Here is the link to 10 powerful TEDx talks on Terrorism. Select and watch one of them. Then, share your impressions, feedback, and comments in the Forum below. Indicate the video you watched. Feel free to watch more than one and comment peers' comments.
Deadline: 11 September, 23.59 PM.
Hello everyone, I chose to watch the TED Talk “I Am the Son of a Terrorist. Here’s How I Chose Peace” by Zak Ebrahim.
I did not take long to choose it, because as soon as I saw the words “son of a terrorist” in the title, it immediately caught my attention. I expected it to be a story about how a child started to hate his father or even almost became like him. But when I started watching the video, I was very surprised by the story itself and by what the author wanted to say through it.
His life situation and the way he described his experience of being the son of a terrorist really impressed me, and I can even say that, to some extent, it motivated me. It showed me that we should not look at life from only one perspective, but that we need to be open and expand our worldview and our views on life.
Zak raises topics such as stereotypes and life lessons that come from family. Because of the way he was raised and the views on life that he was taught, he explains what kind of problems he faced in his life. His father had literally already decided that he would follow in his footsteps and become a terrorist. The phrase his father said, “Ibn Abu” (after Zak hit the target), literally translates as “Like father, like son.” But why should he be like his father? Why can’t he become an individual person who is not defined by the role of his parent?
I also really liked that Zak started to understand this as he grew older. He realized that people should not be judged by their race, nationality, or religion, because we are all human beings and we all have a place on this earth. When he approached his mother and told her about his new view of the world, she answered him, “I am tired of hating people.” This really shows how much parents can influence a person’s life.
The most important thing is to understand that not everything has to be the way our parents present it to us. We also have to find our own way and make our own choice for our world and our peace, just as Zak did.This video is very inspiring and has a very deep meaning. It is not only about terrorism, but also about humanity, human feelings, and peace on earth. Literally, watching this 10-minute video can change something, even just a little, in the way people think. Bravo!
Hello everyone
TED Talk: Jason McCue – “Terrorism is a Failed Brand”
I watched Jason McCue’s TED Talk, “Terrorism is a Failed Brand.” I found the talk interesting because it presents terrorism from a different perspective. Instead of focusing only on violence and security measures, McCue explains how terrorist organizations attract and recruit people by creating an appealing image and a sense of purpose.One of the main ideas I found interesting is that terrorism can be understood as a kind of “brand.” Terrorist groups try to sell an ideology to potential recruits, and therefore fighting terrorism should also involve challenging this ideology and making it less attractive.I agree with the speaker that military and security measures alone cannot completely solve the problem of terrorism. Governments should also address the reasons why people become vulnerable to extremist propaganda, such as social exclusion, lack of opportunities, or the search for identity and belonging.
In general, we need to show that the ideology of terrorism is not effective and show people the ideology that will be really useful
Good evening everyone!
Today I’ve decided to listen to a TED talk about the correlation of terrorism and unemployment. Because the title itself hooked my attention from a first glance, and I’ve never ran a thought about terrorism as a reason of underemployment.
Mohamed’s main idea was not only that ,, all unemployed people become terrorists’’, but what he’s trying to explain is young individuals get really frustrated because of unemployment, which then leads to vulnerability and lack of purpose, which can be exploited by terrorist groups particularly. And the question is not shallowly about income or money, but more about what unemployment does on psychological and social level.
Ali describes Mogadishu as a city where around 70% of young people are unemployed. Which, in theory is the target audience of such T-groups .
However, in one of his examples he uses a guy who began growing real flowers locally and developed a business. He even eagered to establish a local park, where people could spend time with their families. Mohamed Ali uses this example to show that young people can contribute to rebuilding their communities when they are given opportunities and develop a sense of purpose.
Overall it was pretty peculiar to view a topic of terrorism from the I’ve POV, I enjoyed watching the talk, I’m sure I’ll watch the remaining 9 videos just to get a more expanded vision of the topic.