Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Thanks for being here, sharing your energy.
(Applause)
Before I start, let me share a little secret about TED.
See, the real magic of TED isn't really with the speakers,
it's really with you, the audience.
Because you're the ones that energize the speaker,
you're the ones that motivate the speaker,
and at the end -- you're the ones that carry on the message.
So, I am going to propose that when you leave today,
you take with you a small but realistic,
and, I think, important action plan, one that you can carry out starting even today.
And it's an action plan designed to help bring about
some of the change that we want to see around us,
and there is a lot of change that we always want to see.
See, change happens, when there is an attitude shift
in a small but critical mass of ordinary people, like yourselves.
(Applause)
The way a very small group of people think,
the way we act, the examples we set,
can have such a great impact, way larger than we can imagine.
So, if I were to ask you what is the one of the biggest ecological disasters
we have in Armenia today? What would you answer?
Audience: Teghut. Teghut.
SK: The obvious choice. Okay, Teghut.
Audience: No recycling.
SK: Okay. So, Teghut, other mining sites, massive deforestation,
lack of landfills, no recycling, heavy metal contamination, it's a large list,
and these are real issues in this country today.
Yet, I am going to propose that we have an equally,
if not even more dangerous ecological disaster
looming over Armenia today.
And it comes in the shape of a cloud
that lingers in the air and blocks all the positive energy behind it.
It's this cloud that rains, not chemicals,
but harmful words and narratives over and about Armenia.
It's this disaster cloud that travels the skies across the world,
enshrined in that motto that we hear way too often,
and this cloud reads, "Yergiry yergir che." This country -
(Applause)
This country is no country.
Now, what a beautiful feeling to wake up in a country
that's not even a country yet.
(Laughter)
Or to wake up abroad and look across the oceans at a country
whose narrative seems to be stuck.
That my friends is a huge ecological disaster.
And it doesn't take a Facebook page to fix it.
Now, I'll be the first one to tell you
that we have a lot of issues still in this country,
tons of them in every sector.
But obviously we can't just wish them away
or criticize them until they disappear.
So, every time you hear the familiar stream of negativism,
you all know what I am talking about,
"Meka ban chi pokhvelu", you have two options.
The first option is to dive right into that fist,
and add your own stream of negativism,
and for wider effect, reach out to a broader audience,
and splash your frustration onto your blog,
or your Facebook posts and comments, and then the replies to your comments,
and then the comments to replies to comments, on and on and on,
just to make that cloud bigger.
The second option is to listen, understand,
and then simply ask, "Okay, what's next? What do we do?"
And not being interested in your question,
they'd tell you how really awful things are,
but you simply ask again, "Okay, so, what's next?"
And thinking that you are not getting it,
you're not seeing how hopeless things are,
they'd tell you, "Next? What next? There is no next.
Look at the stats, look at the numbers, at this rate, it's the end, game over."
You listen and simply say again,
"I understand what you're saying, but what's next?"
And then you may hear silence.
See, the truth is that there should always be a next.
And the truth is that unfortunately not everyone is going to be your partner
in understanding the real point of your question.
See, what you're saying is this,
"I see all the problems you're seeing,
I understand all the issues that you're talking about,
but it can't just end there, we can't just load a grenade and close our ears.
There must be a next. So, what is it?"
That's what you're saying.
You know that the key is to find the answers
by individuals, in groups, in teams,
as organizations, as a community, as a country.
You know that that is the key
and, for Armenia, you know, that failure is not an option.
So, part of our action plan is the following:
to always challenge that open-ended negativity,
but do it with a positive spin, and let me give you a great example.
Just look at this amazing space around you, this incredible center.
What enamors me about this place isn't just the fancy equipment,
or the quality of architecture, or even the thousands of kids,
who thrive here on a daily basis learning leading age technology.
The underlying magic of this place is in individual,
an individual, who transcended all the negativity,
all the naysayers, all the buzz and all the doubters,
and made this place happen,
an individual named Sam Simonian.
Now, just ask him about all the challenges
he and his team faced and still face.
And for every supporter, ask him how many others doubted him,
warned him about all the obstacles he would face,
and then said, "I told you so" at each obstacle.
Yet at every challenge Sam simply said, "Okay, what's next?"
He persevered because he followed the alternative narrative,
the solution path and the vision that he wanted to help build.
And that's why today the magic continues
with all the fancy equipment, Bernard's architectural vision,
and the thousands of kids,
who will one day become part of this country's next generation of creators and innovators.
On a different scale, there is that same potential in each of us,
to transcend the negativity, and not necessarily to create centers,
but narratives of excellence, narratives of success,
and that's where we should start today,
and remember it only takes a small critical mass of people like ourselves.
So, part of our action plan is how do we inspire
a growing solutions team for Armenia using narratives of excellence?
And as importantly, tied right into the narratives,
tied right into solutions of mindset,
are the narratives that we carry "Yergiry yergir che".
Come on, I mean what kind of a narrative is that?
Who would be inspired to engage in the country with that kind of a lame narrative?
Just look at countries that want to be successful.
Do any of them carry a negative narrative? Of course not!
Don't you think they have their own issues and challenges throughout their histories?
Of course they had!
But countries that want to inspire always create corresponding narratives.
A couple of examples. Land of opportunity!
The American dream!
Now all else aside, these are words that carry an attitude.
Even in times of economic downturn,
recession, depression, foreclosures, unemployment, traffic jams,
these are words that make people believe
first in themselves, and then in their surroundings.
Words that create a winning attitude.
Mind you some American kids may not know who their president is
but they certainly heard of the term "land of opportunity."
People migrate to those countries, not because of more glamorous jobs,
or well-paved roads, or less corrupt officials,
but simply because of the dream to feel good about themselves
and what they hope to be achieving.
And remember first is to write a narrative,
and then is the new reality. That is the right order.
So, for Armenia, first we need to get unstuck from the lame narratives,
and then start individually but broadly sharing our new narratives of excellence,
narratives that empower people,
engage our global potential and expertise, inspire local youth
to see hope and take ownership of their surroundings,
narratives that are honest,
don't attack, yet build networks, energy channels and momentum,
narratives for both inside and outside of Armenia.
That's where we should start
putting aside the negativism, and remember
it only takes a small critical mass of people like ourselves.
And let me conclude with this thought.
Imagine you're part of a medical team,
with a patient in front of you on the operating bed,
and there is a little microphone planted in the waiting room
where the relatives are waiting, and as you get ready for the operation,
you hear the following conversation amongst the 3 relatives.
The first, "We told him stop smoking, drink less, cut the fact, exercise, get check-ups.
He wouldn't listen. It's hopeless. He is probably dead by now."
The second relative is quiet, anxious,
clutching a photo of a relative and just waiting for your report.
Third relative, "I'm glad we got the best medical team in there, our relative will recover,
so let's put together the best rehab team now."
Mind you, the relative's condition is due to a lot of reasons
but at this point, the only relevant question is the following,
"Okay, what's next?"
And for the doctor, only one relative appreciated what he did,
encouraged your being part of the solutions team.
So, for the case of Armenia, now we become its relatives.
But which relative are we? That's our choice.
There are words and attitudes that inspire and invite the engagers,
and at the end of the day, despite all the issues,
all the challenges, and all the well-known documented trouble-makers,
the only relevant question is:
Do our words and attitudes invite and inspire the engagers?
So, our action plan has two parts:
Challenge open-ended negativity in the positive way,
and inspire a growing solutions team for Armenia using narratives of excellence.
So, what are those new narratives?
Remember TED is about you. I'm sure you'll come up with them.
Thank you!
(Applause)