TEDx comes to Karachi

Many of you may have seen the brilliant work being done at TED.com, they are in the business of promoting “Ideas worth spreading”. I am overjoyed to update that TED is coming to Karachi in the form of TEDxKarachi on the 4th of June at the South End Club auditorium. This has been a tireless effort by Asad Rehman [TED Attendee], Sharmeen Obaid {TED Fellow], Dr. Awab Alvi [TEDIndia Fellow], Sumaira Jaffery, Meher Jafferi [Event Manager] and Hiba Ali Raza [Event Manager] who have worked hard for the past 2 months to put this event together.

TED is an annual event where some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers are invited to share what they are most passionate about. What started in 1984 as a conference centered around Technology, Entertainment and Design (“TED”) has evolved to include a host of other disciplines, the driving philosophy being “Ideas Worth Spreading.” TED’s diverse audience – CEOs, scientists, creatives, philanthropists – is almost as extraordinary as the speakers who have included Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Bono, Stephen Hawking and James Cameron.

In the spirit of ‘ideas worth spreading’ TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, inspiring live speakers and TEDTalks videos combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event.

A group of individuals from Karachi are busy organizing Pakistan’s first TEDxKarachi conference on the theme of “What Pakistan Needs Now”. We have the honor to welcome the TED Curator, Chris Anderson and Jacqueline Novogratz [Acumen Fund] to the TEDxKarachi stage who each will give us an 18-min TEDTalk, at the same time we have selected a group of five more local inspirational speakers who will also join us on the TED stage to dazzle us with their own ideas worth sharing, be it the energy mogul Asad Umar leading the front on Thar Coal project by Engro, be it Roshanneh Zafar of Kashf Foundation who was recently acknowledged by President Obama for her brilliant work in women entrepreneurship and micro-financing, be it Monis Rehman of Naseeb Networks who will share the motivation and energy that lead him to create one of the largest job portals in Pakistan and a dynamic effort in GPS mapping in Pakistan, also without forgetting the motivational speaker Asad Rizvi who hopes to motivate the TEDxKarachi audience in a short span of 18 minutes and we would also be proud to welcome a classical dance by none other then Joshinder Chagga – each in their own way talking about What Pakistan Needs Now

The event is short four hour session but we hope to making it interesting enough to be the start of a great future on innovative ideas in Pakistan, due to limited seating we have the event restricted as an invitation-only event but have made extensive arrangements to Live Stream the entire session online starting at 3:30pm on 4th of June 2010.

Hope this can this can be seen as a positive turning point in the future of Pakistan


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12 responses to “TEDx comes to Karachi”

  1. Nadir El Edroos Avatar

    This is amazing! More power to you guys! Cant wait to see excerpts!

  2. MB Avatar

    Hey DOC, a friend of mine is asking how she be part of this one? Form submission , FACEBOOK registration etc. or what?

  3. hahaha Avatar
    hahaha

    TED?

    you mean close circle of self-centered elitists?

  4. Nazia Avatar
    Nazia

    Teeth

    This is problem of net kids or internet adults that they enjoy all new events of web world and consider it as it might bring new change in this upset situation of country.

    This class or mentioned people in your tedx network gather almost all evenings or weekends in particular places to share the latest problems of elites,social and political situation of country.

    It is considered hobby in settled community to discuss real social problems,international politics and financial matters of state while sitting in luxuries clubs, five star hotels or golf clubs.

    So it is not new events you can approach these people living in imaginary world in any social clubs and enjoy their hypothetical thoughts which match mostly with quality of developed countries.

  5. Roda Avatar
    Roda

    We are missing you Mughal sahib,

    1. Aamir Mughal Avatar

      Dear Roda,

      More qualified people are already here.

  6. Umair Kazi Avatar

    What good are "ideas worth spreading" if you're limiting them to a finite audience? Is TEDx Karachi on Youtube?

  7. Nuruddin Abjani Avatar

    @Nazia: All of the speakers had a background of achieving something great in their fields and all had brilliant ideas for Pakistan.

