Reflection # 1B

NatalieWarne 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

37 comments:

  1. What are the significant lessons about activism we can learn from Natalie Warne?

    The significant lessons about activism that we can learn from Natalie Warne are it doesn’t matter how old you are and where you come from as long as you have a goal in mind anything is possible. Natalie has been a great example of what an activist looks like by not giving up hope on what she believed was right along with the other hundreds. She knew that it was going to be hard especially being seventeen but she worked hard and did what she wanted to do. This is something we all could do; it’s just that we all need a certain push into the right direction that we want to go on. In the video at the end she talks about how it’s not about the fame or the fortune but it’s about what drives you. Doing something that you believe in, that makes you sing and makes you happy not for anyone else but for yourself.

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    1. Hi Shariya

      I enjoyed reading your comment. What I learned from Natalie Warne was the fact that she was a young activist. Yes, you can accomplish great things no matter your age, but what stood out for me was that Natalie was 17 and her group of young activists. I think that there is a lot to be said for being an activist when you are young - she mentioned that she gave up going to college for Invisible Children. Also, as a young person, she didn't have a lot of social power or life experience. Despite these barriers, she managed to accomplish something quite amazing.

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    2. Ms. Jones thanks for your comment, I did notice some of the points you brought up while watching the video. For example when she gave up collage for invisible children along with the other people, it showed how much she really wanted to fix this problem. and about not having a lot of life experience along with social power you are right and thanks for pointing that out.

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  2. How do we move from apathy to action?

    First, we have to be educated about what's going on in the world.Even with knowledge of global issues however, many of us still experience indifference to the issue or apathy. The next step we need to take then is to develop a strong sense of compassion and resilience as Natalie Warne did. By watching "Invisible Children" Natalie became informed about child soldiers and she formed an inseparable connection with them. Her compassion for these children gave her strength to pursue whatever means necessary to help them. Her story demonstrates how a sense of love and caring for others can lend us strength to break free from our apathy to take action.

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    1. I agree that making a personal connection to an issue can move someone from apathy to action

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    2. Hi Mina

      your post added another dimension for me to Natalie's comment. I agree with both of you that in order to move from apathy we not only need more information, but more compassion. I feel that our current society does not value compassion and morals as it once it. It seems to me that our dominant values emphasize individualism and acquiring material wealth. However, most of us are moved and inspired by people like Natalie. As a young person, do you think that your generation is starting to question the dominant values ? Do you think that your generation is compassionate ? thanks !

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    3. You bring up a very good point. I think what's also important is that more people should know about these issues and know that they ARE able to fight for their beliefs and values. Most people are apathetic towards these issues because they view themselves as a single individual, and that a single person cannot make a difference in the world. Sometime only a person is required for change to happen. What they fail to see is that as long as you are willing to make a change, no matter the number of supporters or sponsors you have or don't have, as long as you're willing to fight, the change can inevitably happen. Great post.

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    5. Hey Mina I think you brought up a really great point about what we can do to create change. We must be inspired to take action and this is most easily achieved when we view firsthand the corruptions taking place in our world. Becoming educated on issues is the first step in the right direction. We can find inspiration in many ways throughout our daily lives. We must stop and look around us to understand what the impact of taking action provides.
      -Marjahn O'Connor

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    6. Thanks for all of the comments everyone. :)
      @Ms.Jones-I don't think I can speak for my entire generation but I know for myself I am definitely questioning the dominant values. In my peer mediation/conflict resolution course I've learned the importance of having empathy for others. Nowadays however we are not focusing enough on developing our sense of empathy. Instead we are focusing on trying to attain the best grades. I think we should put less focus on IQ and more on EQ-emotional quotient. I am not sure of my whole generation but I definitely know some people my age who are very compassionate!

      @Edison-I really like that you bring up the need for people to realize their ability to make change in society. It is a big struggle to get past our own feelings of inferiority to act. I think also the problem is our expectations of our actions. Like Micheal said in his post, we should act because of conviction not recognition.

      @Marjahn-Witnessing the issues firsthand is really a great source of inspiration! Have you ever felt inspired just by reading something? Or do you think visual representation is necessary?

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  3. "But I had been extraordinary all along, and I wasn't alone."

