Against a backdrop of crime in the slums of Nairobi, Mark Kamau, born in 1980, grew up not only dreaming of a better future but also grabbing every chance that came his way. In 2000 he managed to register himself at web design school NairoBits, founded by the Dutch foundation Butterfly Works.
Calling himself the ‘Slumdog Manager’, he gave an inspiring talk on his journey out of the slums of Kenya and the future of African aid. He suggested that the way in which he had been helped could serve as an example: Africa needs intelligent engagement over aid, he said. His simple and powerful speech earned a standing ovation.
What does technology mean in our lives? That’s the question Kevin Kelly explored in his new talk. Kelly presented a new definition of technology: ‘anything useful invented by a mind’ – whether it be a hammer or the rule of law. So technology is more than gadgets; it’s part of a great story that started long ago, an extension of life and it is moving through us.
Christien Meindertsma’s fascinating talk at TEDxAmsterdam is based on her book PIG 05049, that documents an astounding array of products with different parts of an anonymous pig called PIG 05049..
Meindertsma reveals the lines between raw materials and producers, products and consumers that have become so invisible in an increasingly globalized world. The findings of her research came as a complete surprise to almost everyone in the audience.
Hans Aarsman’s talk at TEDxAmsterdam was titled “From pretty to ugly and back again; mysterious ways of beauty in photography” and the audience judged it one of the highlights of the day. Surprising, insightful and at times hilarious, Aarsman shows different concepts of beauty in photography, and suggests that the only real photographic beauty is to be found in pictures that were made without such a goal in mind.
Hans Aarsman is a former photographer, who worked as a photo journalist at a Dutch newspaper and published a series of books. In 1989 he published the book “Hollandse Taferelen” (Dutch scenes). He published three more photo books before he left photography. He now writes about photography, a.o. for the Dutch daily newspaper the Volkskrant. Read the full article…
Prof. dr. Wubbo J. Ockels is a Dutch physicist, and also the Netherlands’ original astronaut. He is a Professor of Aerospace Sustainable Engineering and Technology at the University of Delft, and tries to stimulate a mentality change among Dutch citizens.
In his mind-bending TEDxAmsterdam talk, Ockels explains how ‘time’ is created by human beings, as a way our brains can make sense of gravity. The speed of light is constant, because it is made by us: it’s the clock by which we have calibrated our existence. Based on this premise, Ockels proposes a new way to explore life in our galaxy.
“The original Dutch astronaut, Professor Wubbo J. Ockels, sliced through the atmosphere of self-congratulation to give a mind-bending talk, based on his experiences in space. He started by berating the audience for pretending to understand the universe and mysteriously declaring, “I know what it is that you don’t know yet and it will change your life”. What we didn’t know, and were told, was that time is a creation of life, since it’s the only way our brains can make sense of gravity. This can be pithily put in the very post-Cartesian phrase: “I live, therefore time passes”. Such a view isn’t a new notion philosophically (Heidegger suggested being and time determine each other reciprocally), nor physiologically (which acknowledges time is a construct of the central nervous system) but it was not treated with seriousness in physics.” Read the full article…
Awraham Soetendorp is currently Rabbi of the Reform Jewish Community of The Hague, and Rabbi of the Union of Dutch Reform Jewish Communities. Born in 1943 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Rabbi Soetendorp survived as a “hidden child”.
He asked the floor at TEDxAmsterdam to speak about the Charter of Compassion, a TEDPrize project initiated by Karen Armstrong. In his brief talk he recalled the moment in 1943 when the Gestapo and the Dutch police came to his home, and proceeded to stress his belief in the goodness of people: ““Compassion opens the heart, and when the heart is open it propels to hope.”
His short talk moved the audience immensely and he got a standing ovation. Read the full article…
Dutch Princess Mabel van Oranje is the Chief Executive Officer of The Elders. The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela, who offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.
In a passionate talk Princess Mabel van Oranje discussed the various conditions to achieve change, “What you need is to believe that the impossible is possible,” the Princess said. “But in order to ignite change, I know from experience, you often have to take two steps forward, one step back.”
See also TEDxAmsterdam’s blog report of her talk. The Princess referred to her talk via her newly established Twitter feed: “Spoke at TEDx Amsterdam last week; met some fascinating people – true change makers!
After the opening words, TEDxAmsterdam was kicked off by Minister of European Affairs, Mr Frans Timmermans. His passionate talk underlined the necessity to confront our fears and work on finding solutions that fit our society. It was a beautiful start of a special day.
Frans Timmermans wrote on his Facebook page, “Frans Timmermans is full of energy thanks to my Tedx experience. What a wonderful group of people! Enough spirit, creativity and energy to ‘reset’ our society”
