By Hira Nafees Shah
Speakers with the TEDX Islamabad’s organizing team led by IVLP Alumnus Ahsan Mukhtar
With so many stories in the news focused on the challenges facing Pakistan, news celebrating Pakistani success stories can be hard to find. One recent alumni event in Islamabad did just that – highlighting the resilience of the Pakistani people through the stories of several outstanding Pakistanis.
With the support of a Pakistani-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) Alumni Small Grant, local alumni held a TEDx event titled “The Wonders Among Us.” Spearheaded by International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumnus Ahsan Mukhtar, along with co-organizer Saad Hamid, the event featured speeches and videos from Pakistani professors, artists, and entrepreneurs.
“We organized this event because we felt that hidden, unique stories in Pakistan need a platform, so that the idea can be spread to a niche audience,” Mukhtar said. “We also wanted to build a community of people who would talk about those innovative ideas.”
IVLP Alumnus Ahsan Mukhtar
The speakers featured at the event included renowned intellectual Pervez Hoodbhoy, Artist Muniba Mazari, 14-year-old prodigy Khadija Niazi, teacher Nadine Murtaza, UN Development Program (UNDP) Official Marc-Andre Franche, Fulbright Scholar Waqas Qazi, and Lolz Studios Pioneer Syed Muzzamil Hassan Zaidi. Interest in the event was overwhelming: the organizers received about 1,300 applications to attend for a maximum audience of 350.
“There has been a decline of reason in Pakistan and we love magical solutions to our problems,” said Hoodbhoy during his talk, which focused on the need for the country to revert to logic.
Meanwhile, Khadija Niazi spoke about the importance of online education in furthering one’s knowledge while referring to the 20 courses that she had completed.
Audience members were delighted about the quality of the speakers at the conference and the amount of knowledge and information that they had gained.
“The TED talks are an amazing experience,” said Mahreen Ifran, a participant. “I went into the event with lowered expectations, but found the discussions to be very interesting.”
“I really enjoyed Hoodbuoy’s talk because I felt that he spoke about issues that we are facing these days,” said Irfan Haider, a Fulbright alumnus.
Renowned Intellectual Pervez Hoodbuoy during his TED Talk in Islamabad
The organizers of the function also showed a number of videos from TED International to the participants so that they could gain a perspective about the kind of speakers that the main forum attracted.
Meanwhile, Syed Muzzamil Hassan Zaidi hit home about the importance of social media during his talk, with a riveting video on Pakistan’s election process which shed light on the importance of casting votes to decide the future of the country.
“I loved Muniba Khurrum’s talk because she did not give up and I could connect with her,” said Sara Maryum, a student who had especially come all the way from Karachi to attend the TED event in Islamabad.
The closing speaker at the event, Muniba Mazari, spoke about her experience of coming to terms with being paralyzed from the waist down after an accident, and stressed the need to embrace opportunities in life’s challenges.
“I want to change the perception of people about those who are in a wheelchair,” said Mazari. “It’s important to be grateful for what you have in life and change your adversity into an opportunity.”
Artist Muniba Mazari during her TED Talk
Also expanding on the importance of local stories to create change was Nadine Murtaza, a school teacher and a curriculum developer. She spoke about the need to highlight relatable local role models for school children. She also called for a more realistic approach to the study of national heroes, such as Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Muhammad Iqbal, rather than the current, rigid portrayal of these figures in most schools.
After the successful completion of the event, Mukhtar was thrilled by the appreciation that he had received from the participants.
“I feel amazing and the encouragement from the community drives us to these activities every year,” said the IVLP Alumnus.
As far as the sustainability of the project is concerned, Mukhtar says that most of the talks have been uploaded on YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook to reach out to people who could not attend the event in person. Muniba Mazari’s speech alone has gained more than 5,000 shares and more than 3,000 likes on Facebook, ensuring that Pakistan would continue to be inspired from the ‘Wonders among Us’ talks.
To find out more about the TEDX event, check out this link:
https://www.facebook.com/TEDxIslamabad1