    This is, ideally, the exact messgae that Natalie Warne wants to present to everyone listening to this speech. What's so impressive about her words is that she states unforgivingly of how extraordinary she KNOWS she is. This is something that is both unusual and often "unacceptable" in the North American culture. Self confidence is somethings that she boasts potently, and yet she does it beautifully. However, what's even more essential in this message is what follows: That she wasn't alone in her extraordinary ways. Warne indicates that the reason for her greatness was not only because she believed in herself, but because she was surrounded by numerous people who also believed in themselves. The reason that this is essential is because it is the essence of activism. Without the power to believe, without the drive and determniation and the confidence, we will never be able to accomplish anything. It is the fact that leaders (such as Natalie Warne) are so driven and confident that allows true changes to take place.

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    1. I think it is interesting that having a strong self-esteem is often 'unacceptable' in North American culture. I am left wondering to what extent is this gender-based? Recently we have seen a rise of 'girl power' programs and I think this is a response to the gender/sex discrimination and imbalance that still exists in North America. What do you think? Do you feel as though it is not fully acceptable to assert your power and skills in your own world. If yes, where are these messages coming from? If not, why?

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    2. I wonder if the imbalance of power between men and women in Western society is a contributing factor of why women must downplay their accomplishments and self love. Would it be considered more acceptable if a man asserted his greatness and extraordinaire? I believe Natalie not only promotes activism, but empowers women and all members of our society to keep their strength and self esteem high because if you are confident in yourself, then you will be confident in making positive changes for the world.
      -Marjahn O'Connor

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    3. I completely agree with how in today's society being a strong and confident individual is seen as socially unacceptable. Others often see this self-empowerment as conceited or arrogant, when in reality it is only when people have strong conviction that they achieve great things. With conviction, comes a high self esteem, that you can do something great and do not need to rely on others to achieve greatness. Natalie is a powerful and confident women, and she does not apologize for being this way. This is why she succeeded in the "Inivisible Children" silent protests.

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    4. Hi Gabrielle,

      The points you have brought up is great because your right about how she believed in her self, along with the other people that gave her support. And true you need to believe in yourself and in your idea before moving on. But you also have to gather information about what the issue is and a lot its background information.

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    5. Hi Ms. Kotsalis

      I would agree that I feel that there remains a gender-based perception that women are limited in their potential. For example, most teachers are female, but most principals are male. Most nurses are female, but most doctors are male. I think the messages are reinforced by many avenues. For example, I went to a department store last month looking to buy a broom for my son. All the house play items were pink, such as the oven, tea sets, and related household play items. This sends the message to boys that it is a "female" to care for the home and other people. This sends the message to girls, that it is "fun" to cook and clean. I think that society sends contradictory messages. Overall, I would support Gabrielle's viewpoint that it is critical to have supportive friends and family who let you carve out your own path.

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  4. What are the significant lessons about activism we can learn from Natalie Warne?

    The most significant lesson that we can learn about activism from Natalie Warne is that when things don’t turn out as well as you would like, don’t give up. Look for opportunities you can build on and different ways to push towards progressive change. It is very important to be patient and persistent because transformational change does not happen overnight; it takes tremendous energy and organization pressure to get other people to act. This does not mean, however, giving up after the first setback. It means not taking negative words and actions directed to us and refusing to put ourselves down. In order to that we can also learn from her how by getting the media attention helps us to network, collaborate and inspire others to get on board. We have to stay true to our passion for the cause we want to defend and remember our message that we want to see justice, see things done well not just half done. We have to believe in ourselves by not being scared to tell other people how we feel without getting agressive because there is nothing to be gained with that approach. Age doesn't matter the only thing that really matter is courage; it takes courage to be the one who makes a difference in the world.

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    1. Hey, Emily! I agree that it is extremely important to be patient and persistant when trying to make a positive change. Like Natalie, she fought for what she believed in, putting in countless hours of hard work and paying for expensive hospital bills; all working toward the ultimate goal of the silent protest. She is the epitome of hard work, and that is extremely admirable because she is so young and in today's society, I believe that youth are not highly motivated to accomplish things like she did.

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  5. What are the significant lessons about activism we can learn from Natalie Warne?

    In Natalie Warne’s speech on “Anonymous Extraordinaries” , Natalie is trying to show that the most significant lessons in being an inspiring, change making activist is to believe your values are right and stand up for them, to be “motivated by conviction and not recognition” and have a group of supporting people who believe in the same values. She went on to say that when she was younger she had an identity issue which affected what she believed in and if she ever got motivated to do something it was for the fame and fortune of it. She turned this story around to tell us, the viewers of this speech, that this is not traits of a good activist. She is telling us that what others think shouldn’t drive good activists but what they selflessly and vigorously believe in.

