil.html

   http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/naif_al_mutawa_superheroes_inspired_by_islam.html

   Regards,

   Giorgio

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