Posts tagged sudan

TEDxKhartoum holds first TEDx workshop in Sudan

Written by Anwar Dafa-Alla, TEDxKhartoum organizer

October 13th, 2012 marked the first TEDx workshop for TEDx organizers in Sudan, organized by the team at TEDxKhartoum. The workshop’s main objective was to share knowledge, share experiences and to expand the TEDx community in Sudan, which has been growing rapidly after tremendous success during the past seven events in the country.

During the workshop, presentations were given by the TEDxKhartoum core team to more than 75 attendees, representing all licensed TEDx events in Sudan. Four of these presenters have spoken at TEDx events before.

To open the event, the organizer of TEDxKhartoum and the president of SudanTED organization (a non-profit resource for TEDx organizers in Sudan), Anwar Dafa-Alla spoke on the “TEDx Spirit” — an overview about TEDx in Sudan, as well as how attending a TED conference can impact a TEDx organizer.

The workshop also included presentations on how to translate TEDx talks through the universal subtitling program, Amara, and tips on venue selection, event planning, organization, social media, and video production.

Salome Heusel, deputy director of TEDx, talked to the group through Skype to congratulate them on their achievements and recognize the hard work of the many TEDx’ers in Sudan.

“I enjoyed the work and it was very useful and beneficial,” said Amna Yousif Hamid, new member joining TEDxKhartoum organizing team.

By the end of the event, Bashayer H. Hammad, a final-year medical student and the licensee of TEDxWadMadani, was moved to ponder the meaning of the TEDx movement. “With TEDx, the sky is the limit, there are absolutely no boundaries to limit your imagination,” she said. “It’s a community within which you can “be.” One of the greatest things about TEDx is that the doors are open for everyone. Everyone can join and evolve through a wonderful journey in the world of ideas.”

With that, we can truly say the first TEDx workshop in Sudan was a success, and hopefully it will not be the last.

Our Sudan: Tarig Hilal

For years, Sudan has been embroiled in violent internal strife and severe international scrutiny, but it hasn’t always been that way and – according to Tarig Hilal – it won’t be that way forever. In this powerful talk from TEDxKhartoum, Hilal tells the story of a hopeful generation of Sudanese that are coming to terms with their past and setting a new direction for their country’s future.

Each week, we choose four of our favorite talks, highlighting just a few of the enlightening speakers from the TEDx community, and its diverse constellation of ideas worth spreading. Browse all TEDxTalks here »

TEDxYouth@Khartoum: A Teacher’s Perspective

Nine months ago, I wasn’t really familiar with the significance of the words “TED” and “TEDx.” Now, when I hear those words, I cannot help smiling in memory of my wonderful TEDx experiences and memories.

I first learned about the power of TED and TEDx last April when Anwar Dafa-Alla, the man who single handedly translated over 600 TEDTalks, decided to organize TEDxKhartoum. I was fortunate enough to attend that spectacular event and even got a glimpse of action behind the scenes. I got to meet the wonderful team who made the event possible, as well as the inspirational individuals who spread their ideas through it. It was the highlight of my week and I couldn’t stop talking about it for some time after that. I knew I wanted to get involved in some way before the next event was scheduled to happen.

I soon learned that TEDxKhartoum was hosting an event targeted at youth in November: TEDxYouth@Khartoum. Coincidentally, I had recently started teaching in an elementary school around that time. It felt like a truly serendipitous opportunity had been handed to me on a silver platter. I asked the kids if they would be interested in participating in the event. Sure enough, both they and their parents embraced the idea. With open arms, the TEDxYouth@Khartoum team encouraged all of my students to apply to attend and, if they were interested, to audition as speakers for the event. It was enlightening to see these young individuals express their meaningful points of view and logical solutions to the issues they face. TEDxYouth@Khartoum made it possible for many of these kids to express their thoughts to the world, and I’m sure they will never forget that experience.

Overall, TEDxYouth@Khartoum was a spectacular event. The massive turnout was astonishing. It was a collaboration of creative minds that, when brought together, created an intellectual explosion. The event was full of positive energy, smiles, and contagious, jubilant vibes. The talks were phenomenal and featured topics ranging from motivation, educational, and entertainment. Watching and listening to the speakers on stage felt an emotional rollercoaster. At different times, the audience was smiling, laughing, and crying. Each of the talks was engaging enough for even the very young audience members to devote their full attention to the speakers. It was a truly invigorating experience to be at the event, to assist in organizing the event, and to meet all of those remarkable people. TEDxYouth@Khartoum was a life changing experience that I hope to be able to engage in again.

Written by Shereen Malik, a TEDxYouth@Khartoum attendee.