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    1. Yes I think it is important that when we are trying to create change, no matter how big or small, we must take action because of our convictions, not because it may garner public recognition. I do wonder how much the 'identity' issues that she experienced play in to her ability to be such a strong agent of change. She said she was not accepted by either the black or white community at different times. What do you think?

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    2. I was thinking about it in a way that if someone is unsure about who they are and is influenced by what others think of them then it will be very difficult for that person to discover what drives them or what they believe in. That being said, I think someone with identity issues will find it more challenging to be a successful activist.Natalie Warne did overcome her "identity issues" before becoming a change making activist.

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    3. yes,I do agree with that,now that you mention of how she was when she was young,even she talk on how she was in high school and her she handle the idea that she has to choose between two race.

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  6. 1. How do we move from apathy to action?

    Through Natalie's TedxTeen talk, viewers can learn how to move from apathy to action because Natalie Warne is an excellent example. When Natalie was 17 she heard about "Invisible Children", an organization that at the time was working to end the war in Africa. She learned that for 25 years the war in Africa was forcing young, helpless children to become soldiers and kill. Struck by a very personal and emotional reaction, Natalie couldn't help but do something. She then chose to travel across the country to San Diego and intern with Invisible Children. In her talk, Natalie says that something stirred inside her, whether it was rage, pity or guilt, she didn't know; but nonetheless she felt a powerful need to do something about it. It is this feeling of intense need that brings people to move from apathy to action. When one sees something wrong in the world and asks themselves the question, "what can I do to change it?", then there will be cause for someone to move from a feeling of not caring, to a need for change. In Natalie's case, I believe it was when a "feeling" became a "need". When one feels sorry about a situation, it seems helpless. But when one has an intense need to change a situation, positive action can ensue. At the end of Natalie's talk she states that "What defines our generation is when we start chasing after the things we love and that we want to fight for", this shows that each and every one of us can achieve positive change by running after something we fiercely believe in; therefore, moving from apathy to action.

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    1. Hey Hannah,

      i like the points you bring up and agree with your statement ""What defines our generation is when we start chasing after the things we love and that we want to fight for", this shows that each and every one of us can achieve positive change by running after something we fiercely believe in; therefore, moving from apathy to action." it is true that we tend to push forward with what we believe in.

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    2. I think our answers are similar because we're both talking about how our emotions can really drive us to take action. I agree with what you say about how an intense need can cause us to act. A sense of urgency is necessary because it pushes us past our apathy or our fears and forces us to act on our beliefs.

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    3. Hi Hannah,

      Great post. Her words are truly inspiring, although the statement that we should chase after the things we love might sound cliche, it is actually a very important message because that is what truly define each of us as unique individuals. Everyone's passions are different, and through our passion we can find what what we truly believe in. Connecting back with your post, we ARE able to change a situation even if just feel sorry for one. I wouldn't say that the feeling becomes a "need", it's more like a sense of duty that we, as human beings should fight for. This world is for everyone, if we want something change we have to do it ourselves, because all it takes is a spark to set everything into motion and we, might be that spark.

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    4. "Chasing after the things that we love" definitely sounds cliche, I think I've heard that line at least a hundred times in countless movies. But nonetheless, like you say, it's message still sounds true. The actions we take and the things we achieve in our life define us, whether they are good or bad. In response to your statement "we ARE able to change a situation even if you just feel sorry for one.", I think what I was trying to get at is when someone feels sorry, or sad about a situation, but still act impassively because of a lack or personal connection to the sad event - this is different than a "need" to react. A need is when someone, like Natalie, feels an emotion so strong that they can't help but change something. What really sparks change in this world is the personal connections one makes to events and how emotions stir and boil inside us until we make that change.

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  7. 2. What are the significant lessons about activism we can learn from Natalie Warne?

    Natalie Warne provides significant lessons about activism through her passion for creating change in the world. She instills the motivation and inspiration in others to take charge and fight for the positive changes they wish to see. When inevitable obstacles arise while pursuing a course of action, Natalie stresses that we must continue to fight for what we strongly believe in. If we don't succeed after our first attempt, we must not give up. We must continue to fight and never stop until our objectives are fulfilled. At the end of a journey, it is not one action accomplished that defines our success, it is the series of smaller actions through time that contribute to the final product that makes someone extraordinary. Natalie's example was when Oprah noticed her cause for Invisible Children. After reaching this point she realized that the fight was far from being resolved. Many changes still needed to be made - the war had not ended. Activism is an ongoing process, and there is always room for improvements. Another lesson we can learn from Natalie is that any factor such as age or race should not be viewed as a barrier for taking action. Standing up for what you believe is right, no matter how difficult the fight is, is the most important task in achieving successful results. Believing in yourself and knowing with confidence that you are extraordinary as an individual will provide you with the inspiration to continue on and never give up on your dreams. If you believe in yourself, you can believe in positive changes as well. Natalie strongly believed in herself and this resulted in successful results for her cause, such as Obama passing Invisible Children's proposed bill.
    -Marjahn O'Connor

