Every time I watch a TED Talk, I am blown away by the ambition and achievements coming from the person standing on that stage. The talks engage and inspire, but can also be of such grandeur that it seems difficult to pursue yourself. That is where the diversity of independent TEDx events really pays off, to show how other people translate their TED-inspired motivation into action. And TEDxDordrecht proved to be the embodiment of making the move from Ideas Worth Sharing to Ideas Worth Doing.

The intimate event took place in Art & Dining, adjoining the refurbished Dordrechts Museum, an alluring location for a forward-thinking event such as TED, set in a classical environment. The program was based upon three pillars: food, sustainability and education.

From food statistics to social behaviour

Marjan Ippel, food trendwatcher at Talkin’ Food, explained us that food is inherently social – and how peculiar it is that till date all convenience food has only been catered for individuals, instead of communities. Lasca ten Kate and Tim Doornewaard showed the value of food as a means to beat social isolation for the increasing number of elderly in The Netherlands by setting up SamSam – an initiative to offer freshly cooked meals to elderly who normally depend on meal plans, or canteens. Marco Wisse shared their concern about the startling numbers on malnutrition among elderly, and revamped the kitchen at Naarderheem – the nursing home he runs. Currently, his cooks not only cook with fresh and organic ingredients, but the healthy meals also reduce the need for medicines, dietary products and nutritional supplements. The TED-talk by 11-year old Birke Baehr showed us how the younger generation is also concerned about our current food system, and after seeing his talk, you cannot other than keep your hopes up for the future.

New generation style education

Talking about children brings us to the theme of education, where Henk Oosterling introduced his Skill City program in Rotterdam, experimenting with putting skills, rather than knowledge, at the center of primary and secondary school education. These skills should evolve from the children’s natural curiosity, rather than from top-down set requirements. Lex Hupe expressed a similar view on education, pledging for the appreciation of “soft” skills, such as relationship-building, personal development and problem-solving skills. Patty Golsteijn briefly took the stage by engaging us in her message of unleashing a positive education revolution, based on the principles as formulated by Henk and Lex.

Sustainably cooked pasta? Here’s the recipe

In terms of sustainability, the night was kicked off by Jan van Betten, former corporate businessman, and now founder of the largest Dutch consumer platform for a sustainable world – Nudge (already 15.000 Nudgers). Jan showed us how small changes can really take root, such as Nudger Judith’s tip on how to cook pasta in an environmentally friendly way - which is currently featured as a “tip to save the environment” on Albert Heijn’s nutritional info-label, after proving it also works for rice, egg and more. Marloes Collins built upon the power of Nudge to share knowledge, and explained how active sharing is a powerful tool for today’s marketing challenges. Matthijs Lievaart brings people together without realizing it. A dyed-in-the-wool beachcomber himself, he planted a sign at the beach saying “Help me, liberate the sea!” (“Doe mee, verlos de zee!”), which led to piles of waste being collected at the foot of his sign. Eventually, even Natuurmonumenten picked it up – and the signs now adorn many Dutch beaches, calling upon all beachcombers to collect the waste. His is an example of doing what you believe and seeing who follows. Richard Stomp, self-proclaimed Chief Wow Officer, also motivated the audience to pursue their dreams, skip as many meetings as possible, coin their own job description and set serious targets for failure, rather than success – in order to WOW the world.

Well, and after so many examples of real people, realizing ideas – it is time to thank Remco Verkerk – the driving force behind TEDxDordrecht, proving again that TED has a magnetizing effect on entrepreneurial people, turning ideas into tangible change. In that sense, we are equally curious about TEDxBaghdad, which was proudly introduced to us by Suhad Alfartsusi, from Dordrecht!

Further reading

TEDxDordrecht website

TEDxDordrecht photos on Flickr

Share and Enjoy:

• Our trash and our EYE