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    TEDx LUMS 2015: The Power of 'Changing Mindsets'

    Written by: Sadeem Shaikh
    Posted on: April 07, 2015 |

    (l-r) Sarah Khan, Ali Rez, Fatima Lodhi and Iqbal Qaiser

    Since its inception, the TED community has globalized the ideals of creativity, innovation and development with the help of independently organized TEDx events. By handing out licenses to organizational bodies in various communities around the world, the resonance of TED’s mission, values and initiatives has successfully reached every corner of the globe. One such community that promotes the wider ideals of TED is the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), which held its second installment of TEDx LUMS on Saturday, 4th April, 2015. Following the great success of TEDx LUMS 2014, the organizational team, under the tutelage of curators Irteza Ubaid and Kanza Naheed, put on a marvelous 4-hour event, featuring an array of inspirational artists, activists and social experts.

    Under the thought-provoking banner, Badal Do Soch’ (‘Changing Mindsets’), the event featured talks by five brilliant speakers, as well as some exhilarating musical and dance performances by members of the LUMS community. One could clearly tell from the roaring applause given to each speaker that there was an aura of commitment to strive for change in the hearts and minds of the audience.

    The program began with an entrancing musical performance by Ze Boyz, a local instrumental band. Members of the audience enthusiastically clapped along to some exquisite renditions of Pakistani pop songs, most popularly Fakhir’s Tere Bina

    TEDx LUMS 2015

    Ze Boyz performing an instrumental piece

    The first speaker of the evening was Sarah Khan, a 17-year-old environmental activist and filmmaker. At the tender age of 15, she shot a globally recognized mini-documentary on the climatic effects faced by rural Pakistani women in Chakwal and Multan. The young prodigy has since been invited to international conferences as an environmental expert, addressing senior members of the Sri Lankan and Pakistani judicial committees. While highlighting her incredible awareness concerning the environment, Khan discussed the growing monetary and health problems faced by poor female cotton pickers in the rural hinterlands of Punjab. Amidst this gloomy reality, Khan noticed a strange sort of “optimism on the faces” of the women she interviewed. These empowered and incredibly aware women, despite all odds, have acquired safer and environmentally friendly harvesting mechanisms, such as organic farming and drain water harvesting. “The ripple effect of this positive approach is sure to promise a safer and healthier future”, stated Khan, given that “the seeds of change have already been planted”.

    The next two speakers, Assam Khalid and Ali Rez, gave a joint presentation on ‘Not a Bug Splat’, the anti-drone campaign which they began last year. Having worked in the advertising industry for a long time, Khalid and Rez began a desensitization program in 2014 against the ruthlessness of U.S.-sponsored drone strikes, which have claimed thousands of innocent lives in the last few years. The idea behind the initiative, they explained, was to first of all re-evaluate the way people conceive protests by incorporating and implementing a simple approach to protests. Khalid and Rez travelled to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, and with the help of locals, spread an enormous 250-kilogram plastic sheet displaying a child female victim’s picture on a drone-ridden ground. Instead of  seeing miniature ‘bugs’ straying on the ground, drone operators would now see human faces staring back at them. The campaign spread like wildfire on a global scale within a matter of a few hours, with people commenting on twitter feeds from places as far as Siberia. The two speakers exchanged casual dialogue with each other, enlightening the audience with ten key lessons they learnt while working on their campaign. In a truly inspiring talk, Khalid and Rez narrated humorous tales of their experiences in a dangerous province, while also giving important anecdotes concerning the struggles that continually stared them in the face.

    TEDx LUMS 2015

    Priya Sajjad performing Kathak

    After a short break, the event resumed with a mesmerizing dance performance by Priya Sajjad, a 3rd year student from LUMS. Fully embracing the fine techniques of Indian Kathak dance, Sajjad owned the stage with her graceful moves. Kathak is a forgotten tradition in Indian heritage, and Sajjad danced to remove the negative stereotypes attached to it in recent times.  

    Fatima Lodhi, an anti-racism activist, next took the stage with an actuating talk that highlighted the widespread problem of racial discrimination in Pakistan. Lodhi narrated a telling tale about a young girl growing up in a racially battered society, who was incessantly abused for having a dark complexion. Hearing a series of intense gasps from the audience after admitting that she herself was this girl, Lodhi explained how the entire concept behind her ‘Dark Is Divine’ campaign was to reimagine success in the limited criterion of a person’s skin color. In Pakistan, women are disqualified as potential candidates for job positions such as receptionists, flight attendants and TV anchors, simply on the basis of their skin color. Lodhi seeks to do away with this narrow mindset, and replace it with one that is more accepting, respectful and fair. In a brilliant one-liner, she exclaimed that her tumultuous journey started out with “low self-esteem”, but ended with “pride and self-acceptance”.

    The last speaker of the evening was the renowned literary expert, Iqbal Qaiser, who was welcomed on stage with a resounding applause. A staunch advocate of the Punjabi language, Qaiser quoted several popular figures such as Baba Farid and Bulleh Shah to explain the sacred nature of languages. “A language is unique to its own land, culture and people – when translated into other languages, it ends up losing its true meaning”, claimed Qaiser. He shared with the audience his aim to disprove popular misconceptions against the Punjabi language, since it is often seen as the language spoken only by the illiterate class. Through his research center, Khojgarh, Qaiser has already made commendable progress in this regard. 

    TEDx LUMS 2015

    The speakers were met with a jampacked auditorium

    By highlighting some of the most significant problems in contemporary society through their stimulating discussions, the speakers successfully took the first bold step of changing the mindsets of at least those present in the audience. In a collaborative effort by some exceptional personalities who dared to challenge the backward and often detrimental status quo, TEDx LUMS 2015 has paved the way for forward-thinking individuals who seek to promulgate goodness and prosperity in our society.

    A glimpse of the performances at the event


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021