How were our speakers selected?

Whether you term it ‘democratic’ to be politically correct or ‘all-inclusive’ to be clear, the TEDxLahore team approached the Speaker selection process with open minds and blank pages. We wanted the entire procedure to be as transparent and participatory as possible.  Our online form for suggesting speakers was available to anyone and everyone. We encouraged people to nominate speakers who they believe had ‘Ideas worth spreading’. However, once we got down to sifting through the many suggestions we had received, we found out that while inspirational in their own right, most of the suggestions fell short of our high expectations. Initially morose, we soon geared up and decided to brainstorm together for coming up with the best speaker line up we could arrange. While not on a grander scale, we did believe it to be a democratic exercise after all, only on a smaller level. Additionally, with nine individuals from different walks of life, the TEDxLahore team presented a mix of people who knew the worth of constructive debating to finally chalk out a list of potential speakers. Whenever we hit a blockade in our collective thought process, we had family, friends and acquaintances chip in with their suggestions. Thankfully, by the end of the entire exercise, we realized we were much closer to our goal.

Next, it fell upon us to further narrow down our selections while keeping in mind the theme of our event: Collective Genius. ‘Collective Genius’ not only captures the scope of our ambition with TEDxLahore, it also resonates well with the fact that beyond individual effort, Collective Genius is additionally about individuals working collectively: aiming bigger and achieving greater things. Of course, there are many ways to accomplish said achievements, and this is exactly why we have selected a varied and inspiring line-up of Speakers to help us all understand the how and the why of it all. Each comes to the TEDxLahore platform with their own set of experiences, inspirations, hopes and ambitions. Each has their own passion, and each has followed their calling in life, regardless of highs and lows.

We are extremely proud of the mix we have managed to work with. We also find ourselves alternately humbled, inspired, amused and hopeful at the same time by the stories our Speakers have to share. It is our hope that our attendees, and whosoever wishes to be a part of the TEDxLahore experience, will be inspired for collective action to strengthen our nation from inside out and that we will all build upon our stories, just as our speakers have built upon theirs.