We’d like to thank Wi-tribe Pakistan for providing us high-speed internet to run our live webcast and wifi connectivity for the hall.

Welcome to wi-tribe, ushering in a new era of communications across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. wi-tribe is aimed squarely at enhancing online access in emerging markets both for personal users and businesses, creating a community with benefits for all – that’s why our subscribers will declare ‘my tribe is wi-tribe’.

Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself. Rory Sutherland makes the daring assertion that a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we consider “real” value — and his conclusion has interesting consequences for how we look at life.

]]> http://tedxlahore.com/2010/07/30/rory-sutherland-life-lessons-from-an-ad-man/feed/ 0 http://tedxlahore.com/2010/07/27/we-have-another-sponsor/ http://tedxlahore.com/2010/07/27/we-have-another-sponsor/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:48:06 +0000 http://tedxlahore.com/?p=649

We are pleased to announce that Diamond Dolce Vita, Diamond Group of Industries has offered to support us as our secondary partner.

Country leader in Spring and Foam Mattresses, Diamond Group of Industries possesses a unique portfolio of more than 90 prestigious brands, including Diamond Jmbolon (best insulation material).

Thanks to its brand evolution strategy, and the expansion of its countrywide dealer’s network, Diamond Group of Industries possess a strong growth dynamic since its establishment in 1974.

Read more about our partners here.

The following is an Op-Ed based on Cameron Herold’s talk from TEDxEdmonton and features commentary from Anum Raza Hasan & Bilal Rashid.

Anum Raza Hasan says…

An idea radiating inspiration is much like a frivolous oyster. What you do with it, eventually determines its viable worth to you. Opportunities to seek inspiration are abundant; they are all around you depending on how effectively you are exploring. The TEDx platform shines as that riveting opportunity.

Cameron Herold at TEDx Edmonton earlier this year spoke about the need to nourish creativity in kids while resisting the overwhelming obsession and omni potent attention levied to ‘educational’ pursuits. In the blind follow up to static curriculums dreams, innovations, visionary ideas have to be sacrificed/ suppressed as he asks, what then happens to greater learning? His panache at barter/ selling goods/ negotiations and innovative business skills plus his competent speaking ability were both denied and sidelined as a kid. Today he is rated best lecturer at one of MIT’s masters programs and termed a leading entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs he says are thinkers, doers, innovators. Do you remember when you were a kid and thought you could do anything. Well according to him, you still can. Because a lot of what we consider impossible is easy to overcome. Because in case you haven’t noticed we live in a world where one individual can make a difference. To seek proof, look around, maybe our leaders, teachers, parents or the speakers slated to speak at the TED x event came with very little resources or guidance or perhaps they didn’t own anything except ….for a single, brilliant idea. That idea teamed with determination and passion becomes a winning combo every time it’s been tested.

Cameron believes it’s easy to change the way we think about what is possible when we acquire the ‘entrepreneurial psyche’. Entrepreneurs have a clear vision of how life can be better. For all of us even when times are tough it’s hard to envision solutions as our views become cluttered with obstacles. But for entrepreneurs turbulence creates opportunities for success, achievement and pushes them to discover new ways of doing things. So what opportunities will you go after and why? If you’re an entrepreneur you know that risk isn’t the reward. The rewards are driving innovation- changing people’s lives- creating jobs- fuelling growth and making a better world by finding new ways to solve society’s oldest problems.

To pan cameras to the local context in an act of self reflexivity demands merit. In a scenario laden with threats to life security and strategic challenges to survival; in a set up when very little is working for us- entrepreneurial initiatives, passion and faith becomes not only desirable but perhaps order of the day! Innovation, exciting ideas and breakthroughs must drive motivations in whichever sector you recall- financial, educational, social. Our civil society players have been innovative with micro finance to reach out to low income families, multiplying further opportunities for welcome change. They have been inventive with technology for instance to raise and upgrade farm produce to feed a larger part of the population, otherwise starving amidst larger state apathy. They have been creative with entertainment platforms to reach out to local and global audiences raising awareness in times when ignorance was rampant, radiating hope in times when none existed.

Bilal Rashid adds…

“A person who organizes, operates and assumes the risk of a business venture”
Definition of an entrepreneur

While going through different Ted Talks this one particularly struck a chord with me since I am an entrepreneur myself and went through a lot of what Cameron has to say about being an entrepreneur have you ever thought Why is it that ever since we were children we were brought up to be engineers, doctors, lawyers. Why did we not get to choose what we want to be.. Off course I am not implying that we gave up education and went out and blew people up or sit around aimlessly and do nothing of ourselves, what I am referring to is to have the options to know that one can go on and be an entrepreneur. We all remember that as kids some of us were good at destroying walls (painters), some were awesome at creating things (specialists), while others wanted to work with animals (vets). We were always scolded or negated of our fantasies. We were brought up to be followers not leaders. Why are we destined to breed followers when we can dictate our destinies? No wonder these questions will remain unanswered till we decide to Identify, accept and act towards supporting and nurturing entrepreneurial kids. They need to be supported and not frighten them. Pakistan as a country needs to change our gross national approach as well as social & cultural acceptance for young entrepreneurs. Preaching Entrepreneurship in Pakistan may sound futuristically stupid but if we plan on standing shoulder to shoulder with modern “developed” countries we need a breed of young leaders who can steer us forward.

