TED states: Our agenda is to make great ideas accessible and spark conversation.
With a thus stated agenda everything should be on the table. Every idea should be open for discussion regardless if it is offensive to some.
On their Debunking TED myths page they further state : TED has no formal bans on any topic. If you notice we have not covered a topic of interest to you, please suggest a speaker who can do it justice, and feel free to let us know we've been missing out! We are always looking for new ideas, topics and speakers.
With that said, they also admit there are time and budget restrictions on who and what they present so there is a mechanism of control in play. Since the idea is to spark conversation, there is a degree of balance involved.
With those guidelines I submit no topic - if presented well thought, civil manner is unmentionable on TED. Now it might take some serious creativity to make some topics civil but hey - why should everything be easy - right???
That's my take on Ashok's suggested topic. Since he is an attorney I'm rather curious about his take on the subject. And here's a Friday tune for everyone....
I should have aniticipated this. Both of us have come to the same conclusion.
ReplyDeleteYeah - easy to do on this topic.
DeleteI get it. Anything goes so long as the speaker makes it interesting.
ReplyDeleteblessings ~ maxi
My problem with Ted, or rather with their mission statement, is that they wish to access great ideas. Good thought. Holding your breath 17 minutes or life in the fashion industry don't get food, water, shoes, school books to children, or for that matter adults, who need them. Or stop wars. Or help us explore the human being or outer space. Or change the way we look at each other as people. Or have I missed something here.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing to miss - TED is what you make of it. The ideas are there - whether or not you choose to do anything is up to you. We have been able to produce enough food to feed the planet for many years. It's a distribution issue. Same with ideas. For an activist to act there needs to be an idea. TED is simply a repository for ideas on many things. Do with t
Deletehem what you will or ignore them and seek help elsewhere. Or not.