A TEDx event centreing on revolution occurred in B101 on UFV Abbotsford campus, Saturday, Oct. 13. The six-hour program saw about 200 attendees and hosted 11 speakers from varying backgrounds, including two of UFV’s faculty, Dr. Sven Van de Wetering and Dr. David Harper.
Craig Toews, vice president external for UFV, said TEDxAbbotsford was brought to UFV due to the success of last year’s talk at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium. TEDxAbbotsford organizers requested UFV host the talk in hopes of attracting university-age students.
“Based on last year’s success, the organizers approached UFV to be the host site with an aim to attract a younger demographic and engage students in speaking opportunities and volunteer roles in organizing the event,” Toews said.
UFV spent $3,000 to sponsor the event, but Toews believes the benefit was well worth the price and aligned well with UFV goals for community engagement.
“It was definitely worth it — the event was a complete sell-out with lots of interesting topics and social time for networking amongst attendees (sponsored by various vendors),” Toews said. “Our Alumni Association also showcased innovation in the Alumni Hall during the lunch break.”
“We had a packed house (B101) of students, business leaders, and community members listening to thought-provoking topics and engaged in critical thinking and dialogue around revolutionary ideas (on a sunny Saturday!).”
Speakers and topics ranged greatly. Notable speakers included Dan Levitt, international speaker and gerontologist on rethinking aging; Joanna Ashworth, researcher and representative for Simon Fraser University’s global research project on democracy and lessons from the farm; and Melissa Quinn, Canadian director for the Blockchain user group on Blockchain’s social impact.
Each speakers talk was tied with a common thread: revolution. According to the TEDxAbbotsford organizers, revolution was chosen to challenge the way people think, and how communities come together in order to improve their circumstances as a whole.
“We selected revolution to conjure up an image of what we would like to interpret as a drastic change for the better,” the organizers said on the TEDxAbbotsford website.
Image: UFV Alumni Association/Facebook
