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Etana spreads the word from TED Conference 2012
Etana's Christo Crafford talks at TEDActive 2012
TED.com, is an online, non-profit organisation that specialises in promoting ideas worth spreading to a large spectrum of viewers around the world, providing insight and encouraging the world community to make a difference.
Annually, TED hosts a conference in California (Long Beach) where the world’s leading thinkers and doers are invited to share their ideas through 18-minute presentations. In addition, TEDActive (held in Palm Springs, United States from 26 February to 2 March 2012) brought together innovative people to capture the TED presentations and, in their own voice, share them with the world via a variety of platforms including social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
Etana is passionate about growing and sharing ideas to make a difference, and the concept of TED was embraced to the max between 26 February and 2 March 2012 at Etana. Etanans Carel Nolte (Head of People & Brand) and Christo Crafford (Etana Johannesburg branch), had made their way to the United States to attend TEDActive. Christo, who has had a strong interest in TED for many years (and even translates TED talks into Afrikaans), gave a mini-talk of his own to attendees at TEDActive. Christo told a personal story about how living selflessly and by example could be more powerful and influential than any words.
Sharing his views on the overall TED themes and outcomes, Christo said, “Call it the wisdom of crowds, smart mobs or the wealth of networks, but technology-enabled collaboration is making us all smarter. We need to take control of technology and control how it defines us in order to retain and maintain our personal relationships, humanity and identity. There was a mind-blowing robotics demonstration (which literally shifted my thinking about where the world is going and what is possible), as well as insightful discussions on energy, and fantastic music and art performances.”
As part of the TED Conference since 2005, an award of $100 000 is presented to an individual who demonstrates an incREDible idea to change the world. This year the award was not given to an individual but to an idea, that of City2.0. This platform born from another TED prize, will allow citizens to be part of the creation of their own City2.0, thereby joining a growing network and knowledge base of city projects, and having a hand in instigating global action. (Learn more about City2.0 at www.city2.org).
TEDActive 2012 talks
Part of the popular talk around cities and the future at the 2012 TED Conference had a significant link back to South Africa. Carel Nolte says, “It’s actually quite amazing that the Deputy Mayor of Long Beach (Suja Lowenthal) stood up to talk about building the city of the future in the Free State, South Africa and praises local government for what it is doing. Ideas are one thing, but action is vital! The value is in leveraging our networks and working together.”
While the conference took place, Etanan Zoya Mabuto (from Etana Johannesburg branch), through TED, managed to arrange a TEDX event at Etana, called TEDXEtanaLive. This independently organised event took place on 1 March 2012 at Etana’s Parktown office and allowed Etanans to watch the neo-live webcast of sessions at the TED conference. Zoya reflected on the purpose and value of TED to Etana, “The benefit will always be to stimulate thinking, engage, excite and mobilise Etanans for change and innovation.”
Stay updated on Etana’s website (www.etana.co.za), Facebook (Etana Powered) and Twitter (@etanainsurance) to see links to TED talks and give comment on how you see these ideas spreading and the significance they might play within your area, work or life.
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