TEDx comes to Goa
Goa is all set to host its first independently organised open TED Event – TEDxPanaji – on January 28, 2017. Café takes a peek into the event
Staying true to its reputation of initiating the discussion
of ideas and sharing inspiring, motivational stories aimed
at piquing the curiosity of its audience, TEDx is making its
way to Goa in the form of TEDxPanaji - an independently
organised TED event. The event will take place on Saturday,
January 28, 2017 at the Department of Science, Goa
University Campus, Taleigao.
For those unfamiliar with TEDx events, thinkers and
doers converge on a single platform to discuss ideas in any
field. The talks are then disseminated to a wider audience
by sharing them online. TEDx talks are hosted in many
countries and are watched by millions of viewers.
The theme for the first edition of TEDxPanaji is
#AnswersWithin. Talking about the relevance of its theme,
organiser Dattaprasad Shetkar says, “The answers to the
simple as well as the most complex issues that we face lie
within us. The theme celebrates the unlimited potential
of the human spirit.” TEDxPanaji will lay emphasis on
technology, entertainment and design, through which
potential ideas will be shared. Nine speakers from in and
around Goa will present their unique ideas.
In a world that has shrunk with technology, and issues
that have grown multifold, ideas seem to be the answer
to the problems that affect us globally. Neha Prabhu,
curator, says, “Ideas spark a discussion that can evolve
into a movement that can change society and the world at
large. We have curated some unique ideas from the local
community that we are proud to share with the world.”
Each speaker will get a maximum of 18 minutes to
share the idea which shaped them. TEDx talks help create
dialogues with the originator of an idea and the audience,
stoking listeners to become curious, to ask questions and in
turn to find answers within.
The speakers are as follows:
RICHARD DIAS
An engineer turned event-manager who took up work as
a citizen volunteer for the Corporation of the City of Panaji,
and was stunned by the gross mismanagement of the city’s
waste. His efforts to address the problem led to the creation
of Waste Wise Programme and much more.
HYACINTH PINTO
Goan architecture has always sought to find the right
balance between beauty and sustainability. A young Goan
architect who stands firmly in support of traditional mud
houses and sustainable architecture. She explains why and
how the new design style is the right choice to make.
JASON FERNANDES
Jason is a gifted youth who triumphed dyslexia and ADHD
to become an award-winning entrepreneur, inventor and
technology columnist. He reveals the science behind
smartphone addiction and offers technological solutions.
VICTOR HUGO GOMES
Gomes is a conceptualiser and curator of Indo-Portuguese
and Goan antiquities. He has actively been involved in
conceptualising major art and cultural events in India for
over 25 years.
DR ABHIJIT NADKARNI
An addictions psychiatrist, he has authored numerous
publications and tremendously contributed in the field of
research, with major interests encompassing global mental
health, particularly alcohol use disorders. A research fellow
and a consultant psychiatrist having acquired research
grants as an investigator, recently, he has also been a tutor
on the leadership in mental health course facilitated by a
prestigious global organisation.
MOHAMMAD BABALAL SHAIKH
Hailing from a small coastal village of Vengurla, he believes
that his poverty was his strength. After staying in a children’s
home till class X, he decided to join a non-conventional
education and sustainable livelihood centre in a village.
Today, he is the Managing Trustee of an esteemed nonprofit
organisation. He also leads a joint-liability-group of
young intern students of this centre.
ISABEL DE SANTA RITA VÁS
A founder member of an amateur theatre company, The
Mustard Seed Art Company, established in 1987 in Goa,
she is a dynamic personality when it comes to the field of
performing arts and is a firm believer in the healing quality
of theatre as an art form, and its rare collaborative nature.
DR AMIT DIAS
Recently awarded a fellowship in Public Health Leadership
at the Emory University, USA, he is the chairperson of an
NGO dedicated to the cause of bridging the treatment gap
for mental health across age spectrums. An epidemiologist
specialised in geriatric medicine and infectious disease, he
has been leading Alzheimer’s Awareness movement in Goa
for the last 17 years.
RAJENDRA KERKAR AND SAMRUDDHI KERKAR
He routinely organises mobile exhibitions, uses media
to help promote local folklore and is recognised
as a key children’s rights activists. A passionate
environmentalist, he has delivered over 3,000 talks
on the ecology of the larger Goan landscape, working
in close tandem with various conservationists for a
greener Goa.
Samruddhi is his daughter and a home-schooled
child. Samruddhi picked up the writing skills of Marathi,
Hindi, Konkani and English languages by the age
of 10 years. An article written by her on interaction
with wildlife and environment in a Marathi daily
was compiled and published under the scheme of
Directorate of Art and Culture under the title
‘Aprup Vasundhareche’. Her new column in
Dainik Herald on her various experiences
related to wildlife and the environment has
been receiving rave reviews from the readers.
- | 23 Jan, 2017, 11:38PM