Eminent filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak’s words – “Bhabo, Bhaba Practice Koro” (Think, Practice Thinking) – from the time-winning film “Jukti Takko Aar Gappo” (Reason, Debate and a Story), has had a persistent effect on the conscious audience since its release. Especially for the younger audience, who aspire to indulge in the deeper dominions of acumen and explore the sophistication of arts and culture while crafting a genius for own personas around it – such ideas have ever been welcomed as quintessential elements for intellectual growth.
Although interpreted in different forms, thought and opinion leadership has actually been evident and notably impactful in human societies for centuries now. From the messengers and prophets to Aristotle and Socrates, and to today’s Simon Sinek and Joe Rogan – one thing has remained ceaselessly common, and that is when a person takes up on a podium and speaks at louder decibels with the projection of a superior authority – we tend to listen to them rather mindfully and (want to) believe whatever is being said.
Influential figures like Elon Musk, Yuval Noah Harari, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, Sir Ken Robinson, and many more have associated with TED for sharing their views and perspectives
Now, assessing the nobility, validity, or acceptability of such guided discussions is not our objective here. Instead, we may look at the process – how it is more appropriate for a speaker to gain better credibility and for his/her thoughts to win a lasting penetration into the audiences’ minds, leveraging on a suitable arrangement for discussions. Especially for countries like Bangladesh, where one can accumulate dictations of crucial socio-political synopses sitting at the “mere” roadside tea-stalls, the importance of giving acknowledgment to Ritwik’s plain and simple pledging can be felt to one’s bones, perhaps stronger than at anywhere else.
If we expect the future generations to break free of the persisting stigmas and come out of the boxes to build better societies – we first need to help them think, discuss and react. A widely appreciated platform for triggering such thoughts and discussions is “TED.” With the slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading,” TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) has been presenting foods-for-thoughts to millions of audiences across the world since 1984. It functions largely as a global community with the inclusion of people from every discipline and culture. The non-profit organization – with its multiplicity of programs like TEDx, TED-Ed, TEDWomen, TEDGlobal, and others – opts to offer something new to everybody, as long as there is a longing for learning.
Coined as the “Spa for Brain” by many, TEDx, under TED, holds a special place in the heart of the contemporary audience for its timely and dynamic positioning. Especially the youth are found to be fascinated by TEDx Talks, since the discussions under this banner are mostly driven by youth icons and opinion leaders who have better credibility among them. Distinctive topics, lighter tonality, interactive presentations, and humor – the blending of these anchor points, along with many more, is perhaps what makes TEDx seem so niche and relatable to the blooming minds, creating a sense of belongingness and shared spirits for them.
Influential figures like Elon Musk, Yuval Noah Harari, Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking, Sir Ken Robinson, and many more have associated with TED for sharing their views and perspectives. Although it has been a celebrated name in over 150 countries, for the audience in Bangladesh, the TEDx experience has been rather occasional until DPS STS School Dhaka organised the country’s largest school-level TEDx on November 27, 2021. Accomplished guests like Iftekhar Rafsan; Naveed Mahbub; Mariha Zaman Khan; Shomy Hasan; Mohammad Mohasin; Dibya Jyoti; Md. Monirul Islam bpm (bar), ppm (bar); Tasnuva Anan Shishir; Pritom Hasan; and Prof. Dr. Syed Humayun Akhter graced the event with their enthusiastic presence and insightful discussions, helping the young attendees to gain newer perspectives towards life from their icons.
Such discussions are essential for the youths’ cognitive unraveling, since it is one of the key ways to avoid the fixation of mentalities. When our long-established thoughts are challenged, we begin to question. And this very need for questioning eventually gives us the strength to break the walls of dissonances and look out for something new to learn every single day. Platforms like TED are helping people of the societies, especially the youth, to gain this very learner’s attitude as we aspire for further progressive societal transformation and an ideal shaping of the forthcoming generations.
* Bijo Kurian is Vice-Principal, DPS STS School