This talk explores the intimacy and vulnerability involved in not only learning a new language but also speaking to native speakers. Using poetic devices, this discussion delves into what Botat has learned about conversing in her secondary language and the important lessons which can be yielded from migrants’ experiences. Building on statistics and real-life experiences, the audience will be invited to step into the lives of migrants, individuals often placed at the margins of society. This presentation debuts Ruchama Botat’s poem ‘Language poem/What I Learned From Losing my Language’ and uses this artistic expression as a means to provoke deep conversation on language, acceptance and vulnerability. This poem and the literary devices employed throughout the talk will demand that audience members be confronted with the reality of many migrants who are learning French for the first time in Montreal. All in all, this talk intends to leave spectators more introspective, more aware of the vulnerability involved in conversations and more confident in their voice. Ruchama Botat is a Cameroon-born, United States-raised raised and Canadian-educated immigrant. As a writer, poet and law school graduate, she is committed to using her education, words and artistry to speak for the voiceless and marginalized. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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- 10:59The view from 40 metres below | Salam Atallah | TEDxPOWIIS YouthAt 40 metres below, the ocean is a different world. Everything contained within it exists in a delicate balance. However, over the past two decades, qualified diver and teacher of Geography and Marine Science, Salam Atallah, has witnessed the adverse changes that have happened both below and above the surface of the oceans, in great part due to human activities that damage our climate. Here, she aims to inspire global community to think about their actions towards the ocean before the greater damage to this fragile ecosystem brings irreversible adversities. A qualified diver for twenty years, Salam has dived in almost every ocean and has studied the changes of the marine ecosystem with a passion towards inspiring people to think and act sustainably.She teaches Geography and Marine Science at Prince of Wales Island International School (POWIIS) in Penang, Malaysia and has successfully produced achievers in both subjects at international schools across Asia, Europe and North Africa over the past two decades.She believes that every child should be afforded the opportunity to contribute to the wider world, hence her keen involvement in extra-curricular and student enrichment leadership. Presently, she is the Coordinator for the POWIIS Project, an innovative whole-school student enrichment program centred around activities aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) while developing essential life skills among the youth. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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