TEDx is an international community that celebrates locally-driven ideas and elevates them to a global stage. TEDx Patan RE:IMAGINE, the fifth event organised by the TEDx community in Kathmandu, was held at the premises of Staff College, Jawalakhel, on Saturday. The event had six national and international speakers—Shail Shrestha, Brian Kam, Sajal Pradhan, Dane Carlson, Megh Ale and Matt Rockwell—speaking about their journey and contribution to the local community in different fields such as communication, energy, environmental conservation, peace building, heritage, technology, design and social innovation.

Among the six speakers present at the event was Brian Kam, a US citizen who runs Thrive Projects Inc; he talked about how his life has changed since last year’s earthquakes. “The earthquakes last year redefined my life. On my rescue mission I met a couple who were in a dire need of help. They could have been saved if there had been electricity but unfortunately they breathed their last right in front of me,” he said. After his personal experience, his company now provides vocational education emphasising on learning for/with the community and helping them.

Meg Ale, who is the founder of Borderland Resorts and Sunkoshi Beach Camp, is currently working towards transforming the way people understand the value and economic potential of Nepal’s rivers. Ale is saving the rivers of our country through conservation, ecotourism and clean-up campaigns through his organisation—the Nepal River Conservation Trust. “River is the way of life—a rule of civilisation. We have forgotten its trace. The government is ignoring the rivers and developing dams and reservoirs, which is harming the nature. Instead of focusing in developing through rivers we are focusing on being rich by selling rivers,” he said.

Likewise, another speaker Sajal Pradhan, who is the managing director of Best Paani, which provides rainwater harvesting and water purification solutions with sustainable development technology, mentioned, “There is a need of social transformation in developing countries. In such countries, there is a gap between what people think and what they to do. They tend to have ideas about how to develop but do not apply in their lives.”

The talk programme, which has a strong following the world over, has always aspired to bring forth the best ideas from the local community and provide a platform for them to gain recognition in the community and around the world.