Two days ago, Asim Fayaz and Khurram Siddiqi represented the TEDxLahore Team on CityFM89‘s Coffee Republic. They were hosted by the fantastic Ms Aysha Raja, who asked all the right questions, and basically got all the right answers. The rest of the team, let me tell you, live texted this interview amongst themselves. I am sharing this information because I want everyone to know that just like all of you out there, we are excited beyond repair about this event. For some of us, this is a second job and a labour of love. For the rest of us, this is our first real job, and like all first real jobs, it does not pay in cash. However, it pays off in terms of experience, good cheer and the gratification of having been a part of change.

What is an idea all about? Perhaps it’s a spark of momentary genius that, fueled by one’s imagination, takes on a life of its own. Nurtured with expectations and the will to implement actionable change may just see an idea jump categories from good to brilliant. The final mix in this cocktail comes in the form of intelligent interaction; an essential for an idea to not only evolve, but also to create real-world linkages for implementation.

While TEDxLahore will make its continued appearance each year in the form of an event, the idea storm is one that cannot and should not be pacified. The kind of support that we’ve received for the platform this year has not only been overwhelming but inspirational enough for us to want to fill in the gap for the remaining 364 days of the year. In light of keeping the momentum going, the TEDxLahore blog is committed to finding and spreading the best of ideas that have encountered the necessity of being explored.

Taking a page from this years “Collective Genius”, the TEDxLahore blog will feature ideas from amongst our inspired global populace throughout the year in a bid, perhaps, for them to make it to the TEDx floor itself. The message we’re sending out is simple, if you have an idea worth spreading that you feel could benefit those around you (or perhaps even those half the world away) then we’re here to help you nurture, evolve and spread that idea! The blog floor is officially open for entries and in the weeks to come, watch out for some interesting news, views and previews of spectacular things to come.  To send in your ideas and have them published amongst the company of insightful others, write to us.

Every culture has its narratives and its legends. These have the tendency to evolve and morph with time, going from simplistic forms to complex narratives. The transition from verbally communicated stories to visually rich text is complex and demanding, but societal structures almost conspire to make these journeys happen.

As far as pop culture is concerned, the West has almost always had a monopoly on capturing the scope of the ‘superhero’ genre. From Biblical grandeur to the edgy wonder of world mythology, the creators of superheroes have shaped some of the most interesting characters till date. Enter Naif Al-Mutawa, a man who has taken a step beyond the norm and has created superheroes based on the 99 names of Allah. Borrowing heavily from Islamic religious mythos, these superheroes are creating waves across the globe. In this talk presented at TEDGlobal last week, Naif shares his vision and his motivations for pursuing this idea, and why he believes it is worth spreading.

Attendee Acceptances are rolling out! Are you psyched? We are!

As a member of the speaker team, Waleed Ali Khan thought it would be appropriate to write about what he is doing in terms of speaker preparation so that as audience members, you know what to expect. Here’s what he has to share:

We call TED a conference only because it is the closest form of communication that unfimiliar people can relate to. However, a talk delivered at a TED or TEDx event is incomparable to any other form of communication out there in the world. TED talks are less of talks and more of performances aimed at inciting an emotional response among its audience members. They are also the perfect way to present an idea worth sharing in a way that people truly believe in it.

Take a look at this three minute talk below: It is one of the funniest, most inspirational talk I have ever seen in three minutes:

Our speakers hail from different backgrounds and hence have different approaches to public speaking. Their familiarity with technology also varies significantly, and so does their exposure to the TED format. Therefore, our first mission was to encourage all speakers watch a couple of TED talks before they prepare their own talks. This involved us sending them sample videos through e-mail to each of our distinguished speakers.

We then prepared a document, called the “Speaker Toolkit” that gave the speakers all the information they needed to execute a successful TEDx talk. Information included was the format of the talk, the content that TED talks do not encourage (political discussion, bragging etc) and information on how the Speaker Team can help them in their preparation. We also gave them a copy of the TED Commandments – Guidelines prepared by TED for TED speakers. In terms of format, we told them that the slides need to be simple and succinct (if used). Any technical jargon needs to be avoided, and complex information needs to be explained in layman’s terms. Of course, TED encourages humor where appropriate!

The time that will follow will involve constant communication with these speakers, where we will ask them to send us their presentations, give them advice, and help them rehearse. The audience needs to appreciate the fact that the speakers are preparing diligently to make their talks happen. They will draft, redraft and rehearse their talks in order to effectively communicate their message in a succinct yet entertaining manner.

Here’s wishing our speakers the best of luck!

We are proud to announce that we have the support of the Planning Commission of Pakistan as our main partner.

Planning Commission of Pakistan is a government institution in charge of managing the economy of the country in tandem with the Ministry of Finance. Its main function is to prepare five-year plans of economic and social development. The Public Sector Development Programmes (PSDPs) also fall under domain of the commission.

Read more about our partners here.