Photo courtesy of Shynal Nandy
TEDxKumaun was a small, intimate TEDx event -- only 60 attendees -- which took place at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains in India.
The theme of the event focused on issues pertaining to -- but not limited to -- the Millenium Development Goals, which was also the focus of TEDxChange, the TEDx event organized by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Below, an excerpt from the TEDxKumaun blog:
Poverty is an issue most of us empathize from our hearts. But as Shubhashis Gangopadhyay, one of the speakers noted, problems of the heart should be approached with our minds. And, that was precisely what these three days were about – sharing ideas of the mind on eradicating poverty.
Sunday, December 12
Warmed by morning tea and full on a hearty breakfast, participants began arriving at Himalayan Village to mingle with speakers. Relationships and conversations that had begun the day before continued under a cloudless blue sky. Everyone had a unique story to share. There were those with decades of experience and those just starting off. Many were finding new systems and others were working in existing structures. Everyone, however, was an innovator, a creative soul looking for answers to social issues.
The presentations started off with two speakers who perceived growth in ways that that forced listeners to question the assumptions on which their understanding of the relationship between growth, development and inequality lay. While Ashok Desai viewed the current development trend towards open markets as the way to a better future, Stan Thekaekara questioned whether this development was worth the increased disparity of wealth distribution. The two presentations led me to question whether there was a feasible way to develop on a global level while maintaining equity.
The contrasting experiences of the two speakers continued through the day during which we heard on governance from TR Raghunandan , a former government employee, and Vidya Dinker, an activist who has spent her life fighting government policies. While both believe there needs to be a major overhaul of the governmental system, their experiences lead to different insights on what would be required to make the government effective.
During the last session we hear from two health experts: Shubhashis Gangopadhyay spoke on how to better administer healthcare and KV Ramani addressed management of healthcare services. KV Ramani referred to three aspects that led to inadequate service delivery: poor planning, lack of monitoring and no accountability. These three factors rose as core aspects throughout the two days as speakers addressed them as key aspects to improve their respective fields. The idea of transparency also played a big role in solutions, especially with those who had previous experiences in the government. It was clear from TR Raghunandan’s “simple chart” how convoluted the flow of money from the central to local government transparency was lacking and thus, the ability to monitor and keep people accountable seemed daunting.
As I sipped on a cup of chai after the first days of presentations, the extent and complexity of poverty weighed on me. But looking out into the foothills, I remembered we were sitting in a rural area where many of these issues were being tackled from the ground up by local panchayats, NGOs and other institutions. While boarder level decisions and solutions with scope are required, in the end we were talking about the lives of individuals. Individuals who will call for those working on the grassroots level to see the community they are working in as a unique set of people, not a statistic. It reminded me that providing holistic solutions to today’s social issues need both a top down and bottom up approach working in tandem.
While presentations focused on statistics and touched on potential solutions, informal conversations brought out inspirational stories and best practices. As novices in development mingled with those who had had decades of experience ideas on how to address problems flowed both ways. As the sun went down on the first day of presentations, attendants huddled around the bonfire fully engaged in their conversations.
Monday, December 13
The morning opened on the grounds outside with two captivating speakers who shared their experiences from the education sector. From Amit Kaushik we heard about the history of the government’s education policy and the need for a renewed dialogue at the national level and from K Satyanarayan we heard of interesting ways to encourage better teaching. Both emphasized the need to not only focus on providing education but to ensure the education provided was of high standard. This idea that quality is an important factor along with quantity was prevalent through most of the conversations and talks.
As attendants eased into a sense of familiarity with each other, conversations grew deeper with people challenging each other’s approaches, ideology and perspectives. And, in doing so were able to test various concepts and assumptions, including their own. Baurn Mitra encouraged challenges on his perspective saying his life would be less interesting if everyone agreed with him. He also made the point that as others try to find flaws in his argument, it gives him the chance to fill in any gaps and strengthen his perspective. It is this willingness to take on any challenge head on that will give those working towards the eradication poverty the strength to transform their fields.
While all the speakers had different approaches to address issues that lead to poverty, what was clear to me was there was no one ultimate solution. Neither the government or private enterprise would be better suited to be the primary poverty problem solver. In fact, it would be a combination of efforts that would lead to a better world. There are no quick fixes or all encompassing solutions. But there was consensus that with a long term vision and persistence, we have the capacity to make a difference.
As the group of curious souls headed out on the dirt path leading away from Himalayan Resort, they walked away with plenty of food for thought, new friends, and the inspiration to change the world.
Learn more about TEDxKumaun on their website.
