Students go global, discuss challenges

Abhinav Shetty during his presentation at TEDx organised by Our Own English High School, Sharjah, on Sunday. -  KT photos by M. Sajjad

Amaan Iqbal Ibrahim, a 14-year-old Indian student of Our Own English High School, Sharjah, made an interesting observation about human behaviour. “As human beings, we are more apathetic towards people who are dissimilar to us. However, a group of dissimilar people finishes tasks better and faster than a group of similar people. Harvard University conducted a few tests of people belonging to different races ... and regions, and it showed that a group of people from different racial backgrounds performed better as a group, as compared to a group of people who are from the same race,” said Ibrahim.

He was speaking at the first TEDx conference organised by the school on Sunday. Held under the theme, ‘Diverging Universe, Converging World’, 20 talented school students from across Dubai and Sharjah spoke on the need for society to converge for a brighter future. After a strict screening process, the students were selected to present their thoughts and ideas on the importance of convergence and unity among nations.

Ibrahim said: “It only proves that in order for the human race to survive, races must come together and work towards a prosperous future.”

TED stands for technology, entertainment and design — three broad subject areas that are collectively shaping our world. But a TEDx conference is broader still, showcasing important ideas from any discipline, and exploring how they all connect. The students said that the TEDx platform was perfect for them to address issues like war, technological dependence and an overall apathetic attitude towards other human beings.

Speaking of the platform, Ibrahim said: “My father introduced me to TED a few years ago, and since then I’ve been hooked. I watch various TED videos via its app and it has expanded my thought process.”

Education, a basic right

Presenting a paper on ‘Peace: A Cosmic Responsibility’, 14-year-old Filza Iqbal from Our Own English High School, Sharjah, said: “Free and safe education is a basic right. No child or parent must go through what happened at the Peshawar tragedy on December 16, 2014. It was one of the darkest days in human history and such events must never ... (happen again).”

Speaking about the ‘The More Human Approach to Life’, Abhinav Shetty, a student of The Millennium School, Dubai, said: “The society has driven us to become robots. We are more apathetic and what humanity needs now is empathy.”

He stressed the three important mantras of life, which according to him is an “eye-opener”. “I learned these three valuable lessons after I lost my friend in a car accident last year. First, people need to learn to be happy. Second, people must stop judging ... (others); and third, people need to actually live their lives instead of chasing dreams in a chaotic manner.”

Headmaster of Our Own English High School, Sharjah, Purushottam Dutt, said: “Work for the conference was spearheaded by senior school teacher Sindhu Sukumari and the students themselves. The work for the TEDx conference began early November last year. Most of the students were already well aware of TED, but the enthusiasm from the students was infectious.

“One of the things that truly stood out was the sparkle in every child’s eye as they discussed the ideas. It sort of proved that children today have the hope for a brighter future.” -dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com