Reflection # 1A

Natalie Warne is a powerful speaker and inspiring change-maker.  She stands in stark contrast to the often apathetic response "we" have to horrible atrocities around the world (we feel bad or sad about something - but don't do anything to change it).  Please watch her TED talk and then respond to ONE of the following questions:
1.  How do we move from apathy to action?
2. What are the significant lessons about activism we can learn from Natalie Warne?

Remember - the goal is for you to make a comment, respond to another person's comment, and reply to any questions directed to you.
 


http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/natalie_warne_being_young_and_making_an_impact.html


38 comments:

  1. One needs to be motivated in order to move from apathy to action. Motivation can arise from events that have impacted your life, or occurrences that have affected ones community or society greatly. Natalie created an emotional connect between herself and several individuals in Africa, making her goal to pass the bill extremely significant. Once an individual finds the drive and motivation to make an impact on society, it brightens their perspective on the greater importance of life. Every individual has the ability to make a change; it strictly depends on your sense of determination.

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    1. Hi Selam,
      I appreciate your focus on determination, as we see from many of the social justice activists we are studying creating change takes time and one needs the motivation and determination to persevere. Like you said, having an emotional connection is key and finding a venue to create awareness should come from ones interests and talents - whether it's art, music, writing, politics.... One thing I've realized is that we cannot make the assumption that just because we know something is 'wrong' doesn't mean we are willing to do something about it. Consider all the injustice that we see and hear about on a daily basis but we keep going about our business. I think it is only until we are directly affected, or able to recognize the connection between ourselves and the injustice - even when it is far removed - that we can be motivated to take some action. At that point determination becomes key.

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    3. I agree with the idea that a strong connection between ones self and what they wish to change is essential. It is this connection which drives determination. Well done :)

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    4. Thanks for stating your opinion Anne!

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    5. Hi Selam
      Thanks for pointing out the importance of making connections in activism. It is hard to get motivated when hearing about an injustice in the news. When we meet someone personally, or travel, we can really see for ourselves the effects of an injustice. That's why experiential learning is so important in changing our worldviews. I know that I was transformed, along with all the students, parents, and teachers, when we went with my school to build houses in the slums of Mexico. Are there any personal connections that you have made in your life that have instilled a passion for activism in you ?

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  2. Passion can drive an individual to pursue ambitions, to take initiative and to question facts and opinions. Often, this passion is fueled by recognition by peers, colleagues and family. However, Natalie Warne, during her TEDxTeen lecture, stresses the importance of being driven by purely passion and not by recognition, fame or fortune. With passion, comes dedication, and Warne exemplifies this aspect of an activist when she recalls the sleepless hours, the sacrifices and the obstacles associated with her Chicago "rescue". It is understood that as an activist, not only does an individual need to hold a strong belief about an issue, but they need to show loyalty during difficulties and be willing to persevere through these times. Similarly, Warne states that an individual needs to chase after their passions not for "the fame or fortune but solely because [it is] what [the individual believes] in". She further explains that her moment of triumph was not that of gaining the recognition from Oprah Winfrey, but when President Barack Obama signed the bill that she and many others had been fighting for. Through Warne's experience, it can be learned that activism is propelled by strong beliefs, and that as an activist, an individual does not seek the spotlight. It is illustrated that achievement stems from when this passion or issue is recognized, not the individual or group. It can be concluded that Natalie Warne is a model activist and exposes the importance of being driven by belief, opinion and passion rather than recognition, fame and fortune.

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    1. Michelle, my opinions on the keys to being an activist are much like your own, passion has the ability to create a great amount of change in our world. As Natalie Warne was, famous activists such as Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks were pushed by their ambition to render the world. In addition I believe that the selflessness of not expecting recognition is vital to success. Well done.

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    2. Hi Michelle,
      What you said about being loyal to your belief about an issue was really amazing! It is ABSOLUTELY necessary that activists stick to their convictions even when times get tough. True activists are those that surface an issue, and keep fighting to find a resolution to it even if that seems impossible or unachievable. Natalie Warne did just that in choosing Oprah to be the celebrity voice to "rescue" the city of Chicago. I also agree with your statement that "activism is propelled by strong beliefs". To effectively influence change, a person must be strongly passionate about the issue, so that they are able to influence and inspire others to join their fight.

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  3. The significant lessons about activism we can learn from Natalie Warne is; this is kind of passion people have for things to make changes. In order to achieve your goals, you have to have strong beliefs, and passion .It doesn't matter where you come from and how old you are. Every single individual has the ability to make changes. Natalie Warne is a great example that people can learn from. This is extremely inspirational, and it’s motivating us to continue the movement against child slavery. I think it is also important to keep in mind that the "difference" we try to make in the world does not always have to be radical. Something Natalie did was honorable and amazing, but the little changes we make in our surroundings matter too.