    Tedx Karachi was not for the elite only. It was a free event. Anyone could have attended, but the organizers asked for your background and then sent the cards.

    I agree with your comment that the rich talk about the problems and still the problems keep increasing.

    What do you do and what does Pakistan need now according to you, Nazia?

    @Umair: All the videos will be posted on the web soon.

    Although, I don't have anything to do with Tedx Karachi & know NONE of the team members, yet, I feel what happened at the event was out of this world and I hope that ALL of us together will get Pakistan out of this state.

    God bless Pakistan.

    1. Nazia Avatar
      Nazia

      Tedx was not matter of elitism but settled Pakistanis who belong to handful resourceful class , only moves to limited circle and cant feel the intensity of deprivation of 80% population living in highly volatile and neglected areas of Pakistan.

      If you move to 10km away from any city such areas start where extreme kind of state mismanagement become obvious.Thickly populated such areas have become factory of aggressive and criminal minded people/groups where all kinds of gangs or mafias can easily get their quantitative and qualitative kinds of man power.In last 20 years such areas have expanded and state and social organizations are showing ignorance on this human disasters grooming in our suburbs.

      So what kind of productive effects produce by such a minor educated class, would be eliminated in few moments if we cant control the massive volatile nature of majority of Pakistani.

      I can give you little example.In vast areas of gligit and coastal areas are drowning and we are just collecting IDPs in which we have been expert after swat operation.

      Waziristan and FATA are facing worst kind of US aerial and Pakistani combat operations.

      Urban and rural areas of Pakistan are facing worst kind of state disorders in the almost all fields and have been highly trapped in daily problems, so in such state of entropy, we are in need of massive programs instead of social discussions which is always part of culture of our settled class in free time.

  8. Nuruddin Abjani Avatar

    Nazia. Thanks for the depiction.

    I agree with ALL of what you have said.

    We all know the problems that we have in Pakistan. The media and our near and dear ones tell us about them every minute. I entirely agree that the problems are multiple. Social organizations needs to up their activities.

    First of all, its the government's responsibility to make things better for the common man. Which we all know is too busy in…Some social organizations are doing a fabulous job, but only some.

    We can not leave everything on these organizations and expect them to 'work' for our well being while we talk about the problems around us. All of us have to be involved in our own way, in helping and guiding them in the ways which we can.

    We need to talk solutions, suggestions, advice here…

    Lets talk HOW we could DO something that could have an impact on Pakistan, our city, our communities, our mohallahs, our neighbor, our relatives, our family.

    We can not take a whole city or country and try and make it better in one go.

    As the anecdote goes, the small boy who was throwing back dying fishes into the river one by one. When asked that how could he make a difference if so many other ones are still dying: He said, I can save at least the ones I can. At least they will live.

    So, let us all think and talk about what CAN be done and who will do it and how do you think we can.

    Not only you, Nazia, but anyone and everyone around us needs to take it upon herself/himself to make a difference.

    Even a small one would go a long way.

    I apologize if I was a little rough. Sorry.

    Pakistan Zindabad.

    1. Nazia Avatar
      Nazia

      Our thinking and working class is disastrously shrinking and due to worst law and order situation it is not even in position to ponder what kind of evils and monsters are gathering around us due to mismanagement of ruling class and hypocrisy of elites.

      In last years new kind of trend has been developed in extra ordinary rich class.

      They have set new kind of free cooked food supply to poor and needy people creating more beggary attitude in idle class of Pakistan.If Edhi like organization would continue such acts then it can be considered as expansion of their social work in this food shortages time.

      But rich who one side multiply their wealth through wrong shortcuts or in anti state activity are now running this food charity programs ,ensuing another handicapped attitude of deprived and frustrated class.

      You know well that giving them skills and resources to generate money is much better idea of increasing capacity of work force instead of this way of charity which is increasing state of idleness and inactivity in our vast majority .

      That is why in urban areas now you would hardly find manpower of laborious and diligent nature.

      So situation among the majority of population around us is very critical and beyond expressible.