And then I changed my mind..
I've been working with TEDxColombo and the team putting together the show for 5 years now, but 2017 was a little bit different for me (may be for a few others too). I was at one point thinking to myself if I should leave as I had so many other things to be concentrating on among many other reasons.. I was not giving my 100% to the team as I had used to in the previous 4 years. Mind you, I left the hospital 3 days after having surgery for appendicitis and was in 2016 controlling the backstage 6 days after my surgery.
As usual, one morning I turned up for rehearsals and I heard for the first time Aritha doing his first cut of the talk. After the talk, we had a really long conversation about many things related to his talk and other stuff.
I've been working with different types of people throughout my life in different projects. I've talked to so many people. My ability to speak and understand Sinhala and Tamil has helped me understand the stories from both sides of the decades long civil war that was in our country. I've traveled to all 25 districts in Sri Lanka for work and leisure. I've worked with the politicians, top businessmen as well as people affected by natural disasters, the war and other issues. I've talked to people who supported both sides of the war (personal opinion aside).
Having heard the stories from both sides, I've often thought, how can we solve this issue? What can we do to change this society? What is that one piece of the bridge that cant still be fixed? or rather, how or where do we start to fix this broken piece? Listening to Aritha that morning, and processing his idea a few hours later in my head.. thats when I realized, hey, this might be the fix that all of us who wanted peace and reconciliation have been looking for. We cant fix everyone. But we can start by changing the generation thats going to be everyone very soon. We cant change everyone now.. But we can start the long term process now..
No one knows this, not even the TEDxColombo team, but that night was when I decided, I was going to stay on at least for this year and give my 100% for the show again.. Something in Aritha's talk gave me that little spark that was needed for me to strive for the best again. Thats what made me realize here is why I do TEDx.. here's why I put in time, effort, skills and connections (and sometimes money too) into TEDx.. It is to give people like Aritha the stage to tell the world how we can change it.. to tell the world, here's how we are changing it.. to tell the world, how we can all be part of the change..
I believe that everything that happens in this world, happens for a reason.. If for any reason, I hadnt gone for that rehearsal that morning, I dont really know what the outcome would have been.. But, I did and then I changed my mind.
Watch Aritha's TEDxColombo 2017 talk below
As usual, one morning I turned up for rehearsals and I heard for the first time Aritha doing his first cut of the talk. After the talk, we had a really long conversation about many things related to his talk and other stuff.
I've been working with different types of people throughout my life in different projects. I've talked to so many people. My ability to speak and understand Sinhala and Tamil has helped me understand the stories from both sides of the decades long civil war that was in our country. I've traveled to all 25 districts in Sri Lanka for work and leisure. I've worked with the politicians, top businessmen as well as people affected by natural disasters, the war and other issues. I've talked to people who supported both sides of the war (personal opinion aside).
Having heard the stories from both sides, I've often thought, how can we solve this issue? What can we do to change this society? What is that one piece of the bridge that cant still be fixed? or rather, how or where do we start to fix this broken piece? Listening to Aritha that morning, and processing his idea a few hours later in my head.. thats when I realized, hey, this might be the fix that all of us who wanted peace and reconciliation have been looking for. We cant fix everyone. But we can start by changing the generation thats going to be everyone very soon. We cant change everyone now.. But we can start the long term process now..
No one knows this, not even the TEDxColombo team, but that night was when I decided, I was going to stay on at least for this year and give my 100% for the show again.. Something in Aritha's talk gave me that little spark that was needed for me to strive for the best again. Thats what made me realize here is why I do TEDx.. here's why I put in time, effort, skills and connections (and sometimes money too) into TEDx.. It is to give people like Aritha the stage to tell the world how we can change it.. to tell the world, here's how we are changing it.. to tell the world, how we can all be part of the change..
I believe that everything that happens in this world, happens for a reason.. If for any reason, I hadnt gone for that rehearsal that morning, I dont really know what the outcome would have been.. But, I did and then I changed my mind.
Watch Aritha's TEDxColombo 2017 talk below
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