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    1. Hello Homa,
      I agree that not all change has to be radical and the little changes we make in our surroundings matter too. This reminds me of Gandhi's famous words 'be the change you want to see in the world'. In my own life I try to keep this as a guidepost. At work (our class) I strive to help create a class environment that is bully free and provides learning opportunities for all students, no matter of background or ability. Treating students and coworkers with equity and respect and focusing on what I can learn from the people around me is also important to me. I think it's all about relationships - whether personal or professional. If we can be compassionate, respectful, judgement free, and generally take care of each other, I think the ripple effect can be powerful.

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    2. Homa, i really liked your point on how " the little things matter". Every contribution an individuals makes in order to make the world a better and safer environment is appreciated. As long as one has the drive and determination to make a change, they are capable of doing so.

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    3. Thanks for your great opinion selam !

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  4. As a child Natalie Warne says that she spent countless hours standing on her tipi toes to admire a photograph that hung in her home. The photograph was of one of the most recognized activists in history: Martin Luther King, A man who said “ A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”. In her video Natalie Warne recognizes Martin Luther King as the man who “transformed a generation by his words”, this recognition underscores one of the main components of activism which is an activists belief in their actions. The belief that through words, songs, speeches, protests or education one soul can make a difference. The Film “Invisible Children” was the motivation behind Natalie's strong belief, because she was so deeply moved by the voice of her belief Natalie was prepared for whatever it took to make a change. Natalie's story is honest and one that reflects the stories of all activists in that change begins with one persons belief. As an activist one will often begin alone, however, the more driven they are the more souls will join on their pursuit. Through her speech Natalie illuminates that Belief is one of the fundamental quality's of an activist, however, she also speaks to the importance of another quality: selflessness. If one pursues their actions for the hunger of recognition they will not succeed. As Natalie said the recognition she received from Oprah and her viewers was a good moment however it was not the reason for her activism. The awareness she raised was extraordinary but her job was not over, the bill had not yet been passed. As Martin Luther king said a leader is not one who searches for consensus but one who molds it, Natalie's selfless actions give affirmation to the meaning of this quote. Through her speech Natalie Warne demonstrates the two keys to creating change; Belief and selflessness, she has shown a nation that she need not search consensus,she molds it.

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    1. I liked your focus on selflessness. I completely agree that activism moves beyond our own wants, desires, and egos. Natalie's speech was such an inspiring example of how ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

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  6. Natalie Warne teaches many significant lessons about activism in the ted talk video. One of the things that struck me the most was the concept of anonymous extra ordinaries. She tells us with full honesty that the fame should not be the driving force behind our actions. For her, the moment when she was on the Opera show was not the defining moment in her fight for child soldiers but the moment when the Bill was passed. We need to focus on the final outcome at the end of all our hard work, not the publicity we might receive for our efforts. She said, “It is the acts that make us extraordinary,” not the fame. We should work anonymously towards our goal, with the help of people around us. Another inspiring lesson she taught was about passion. We need to fuel our passion with a lot of hard work. She worked endless hours towards her goal, just like we should work dedicatedly towards our goals. We should try our hardest “solely because that’s what makes your heart sing.” In conclusion, Natalie Warne is an inspiration because of the dedication she put into helping the child soldiers in Africa. We can all learn something from her speech: working in selflessness, working with a group, working without the desire of fame, and working constantly until the goal is met. If we all strive for our dreams, with the lessons Natalie gave us, nothing can stop us. -Esther DeVos

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    1. Hello Esther,
      I too found the concept of anonymous extra ordinaries to be quite interesting. It is amazing to realize that some of the most dedicated activists are not those we see on the news or in the newspaper, but those that sacrifice all of their time to their cause without the desire to seek fame or recognition for their efforts. I believe that if more people acted with the simple intention of influencing change, and not to get onto the "Oprah Show" the world would be a much more progressive place.

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    2. I totally agree with your observation, Marie-Claire Massicotte. The 'famous' activists that everyone has heard of are by no means all the activists out there in the world. These well-known people are backed up by teams of hard workers who receive no recognition. If there were more people who dedicated all their time working towards a cause success would happen all the more sooner. Having the 'face' of the campaign is still important though to have media and publicity on your side. Having the world know of your efforts will speed up the process. I think the most important part is doing the work, not for the fame, but for the end result. Becoming famous in the process would only help though, and not hinder the work as long as becoming famous was nowhere near a priority or desire.

