2020 Act II : The World of Tomorrow
Building a ‘good place’ for the future.
We rise, and we fall, alone and together.
There are moments in life where everything changes.
What used to be normal can change in the blink of an eye.
Through a conversation that made you think differently about something, an artwork that changed your perspective. Loss of someone or something. Love. Travel. A good night’s sleep. A newborn baby.
We’ve all had one or more pivotal moments in our lives. And now, recently, we’ve gone through a ‘180’ together as a society.
Everything changed, yet we became more still than ever. While being apart from each other, we had time to reflect, journey inside.
There were many hardships and losses. And also new pathways that opened up. Seeds sawn long ago that finally got the chance to sprout.
Upon reflection, life is about choices, and the question to ask is, what choices do we need to make now?

25 November 2020
We are excited to announce that our second online TEDxAmsterdam Salon will take place on the evening of the 25th of November from 20:00-22:00. In ACT II, our speakers will explore ‘The World of Tomorrow’. More details regarding the programme will be available soon, so save the date and keep an eye on our social media channels! In the meantime, we’ve been thinking a little more about how we dream about our future. Have a read…
UTOPIANISM FOR ALL
Since our very beginnings, we humans have speculated about, and even feared, what the future might hold. Dreaming of a ‘utopia’, a better place, has defined much of our existence. Utopian visions have driven humanity forwards, or at the very least, given us a push in the right direction. Think democracy, motorised transportation, medicine, the abolition of slavery. But there is a puzzling contradiction at the very root of the word utopia: it means both ‘good place’ and ‘no place’ simultaneously. So how can we envisage a reachable, inclusive and sustainable world of tomorrow, a ‘good place’ that is intended for us all?
Much of today’s utopianism is steeped in nostalgia: it dreams of making nations ‘great again’, and preserves the power of the few, rather than proposing real, revolutionary progress for all. But at TEDxAmsterdam, we believe that the solution lies in practical, inspirational utopian thinking that recognises the challenges we have to overcome, but firmly believes that things can change for the better.
Our upcoming online event, ACT II: The World of Tomorrow, does just that.
ACT NOW FOR THE GOOD OF TOMORROW
It can be all too easy to feel paralysed in the face of immense global challenges. It is for this reason, for example, that many members of younger generations, who often represent beacons of hope as pioneers of change and activism, struggle with climate fatalism. The promotion of despair and cynicism by much trend-led media leads to the immobilising belief that it has become too late to act.
At TEDxAmsterdam, we believe that the communication of practical, inspirational solutions are instrumental to making big, innovative ideas a reality. So, we want to give a platform to those who galvanise action at a both individual level, and a larger scale to counteract the doomist notion that building a better world of tomorrow is beyond our reach. Rather than making people ever more polarised, we want to highlight what connects us, and what is possible when we act together.
Change can emerge from the unlikeliest of places; it can start with the simplest of acts. Our upcoming online event examines the world of tomorrow, and considers how our present actions can bring a doable, practical ‘good place’ into focus.
In ACT II: The World of Tomorrow, we question what the decade ahead will, and should, look like. How can our choices made in the now help to build a sustainable, equal and inclusive world in the future? And who will be the nations, individuals, organisations and corporations driving this change? Our speakers will explore the challenges we face, and propose constructive solutions to help us all feel able to take action towards our shared goal of building a better, inclusive and more sustainable world of tomorrow.
Director of Makers Unite, Thami Schweichler, will explore the challenges we face when initiating change at an individual level, and highlight the solutions to be discovered in simple, practical actions. Sophie Kwizera, policy advisor of Natural Resources and Just Transition at ActionAid, will address the crucial need for an approach to sustainability that caters to all. In recognising that many green energy initiatives in the West sacrifice the resources of communities elsewhere, she suggests that solutions are infinitely more complex than simply buying a Tesla.
Interested in joining us for our online event on the 25th of November? Our talks are open to all. You can buy a ticket here! Further details regarding the programme will be published in the weeks leading up to the event: stay tuned!
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
The feedback we received following ACT I: the Future of Work confirmed the value of TEDxAmsterdam as both a platform and a community. Aside from our (now virtual!) events, our team is working hard to keep you inspired day to day. We have exciting plans in store that act on our commitment to amplifying more remote voices, and to giving great ideas and initiatives that serve our community a well-deserved stage.
Keep an eye out for some inspiring and engaging content, and stay in the know about future events by following our social media channels and subscribing to our newsletter. We’re always eager to stay in touch with our community and listen to what matters to you.
Questions or comments? Start a conversation on the page below, or contact us directly!