TEDxXIMB 2016 was organized at Xavier Institute of Management, Xavier University Bhubaneswar on January 24, 2016. TED is a non-profit organization devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks. Independently run TEDx events help share powerful thoughts in communities around the world. It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community. XIMB has hosted TEDx in 2013 and 2015. This third edition of TEDx had speakers from various walks of life such as Mr. TathagataSatpathy, Member of Parliament, Miss. Masako Ono, a renowned Japanese Odissi dancer, Mr. Vijayendra Mohanty, an Indian writer and journalist, Mr.Ronak Kumar Samantray, co-founder of NowFloats, Dr. Joe Madiath, an Indian social entrepreneur and Mr. Hemant Mallapur, co-founder and Vice President of Engineering at Saankhya Labs. The theme for the event was ‘Share. Reflect. Evolve’ and the speakers brought it out beautifully in their speeches.
Mr. Tathagata Satpathy spoke on the topic ‘Deconstructing an Indian Politician’. He narrated his own journey in politics and said, “In a democracy, people are willing to accept you how you are, as long as you have love for them, and empathy, not sympathy”. Calling himself a ‘disruptionist’, he spoke on the need to raise one’s voice on issues like net neutrality, LGBT rights, etc.
The next speaker was Mr. Hemant Mallapurwho spoke on ‘Creating a World Deep Web’. He spoke about the need for good internet access for Tele-education at schools in rural India. “No learning is complete until you ask questions”, he said, stressing the need for two-way communication links at schools. He also spoke on accessibility issues for healthcare and e-commerce for rural producers.
Miss. Masako Ono, the next speaker, is the only Japanese Odissi dancer empanelled in the ICCR. She spoke on ‘Seven Methods from the Ancient India’. She emphasized on the need for good posture and spoke about chakras and energies. “According to Yoga, the Human being is a miniature universe”, she said. She gave a mesmerising and elegant performance, which personified the topic she spokeon.
The next person to address the gathering was Dr. Joe Madiath whoexpressed his views on ‘Inclusive Sanitation for Nirmal Bharat’. He spoke about the need for improved and more dignified sanitation facilities in the hinterlands of our country, waking the audience up to the harsh realities of rural India. “Sanitation”, he said, “is about defecation, but sanitation is, more than that, about dignity”.
The next speaker, Mr.Vijayendra Mohanty’s talk centered around ‘Epified and the Evolution of Storytelling in Mythology’. He spoke about how, even as a child, he was fascinated by story-telling, thanks to his grandfather. He believes in learning through immersion and said that stories can be broken down into smaller bits for better experiences. “Understanding mythology is like learning your mother-tongue”, he said, while talking about how all mythological stories are interlinked.
The last speaker of the event, Mr.Ronak Kumar Samantray. He spoke about ideation and his love for computers from a young age. While illustrating how he founded his start-up,he said, “If you feel butterflies in your stomach, jump! Don’t be logical”.
Two TED videos were played in the event. The first one was a TED Talk by Daniel Pink on how traditional rewards aren’t always as effective as we think. The next video was a talk by Anil Gupta on how the Honey Bee network helps indigenous entrepreneurs build the connections they need and gain the recognition they deserve.
The event concluded with a spectacular Mayurbhanj Chhau performance by Mayur Art Center, which is a unique one-of-its-kind institution in the state of Odisha established in 1980.
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