"Lithuania is a relatively new European country, having gained independence from the Soviet Union only 25 years ago. In this respect, the country still has a lot of catching up to do socioeconomically. There is still some reticence towards new people and new ideas in Lithuania. This is why we are hosting a TEDx event – to provide a platform where speakers from all over the world can come and share their revolutionary ideas and, most importantly, get a discussion going", the organizers explain.
The speakers this year will be discussing topics ranging from homophobic bullying in Lithuanian high schools, to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, to how to be a successful entrepreneur, to illustration and reconciliation – how survivors of war and genocide (individuals and governments) cope with the trauma, to apostasy in Islam, to the use of physicians in state approved interrogation, to stoicism – how to be successful and happy in the modern age.
The speakers currently listed on the event's page include Head of VMU Dept. of Regional Studies Prof. Dr. Egdūnas Račius, Professor of VMU Dept. of Social and Political Theory Robert van Voren, Lecturer of VMU Dept. of Public Communication Algirdas Davidavičius, VMU Music Academy's Fulbright scholar San-Ky Kim and others.
About TED and TEDx
TED are conferences organized globally by the non-profit organisation Sapling Foundation since 1984. The talks discuss diverse topics of science and culture with the aim of presenting ideas in the most innovative and attractive way possible. The slogan of the conferences is "Ideas worth spreading". TED talks have been watched over 1 billion times worldwide.
TEDx are independent TED-like events which unite people who want to attend conferences similar to TED and become members of the TED community. As of 2014, over 30,000 TEDx talks have been organised in 130 countries.
