Survival to Thrival
My talk focuses on Biomimicry Innovation in South Africa. I'll give a brief introduction to a new documentary of Janine Benyus in South Africa, followed by some inspirational ideas for Biomimicry in South Africa - how we can adapt & evolve and create conditions conducive to life. Thinking beyond sustainability survival to thrival.
It's a Chick Thing
Communities affected by poverty are largely held together by women and CBO's run by women. Women living in these communities do not have access to adequate sanitary ware (tampons/pads) if any at all. Part of uplifting communities is solving problems at the most basic level.
How Earthworms Save the World
Most people know about the importance of earthworms for soil fertility but how many know about their more important role as soil de-contaminators? I will explain how earthworms can be used in organic waste management, water purification and reclaiming land after mining and oil spills.
This Talk is For You
Started in 2007, I Wrote This For You is an online collaborative project written by Iain Thomas (South Africa) and photographed by Jon Ellis (Japan). They’ve never met. Each day of the working week, Iain Thomas posts a picture from Jon and a small message to a person they call ‘You.’
Writing the Future
As a nation, and world, of storytellers we have come full circle. Wisdom first came from the elders as we sat at their knees, then as families dispersed into the global village of the industrial age, only a few chosen stories, deemed important, were published for the global family to read-hear. Now that we have entered the digital age, with blogs, cellphones and self-publishing, we can all tell our stories again.
How I Call It
I’d like to speak about how certain communities, who have previously had excruciatingly restricted access to even the most basic health care services, can now increasingly experience access to quality health care and critical services – through opportunities and solutions created by employing mobile technology.
The Universe is made up of Stories, not Bits and Atoms.
In a world where the supply of technology and stuff ( bits & atoms) exceeds the demand and where nearly 3 billion people live on US$2 or less per day, The Broccoli Project uses the pioneering thinking of Eric von Hippel and Neil Gershenfeld to put forward the idea of using stories, existing frameworks, and technologies to address wicked problems such as HIV, poverty & hunger.
Moments of Inspiration and Playful Interventions
My talk focuses on artistic interventions as a tool for upliftment and change. I'll address various innovative projects that activate and stimulate communities through playful, developmental and challenging interventions. I hope to broaden minds and shift perspectives by reflecting on a decade of uplifting, collaborative projects, to inspire and pose critical questions.
Talking in English
My talk is based on personal experience, with a key focus on literacy. I could not speak, read or write fluent English until November 1999. It was through my stout love for poetry that I was truly empowered.
I would like to highlight the role that literacy plays in truly transforming one's ability to influence the world substantially.
Water, Water Sparsely Here and Not Much Fit to Drink
We all need water to live, yet this most precious substance is ignored, abducted, squandered and unappreciated. Why is something that should be free be stolen? How can water be dangerous to those living with AIDS? If we choose to get our own, how do we find it and store it? What should we know about water that can save our lives?
The Map is Not the Territory
For years the prevailing wisdom for innovation has been to ask why not? What's new? What's different? And yet innovation has been reduced to evolution and incremental change. Why? Simply because we're good at what we do... and if it ain't broke - don't fix it. Legacide sets out to get us to fix what's workin', and to get people to ask why a whole lot more. Why? Because life is a lot more interesting when there's a chance that what you know to be true... could very well be wrong.
The Silent Conductor
I'm bringing an orchestra into the venue with me. Few of the players know one another. None of the players will have rehearsed. Few, in fact, have ever played an instrument...
Zaps and other Signs
I will take the audience on an adventure, a ride in the vehicle of taxi hand signs. I will tell the story of an artist in Gauteng learning the story of unspoken communication and the discoveries of history, innovation and uniqueness expressed almost unknowingly by millions of people, every day.
Out of the Box and into the Web
My talk focuses on the fact that extraordinary questions lead to extraordinary solutions & how, by asking new questions, I have innovated in the music industry & developed an alternative album funding model that has allowed me to use social media to create my success as a recording artist. This four year journey has taught me about the power of a crazy idea to change the way things are done. The presentation talks about my journey of discovery and the unexpected miracles I have encountered along the way.