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    3. It is a valuable lesson to learn that fame should not be the key factor that drives someone to achieve great things. It is true that there are more people that stand strong behind an individual who is not afraid to speak up. And while they might not get recognized all they truly want is to see their cause succeed.

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  7. One of the most trying challenges people tend to face at many moments in their lives is finding the drive to follow through with the thought of making something better. It is always easy to make something worse but improving a situation is where humans really need to think and use their imagination, get off their "tails" as Natalie Warne calls them, and act on it. The first challenge usually faced is whether we are willing to open our eyes or not to the social issues of today and all the horrors they entail. The next step is asking "What can I do about it?". This is where a giant and seemingly impenetrable wall tends to appear as the most of us have no idea as to what the answer of this question is. In her speech, Ms. Warne told in the beginning how she simply wrote in to Invisible Children asking what she could do. That is a good first step: find an organization to support and act for and with them. One thing learned from this Ted Talk is the world becomes all the more difficult to work with when someone wants to change its ways. Another lesson is that when times are in fact the toughest, one of the main motivators which must be used is selflessness: knowing the needs of others are more important than your own in that moment. The main lesson I have come away with from this talk is we are not too young, too old or too insignificant to make change. Everyone should have at least one cause they care about, and with that cause comes the need for action, for activism. As long as we fight for what we believe in to the absolute best of our abilities and beyond, we can surprise ourselves and others with what we can do as individuals.

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    1. Hi Tala

      Thanks for your inspirational writing. You remind me that even small steps count. Also, the importance of choosing a specific cause because we don't have time to be an activist for everything. What are your social justice passions ?

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    2. It is very true how people struggle to make a change. It is hard to walk the opposite direction of the natural spin of the world. Because you will fail if your motivation is in the wrong place. But if the achievement of your goal is what drives you along then you can be unstoppable and see your cause to the end.

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  8. In Natalie’s speech, she expresses the importance of understanding and awareness. Before Natalie was aware of the war, she couldn’t have made a change. After being introduced to it, she discovered that she had found something important to her, and with this, she had the drive to learn more. Natalie opened up her mind to the rest of the world, therefore becoming familiar with issues much greater than what had happened in her high school life. The key to change is being aware, and with awareness comes the passion to learn more. With passion comes drive, to accomplish something greater than you could possibly imagine. In Natalie’s speech, I learned that in order to make a difference, we need to understand that the world extends beyond our homes, our schools, our cities, and our country. If we want to make a difference in the world, we must enter a world much greater than our own, with the knowledge, passion, and drive to make the change.

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    1. I totally agree with what you said about knowledge, passion, and drive to make a change in the world. I also think that after the drive and passion, like Natalie said, a lot of hard work was needed to see the idea become a reality. Natalie spent all her time working in tangible ways towards the goal. Without the hard work, our passion alone cannot bring about the change we want to see in the world. I find that a lot of us have problems in the words that we have a desire to change; we are driven to see a difference, but we don't act upon that desire.

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    2. The connection you made between awareness and passion is very significant. One needs to understand the life that is surrounding them; once they have achieved that the drive that arises through passion will guide them to accomplish plenty!Good job Emily !

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    3. I completely agree that awareness is essential in influencing an individual's drive for change. I also believe that not only can this awareness spark change but also broaden an individual's perspective. A person can understand how issues affect different individuals and groups, in addition to themselves, and through this, they can decide upon a change they think is necessary to remedy the problem and have a more open mind to accepting and considering the propositions of others.

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  9. Apathy is defined as impassiveness and indifference towards an issue. For most human beings, its practically impossible to be completely unmoved when witnessing others, whether they be people, animals or the environment, faced with injustice, pain and suffering. The thing that prevents or stops individuals from taking action against an issue is not so much apathy as it is ignorance. Natalie Warne went through high school almost robotically, until she saw the film "Invisible Children" about child soldiers. This film sparked an urge in Warne, an urge to want to do something about these childrens' terrible situation. Natalie Warne was never truly an apathetic teenager, she was just disconnected from what was going on around her. This disconnection did not stem from lack of interest or compassion, it was simply because she had not yet been exposed to this alarming problem. Warne's story demonstrates that the "secret" behind people applying themselves to and fighting against local and global issues is not the move from apathy to action, but more so the move from ignorance to action.

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    1. Hi Marie-Claire

      I enjoyed reading your impassioned conclusion regarding what drives apathy. I am curious if there is anything else preventing people from acting,besides ignorance, for example : "opportunity". One time, I organized a school trip to build homes for homeless families in Mexico. The participants asked the students and the community to donate anything they might have. The response was overwhelming. That is to say, if people are given an avenue by which to effect change, I like you, believe people will take it. So I think part of the reason that Natalie was successful in being an activist is that the film and the organization "invisible children" were already in place for her. This helped her act.

