1 – Why Democracy Matters / Maryhen Jime’nez Morales /TEDxHSG

Maryhen Jiménez Morales is a very knowledgeable Political Scientist who has received her doctorate from the University of Oxford. She has an in-depth knowledge on democratic transitions and contemporary authoritarian regimes. Her research focuses mainly on Latin America, mostly countries such as Mexico and Venezuela, which face serious political challenges. Maryhen’s talk enlightens viewers on how understanding concepts really matters to fight for what we care about. Political systems have an impact on our daily lives, meaning that only when we know how a democracy and autocracy look like, can we fight to either sustain or restore them. She recounts the experience from her own personal life and how this has motivated her to devote her career to studying politics. Her message is simple but powerful: she encourages everyone to understand the importance of being able to live in democratic systems and why this truly matters. – This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

2 – Why democracy matters / Aung SAN Suu Kyi/TEDX HousesofParliment

In an exclusive talk, recorded especially for TEDxHousesofParlament, the Burmese opposition Party leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi discusses ‘why democracy matters’. She was formerly one of the world’s most prominent political prisoners, and is widely acknowledged as a leading pro-democracy campaigner.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations )

3- Who is Aung SAN Suu Kyi

Ask Rena Pederson how to say hello in Burmese and she can tell you — Mingalabar!” A world traveler and award-winning writer, Pederson teaches persuasive writing at SMU. She previously worked as a speechwriter and Strategic Communications Advisor at the U.S. Department of State. She also received national recognition as Vice President and Editorial Page Editor at The Dallas Morning News for 16 years. Ms. Pederson was a member of the Pulitzer Prize Board for nine years and is the author of three books; her book “What’s Next?” was featured on the Oprah Winfrey television show.

About TEDx:
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

4 – Love in the time of dictatorship /Vicky Bowman /TEDxYangon

An Ambassador falls in love with an enemy of the state of her host country. What unfolds is a tale of diplomatic quagmire with amusing insights into the absurdities of life under Myanmar’s military dictatorship. Above all, it is a wonderful human story of how a girl from Oxford who becomes one of the youngest ambassadors and a boy from the Myanmar delta who braved jungle camps and jails as a political activist, build a beautiful connection and life together through shared love for justice and human values.

Vicky Bowman aka Ohnmar Khin is Director of Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) since July 2013, prior to which she led global mining company Rio Tinto’s policy approach to transparency, human rights and resource nationalism. She was Director of Global & Economic Issues and G8 sous-Sherpa for the UK from 2008-2011 and Head of the Southern Africa Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK Government from 2006-2007; ambassador of the UK to Myanmar from 2002-2006 and second secretary from 1990-1993; Member of Cabinet of European Commissioner Chris Patten (1999-2002) and as press spokeswoman for the UK representation to the EU (1996-1999). Vicky has an MA in Natural Sciences (Pathology) from University of Cambridge and is an Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College. She speaks Burmese, and has translated Myanmar short stories, poetry and non-fiction. She is married to Myanmar artist Htein Lin and lives in Yangon with their daughter Aurora

5 – Myyanmar or Burma/ Dr Khin Aye / TEDXUM1yangoon

6 – Rebuilding Myanmar ,One Child Labourer at a Time / Tim Aye -Hardy / TEDx o Ya Lake

A heart-breaking as well as a heart-warming talk chronicling efforts to educate child labourers in Myanmar, for whom going to school is an impossible dream. Education holds a special place in the heart of Tim Aye-Hardy, himself a university student in 1988 when he fled the country following a crackdown on students calling for democracy. So when he came back to Myanmar for the first time after 25 years and noticed child laborers everywhere, he set out to establish a charity that would provide these children with basic education as well as essential life skills. He left his cushy job and life in the U.S. behind and embarked on a challenging few years. The project now provides education to 22,000 children.

Tim Aye-Hardy is a Co-Founder and Executive Director of myME: Myanmar Mobile Education Project (www.myMEproject.org), which provides education via mobile classrooms to children in Myanmar (Burma) who’ve been compelled into indentured servitude at teashop restaurants where they’re forced to work long hours every day in order to sustain their families.

He was born and raised in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma). Tim grew up under multiplerepressive regimes and actively participated and spoke out during 1988 student-led protests in Myanmar by giving speeches to thousands of students on human rights and oppressions while he was attending Rangoon Art and Science University (R.A.S.U). Tim left Myanmar to the U.S. in 1989 after another brutal military coup took control of the country. He attended California Polytechnic University, Pomona and San Diego State University, and earned B.S. and M.S in Computer Science in 1998 and 2007 respectively.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community

7- Rebuilding Myanmar

8 – Love Poems : How love enriched Myanmar literature forever/ Nay Oke / TEDxInya Lake

In the late 1920s, two young students fell in love while attending Rangoon University. Separated during the long summer months, they communicated to each other by publishing poems in a journal, unwittingly creating immortal poetry and literature that is studied and cherished until today. The star-crossed lovers were Myanmar’s national poet Min Thu Wun and celebrated poet Khin Saw Mu, the speaker’s mother whom he lost soon after his birth. In this poignant and captivating talk, Nay Oke’s family story tells the spellbinding human story behind some of Myanmar’s most significant literary works.

