Most people know a good idea when you hear one. So, when Ryan Roth an Laura Abeyta approached us about holding the inaugural TEDx Canggu at the Deus Temple our immediate response was to just ask how we could help.
The Temple's Backyard was packed to the rafters to hear a pro former of speakers talking about solutions to problems rather than the actual problems themselves. Much of the chatter in today’s world focuses on the problem, last night we heard from people who held a passion and drive and in these cases solutions to real issues that are out there, at the coal face affecting change across a raft of world issues.
Indian education reform being driven by Dali & Finn Schonfelder, a couple of young Dutch kids who started Nalu, a clothing company whose profits are poured back into supplying school uniforms to kids in rural India.
Reducing textile pollutants by using bacteria to dye fabrics and not toxic chemicals is Dr. Karin Flecks life passion. Jessie Arlen Smith spoke to us about the good in using artificial intelligence for Healthcare as well as the opportunities that are out there for a plethora of other benefits for humanity.
Showing us that one person can make a difference, Melati Wijsen, a seventeen year old half Indonesian and Dutch activist who was born and raised on the island of Bali, has been a leading advocate and change maker since she and Isabel, her younger sister, founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags five years ago. The amazing fact is that these two young ladies are now the leading advocates for the reduction and final abolition of the use of plastic bags and plastics in general in Bali. An amazing feat.
Richard Grehan, as well as being a lifelong peace and sustainable life activist, he founded ImageMILL, the hybrid branding/production company in Tokyo, five years ago it is the first sustainable branding company in Japan. He also spoke about his passion project, Zan, a movie he made documenting the plight of the Okinawa Dugongs which has been successful in shining a light on their tenuous situation as the US are building a port in their fragile habitat, racking up awards in over 13 film festivals around the globe. All the while creating short films for many NGOs such as Greenpeace, UNICEF, Amnesty International, and Peace Boat.
We finished off with Hamish Daud. Growing up in the islands of Indonesia between Jakarta, Bali, and Sumba. Hamish has recently shifted his creativity to acting and presenting documentaries series’ in the Indonesian entertainment industry. More importantly, he has been using his popularity to shine a light on his biggest love and passion, the ocean. With his partners, he has created Indonesia Ocean Pride. An education process to shed light on the big issues that are affecting this ocean nation; overfishing, pollution, and development.
After completing a higher education in Sydney Australia, Hamish opened an architecture firm called saka.id with offices in Aceh & Jogjakarta focusing on sustainable development.
After the speakers talked themselves hoarse and we’d clapped and applauded them madly, we spent the rest of the evening chatting amongst ourselves, eating and drinking and digesting all that we’d heard. To hear so many positive directions being taken by so many different people one can’t help but to be optimistic in the future.
Images by Andy Mac