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    2. I fully agree that apathy and ignorance work in tandem to influence an individual's lack of action and that it is rare for a person to not be impacted when witnessing injustices. In addition to this, I believe that education about how an individual can improve or defend an issue, and express their opinion is also the cause of an individual's lack of action. Often, a person does not know how to voice their opinion or disagree in an assertive manner and still remain respectful. Further, an individual may not have the courage to deviate from the opinion of the majority. Due to this, an individual chooses to remain silent.

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  10. The important part about taking action is being inspired. To discover a cause that speaks to the heart and makes you want to take a stand. Whatever the cause, if someone believes strong enough and doesn't give up, their vision can become real. To go from apathy to action all one needs to do is find a cause that they strongly believe in. Something that won’t be just a “meh whatever” to them. Because a lot of people simply don’t care. Or they think it is simply not worth their time. Some people go through their lives only seeing as far as their hands can reach not realizing how much more there is beyond their grasp that they can reach. The “Anonymous Extraordinaries” are people who believe in a cause and are not afraid to take action. No matter what it takes they rally and fight for their cause to be noticed. Because being noticed is what inspires others and moves the cause along.

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  11. The significant lessons i took from this was just the fact that no matter what you try to accomplish in life, be it personal or on a more global stand point, if you are determined and persistent throughout every little "Bump in the road" that anything is possible. "The difficult we do immediately, however the impossible takes a little longer" fits in perfectly here. Just taking that first few steps with the dedicated people for a great common goal, such as invisible children did, is what we all need to do for the things we truly care in our lives. Most people do go through school in a way that seems robotic and then finds that spark, and this was Natalies spark, trying to make a difference in the world.

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    1. I think that in some small way, we all are trying to make a difference in the World. It's inspiring to see a young person like Natalie making a difference and making such large steps towards positive change. I agree with you about being determined and persistent to achieve our goals. I think one important thing to mention is that change can be anything; whether your goals be big, or small. In Natalie's example we see how the motivations of a few individuals sparked an enormous global movement. However, in everyday life, the concepts of determination and persistence also apply. People like Natalie make me want to look for ways I can make a difference at school, at home, at work etc.

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    2. Your response stays true to the tutorial. I think Natalie tried to get the point out that making a difference is significant but it is that much more significant if it means more to you. Which the end product of the work will be more thoughtful because you personally can relate which is what happened in Natalie's situation.

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  12. Natalie Warne's TED talk teaches us about the responsibility that comes with being an activist. Although strength in numbers is important, it is the individuals who make up the collective group who truly make a difference. Natalie mentions the phrase "Anonymous Extraordinaries" several times during her talk. She defines these individuals as "selfless and vigorous activists who are motivated by conviction not recognition." This point highlights an important characteristic of successful activists: Resilience. In the example of Natalie's friend Colleen, who one day before her rally in Mexico was kicked out of the country due to the spread of Swine Flu, Natalie demonstrates the importance of Resilience. Had it not been for tireless hours of preparation and a strong passion driving their motivation to achieve, none of the interns working for "Invisible Children" would have succeeded. Success, as Natalie said it, is not about the moments of recognition. Instead, an activist's success can be measured by the anonymous extraordinaries who pour their passion, beliefs, and resilience into their work and collectively come together to create positive change. Natalie's final words of inspiration tell us to "be extraordinary in ordinary life." In saying this, she beautifully summarizes how to be an activist. Activism does not happen without the extraordinary strength of resilient individuals. When we are able to move past our own egos and doubts, we see the potential we have to do extraordinary things. Natalie challenges us to be idealists and to shamelessly speak up for what we believe in. She powerfully states that "MOMENTS are not MOVEMENTS. ANONYMOUS EXTRAORDINARIES are the MOVEMENT."

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  13. The significant lessons about activism we can learn from Natalie Warne is the kind of passion and determination towards helping others. It is one thing to say your going to help the less fortunate but it's another to act. We all understand that we aren't too young and one person really does make a difference but one thing we don't understand is the amount of determination and motivation it takes to meet a high goal like helping others in such a significant way. We all have goals of saving the world in some way but we rarely are able to act. From personal experience after watching a tutorial like Natalie's I am always motivated but after awhile I get caught up in my own life and forget about others and that they don't have a good life like my own. Which ties into the title of her tutorial. Anonymous Extraordinaries. which means to me to help others in big and little ways to people you may or may not know.

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