A fun way of shaping your life | Andrei Bălan | TEDxQuestfield Intl College Youth
In an engaging and thought-provoking talk, the speaker explores how video games can shape not only our personalities but also our lives. Using the story of a friend’s journey through different games—from overcoming fears in Quake to learning life lessons in Sims, Starcraft, and Red Dead Redemption—he illustrates how games can act as a powerful tool for personal growth, confidence, and transformation. By drawing parallels between gaming and real-life experiences, he challenges the audience to rethink the potential of virtual worlds, urging them to use them as a "bootcamp" for life. With a nod to the emerging metaverse, he emphasizes that gaming can be more than just entertainment—it’s an opportunity to shape who we become. Sociologist, Anthropology PhD and an internationally awarded communication strategist and data scientist having designed campaigns for some of the biggest global brands. Founder of Romania’s first Communication Strategy Studio. Also a Master’s teacher of Digital Consumer Behavior, awarded 2024 Associate Professor of the Year at the University of Bucharest. Photographic explorer of some of the farthest places in the world, from Tibet to Amazonian jungles and Patagonia, and also a curious explorer of digital worlds and late-night gamer. Passionately in love with psychology and neuroscience, and soon-to-become Psychologist. Having practiced sports pretty much daily for the past 25 years. 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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- 11:43Can you be a stripper and a feminist? | Amber Eve | TEDxZurichCan you be a stripper and a feminist? Amber Eve says yes—and she’s here to tell you why. An internationally acclaimed burlesque artist and comedian, Amber Eve challenges society’s misconceptions about stripping, sex work, and desire. With humor, insight, and real-life experience, she explores the power of safety and consent, the blurred lines between feeling and impulse, and why stripping, at its core, is an act of feminism. If you’ve ever questioned the relationship between sexuality and empowerment, this talk will make you think again!Originally from Germany, Amber Eve is a talented burlesque artist, comedian, and stripper currently based in Switzerland and known internationally. With a background in classical ballet, Amber swapped the horizontal barre for the stripper pole in 2015 and has since mastered the art of expressing herself through body language. She produces her shows in Switzerland, teaches classes, and talks about stripping in her standup comedy, podcast, and writing. She aims to spread joy and awareness through her work and invites her audience to open up to new and magical experiences.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
- 5:41One Sea - One Eternal Story of Human Migration | Evangelos Athanasiadis | TEDxGVAGradThe Mediterranean—home to some of the world’s most ancient civilizations—has long carried people in search of fertile ground, being a natural bridge between North and South, East and West. For the first time, however, this sea is being weaponized—transformed into a fence meant to block human passage. But if the sea could speak, what would it tell us? Evangelos Athanasiadis is an amateur actor, a lifelong volunteer and a Master’s student at the Geneva Graduate Institute specializing in migration. His passion for international affairs, combined with his deep love for the arts, has led him to engage in multiple youth projects across Europe and the Middle East. From participatory theater workshops for refugees on the Greek islands to documentary filmmaking for peace in eastern Turkey and theatrical performances exploring queer history, Evangelos is discovering the transformative power of art—not just as a tool for expression, but as a force for connection and change. 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
- 5:00Queer worldmaking: What if love was the foundation of our economy? | Hossein Cheaito | TEDxGVAGradWhat if queerness doesn’t just survive the economy—it rewrites its rules? In this talk, Hossein Cheaito, PhD student specializing in the sociology of debt, exposes how capitalism feeds on exclusion, then turns to the fierce, fragile, and radical ways Lebanese queer and trans communities build life in its ruins. This is not about inclusion—it’s about upheaval, refusal, and the audacity to imagine a different world. Hossein Cheaito is a heterodox economist and PhD candidate in Economic Sociology at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva researching "Queer Debt." With an MSc in Development Economics from the University of Sussex and a BA in Economics from the American University of Beirut, he is a former Chevening-Said Foundation scholar and an active member of the International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE), serving on its MENA committee. 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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- 6:29Nepotism: the fine line between legacy and corruption. | Yahn Viot | TEDxSIS Dubai YouthThis speaker explores the complex relationship between nepotism and corruption, challenging us to rethink whether favoring one's own is a flaw or a necessity in leadership. Yahn takes the TEDx stage to dissect a deep-rooted issue found in various places—nepotism and its link to corruption. While corruption derails development and fuels inequality, is nepotism inherently wrong? After all, favoring one’s own has been the way of the world for centuries. In this thought-provoking talk, Yahn explores if it is an inherent flaw in society, or does it serve a deeper purpose? This talk challenges our perceptions of nepotism, urging us to rethink whether favoring one’s own is truly a failing—or a necessity. Challenging conventional perspectives, he invites us to rethink governance, fairness, and the future of leadership in a world where connections often matter more than competence 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
- 6:54The kindness paradox: the struggle to choose a simpler path | Sophia Zukernik | TEDxSIS Dubai YouthSophia may be early in her journey, but she has some incredibly deep insights to share. She believes in the power of kindness, but questions why it's often so hard to practice. In her talk, she’ll challenge us to make kindness a habit, not just a value. Sophia believes in the transformative power of kindness and advocates for the simple act of one person helping another. She recognizes that small gestures can create immense change, yet, in a world filled with division and conflict, she begins to question: Is kindness truly hard? Somethings around her suggests that it is almost impossible. In her TEDx talk, Sophia explores why humans often choose selfishness over kindness, even when it’s simpler and easier to be kind. She challenges us to examine the deeper reasons behind this choice and inspires us to make kindness not just a value, but a habit. 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
