Theme: Myanmar Connects

Theme: Myanmar Connects

Date: 23 March, 2016

Time: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm MMT

Venue: Inya Lake Hotel Ballroom, Yangon

With the theme "Myanmar Connects", TEDxInyaLake aims to promote the world of ideas to Myanmar via TED and TEDx talks, and in turn contribute Myanmar's ideas to the world.                                                

“Myanmar Connects” means connecting Myanmar and the World in two aspects, two directions.

First is Myanmar connecting to the world of ideas, of which TED is one of many great resources. We are at a unique time in Myanmar where the whole country is getting connected via the Internet. We would like to promote to the Myanmar people that there is a lot of knowledge in the world, ready to be tapped into and that the internet offers an opportunity to augment and rectify the education system that has been woefully inadequate.

Second is the world connecting to Myanmar and seeing it in a narrative that does not seem to get as much attention – that of Myanmar is a normal human community. The prevalent views of Myanmar are “ugly generals vs. the beautiful lady”, “human rights abuses”, “religious tensions”, “poverty”, “natural disasters”.... While these are important and should not be disregarded, we aim to provide a glimpse into Myanmar as a normal human society with normal human problems and indeed solutions to those problems. Entrepreneurs starting businesses, communities finding ways to educate themselves, youth finding meaning in a changing city, historians writing about the country,... the human aspirations and challenges, and stories that inspire.

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