U Nay Oke is an educator who set up the Institute of English, the biggest and most successful private language school in Myanmar that teaches English to over 5,000 Myanmar students a year. Before setting up the school in 1976 he was a lecturing tutor with the Faculty of English at Yangon University.

Today, U Nay Oke is an active participant in civil society doing humanitarian work with various local as well as international organisations in health and education sectors; sitting on the boards of several NGOs, schools and vocational institutes, providing staff and teaching materials to free-tuition school and monastic schools across the country, conducting training courses for language teachers, making appearances on television talk shows on education.

U Nay Oke comes from a literary family, his mother being the renowned Myanmar poet Daw Khin Saw Mu.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more atLearn more at http://ted.com/tedx

9 – Youth & Myanmar Traditional Music /Htet Akar/TEDx Yangon

Htet Arkar grew up in a fine arts environment with a family of musicians. During the 2000s, he competed in a national competition, the Myanmar Traditional Cultural Arts and Performances, where he was awarded 21 gold medals.

He is a Master of Arts, specialising in music candidate at the Yangon National University of Arts and Culture (NUAC). He has participated and performed in international and ASEAN festivals. He currently manages music events as a Music Director and promotes Myanmar music in collaboration with local and international musicians.

He also delivers lectures on Myanmar music and Myanmar Hsaing Waing as a music instructor in Thailand and China Universities and lecturer at ILBC and Music for One (INGO). He is trying to promote Myanmar’s traditional music to the world. Htet Arkar grew up in a fine arts environment with a family of musicians. During the 2000s, he competed in a national competition, the Myanmar Traditional Cultural Arts and Performances, where he was awarded 21 gold medals.

He is a Master of Arts, specialising in music candidate at the Yangon National University of Arts and Culture (NUAC). He has participated and performed in international and ASEAN festivals. He currently manages music events as a Music Director and promotes Myanmar music in collaboration with local and international musicians.

music in collaboration with local and international musicians.

He also delivers lectures on Myanmar music and Myanmar Hsaing Waing as a music instructor in Thailand and China Universities and lecturer at ILBC and Music for One (INGO). He is trying to promote Myanmar’s traditional music to the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at

https://www.ted.com/tedx

Youth and Myanmar Traditional Music

10 – Myanmar or Burma / Dr Khin Aye / TEDx UM1Yangon

Myanmar and Burma is perhaps the most baffling terminology for the people of Myanmar. After the change of the name of the country from Burma to Myanmar, there has been many controversies and confusions. In this talk, Dr. Khin Aye, Professor of Myanmar Literature analyzes the root of these two words from purely literature perspective and attempts to show the differences between the two usages. Sayargyi Professor U Khin Aye (Maung Khin Min Danuphyu) is a well-known author and an academic. He had served many years as a Professor of Myanmar Literature and has contributed greatly to the field. He had won many awards for his articles and has published more than 100 books since 1957.
His research papers has been read in Myanmar research symposiums as well as at international conferences as well. In recent days, after his retirement, he is still active in Myanmar language doctoral training, Ministry of Religion and Culture, and in external organizations concerned with language and literacy. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

11 – A monk, a man and the close to living life

Pyay Way was a monk for over 20 years. He now runs an art gallery that has become a central social scene for artists, art lovers and the wider community alike. In this heartwarming and funny talk, Pyay Way shares his transition to being a layperson and how he applies the principles that he gained in monkhood – Kutho (merit), Panna (knowledge) and Ucca (riches) – to live a fulfilling life with meaning and merit.

Pyay Way is the founder and curator of Nawaday Tharlar Art Gallery in Yangon. Nawaday Tharlar means “A Place for a New Day” in a hybrid of Pali and English. Since its founding in 2012 Nawaday Tharlar has become a vibrant community of painters, sculptors, writers and poets from all around Myanmar and beyond. It is a venue for anyone to come and share stories, art, and perspectives at open mic nights; a home for artists to share and learn with others at workshops and free classes; and a place for community organizers to meet and develop philanthropic programs such as flood relief, trash collection, and health projects for those in need. Pyay Way was previously an ordained Buddhist monk for 20 years. During that time, he studied Buddhist philosophy at Sitagu International Buddhist Academy and Masoeyein monastery, and later linguistics at the University of Hyderabad. Since leaving the monkhood Pyay Way has continued to be captivated by philosophy, poetry, and art of all kinds.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx