Guwal Yabala 'Voice of Country' Art Exhibition
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About TEDxJCUCairns
TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxJCUCairns, where x=independently organized TED event.
At our TEDxJCUCairns event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.
At TEDxJCUCairns, we want to build up conversations and share ideas. We want to build regional tropical identities and voices.
The Cairns Institute has hosted TEDX events in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Our theme in 2019 was Common Ground, news and social media are often full of the ideas or opinions that divide us, but in reality, we have more in common than differences. TEDx can build on Common Ground to find new ideas and solutions to problems we share.
It takes much collaboration to create TEDxJCUCairns, as it does to achieve many things in life. To identify solutions to some of the social, environmental, cultural and economic problems the world is facing requires incorporating ME and WE; both are needed. The 2018 theme and logo was designed by Creative Media Student Kate Hallard. These two simple, two letter words mirror each other. It reflects the importance of working together and supporting each other after all "It takes two flints to make a fire." [Louisa May Alcott]
The 2017 theme was TROPOVATION which reflects our community's love of this tropical region and our region's ability to innovate. Innovation is about developing new knowledge and ideas and putting it to good use. Innovation is not just about inventing widgets; it can also be about the development of ideas that lead to social change or improve lives.
The 2016 theme for TEDxJCUCairns was Resilience. If the only constant in life is change then the ability to adjust to change is vital. This is why we have chosen RESILIENCE as our theme this year.
We not only need resilient people but the environment needs to be resilient as well. We see this with the environment bouncing back from cyclones and other natural disasters, but now climate change is asking our environment to be resilient on a whole new level. We believe all of our speakers have resilience. They have demonstrated resilience through overcoming challenges or developing approaches and strategies. Some have ideas on how to build and enhance ecological and sustainable resilience.
The 2015 theme for TEDxJCUCairns was Build Up. For many of us living in the Tropics, the Build up is the time when humidity is at its peak and we hear the distant rumbling of thunder and lightning. The creeks are dry and we are just waiting, anticipating the monsoonal rains that will come and transform everything. For others Build Up has a different meaning, it can be physical or creative. It can imply momentum, momentum which can create change or it can be a period of excitement leading up to a significant event. The 2015 speakers for TEDxJCUCairns have the ability to transform landscapes, to create momentum and change to Build Up both physically and creatively.
The 2014 theme was Torrid talks—Why Aristotle was wrong. The Cairns region has a rich cultural heritage, astounding natural beauty and a rich eco-system. Yet, more than 2000 years ago when Aristotle hypothesized that the earth was divided into three types of climatic zones, each based on distance from the equator—the Frigid Zone, the Temperate Zone and the Torrid Zone, he believed that human civilization could only flourish in the Temperate Zone. Cairns is 1883km from the equator putting us firmly in the Torrid Zone. Yet people flourish in this region and have done so for well before Aristotle’s time. Around half of the world’s population—some three billion people—and 80 per cent of the planet’s animal and plant species live in the tropics or what Aristotle deemed the Torrid Zone. The community and researchers at James Cook University (JCU) are finding new ways to excel in the Torrid Zone. We are exploring ways to turn challenges into opportunities—to deal with the social, economic and environmental challenges facing the tropical zones.
Follow TEDxJCUCairns on our website where you can view past talks and read about our speakers. See also our Facebook and Twitter and Instagram sites.