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    1. Hi Marjahn

      I appreciate your insight that activism is a journey and a process. It seemed that Natalie was just one contributor to a larger project. In that sense, all of her team deserves the acknowledgment she received. In addition, there remains a lot to be done to correct human rights abuses in Africa and around the world. Thanks for reminding us that we all need to take action despite the accomplishments of one individual.

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    2. Hi Marjahn

      I think you bring up a very interesting point about the journey and process of activism. Natalie Warne is a truly extraordinary individual but, it was a group effort to get the bill passed therefore the group efforts should be acknowledged. You being up great point about being strong in you beliefs and taking action as an individual.

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  8. 2. What are the significant lessons about activism we can learn from Natalie Warne?

    This video is very inspiring, Natalie Warne definitely proved herself to be a powerful speaker. One of the significant lessons I've learned from watching this video was that as long as there are people are willing to fight for what they believed in, it is achievable. Her display of courage and perseverance during her campaign against child soldiers should definitely be amendable and should be an inspiration to everyone who is willing to fight for their beliefs and ideals, overcoming all obstacles until our our objective is achieved. As she has demostrated, it is not the achievements that made a movement successful, it was the acts of the extraordinary individuals who were fighting for their beliefs that made it successful. From her acts, she has shown me that age, status or background do not matter as long you're willing to make a change in the world. She proved to the world that activism do not require a major support, but only a few individuals willing to make a change. The power of her beliefs and the self-confidence she shown was clearly displayed in the video and should be seen as an example by many, as it is these qualities that was able to help Natalie persevere and achieve her objectives.

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    1. Yes I agree with how you bring up the point that age, status or background do not matter. i think it is very important to keep in mind what do we believe in and don't let those things stop us in order to make a change.

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  9. What are the significant lessons about activism we can learn from Natalie Warne?
    The significant lessons about activism we can learn from Natalie Warne,are confidentiality,commitment,and sacrifices. For example,she was so into the idea that she came up with and that nothing can stop her as far she knows from her heart that she will be heard out worldwide, even though she was rejected by hundreds of people she still believe that no matter what she will be heard and accepted . On the other hand she give all her affords to it she spend thousands of hours and hundreds of dollars to make sure that she will get her goal done.Also she wasn't getting pay for it she did it to make a difference and trying to change the world of child solidarity.Therefore,all the activist to reach their goals they have to be confident,committed,and sacrifice themselves to reach their goals.

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  10. Hi Jacob

    Yes, the part where she commented on the number of hours and liters of Red Bull that she drank to get the job done is a good reminder that activism is not easy - it requires time and sacrifice. In order to do what she did, she skipped going to college for a year. I'm sure she didn't have much time left over for her family or her friends. Now that she is well-known, life is only going to get more busy for her. Yet, we all have 24 hours in a day, and some people are able to accomplish a lot while others just waste their days. What can we do so that we have make time in our days to do our part for a socially just world ?

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  11. I really liked this video, Natalie Warne is a very inspirational person. The significant lesson I learned about activism from watching the video is that to be an extraordinary individual you need to get involved and ask how you can help. Natalie Warne didn't just sit around thinking well I am too young there isn't anything I can do, when there is something I can do I'll know about it. No, she toke action by asking what she can do. It was also re-enforced to me that people in the background are just as extraordinary as the main people.As Natalie Warne say I didn't become an extraordinary individual once I was on Opera I became an extraordinary individual once I got involved. Along with the importance of everyone involved it was re-enforced the power of a few strong willed individuals that wanted to create change.

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    1. Hi, Meagan

      I think you bring in an excellent point on how Natalie Warne is a very inspirational person. She shows other people how to fight and stand up for what they believe in and how it starts with one step at the time. All of them play a huge role becoming extraordinary individuals in society.

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  12. How do we move from apathy to action?

    Moving from apathy to action is actually a lot more difficult than it sounds. It's one thing to have a fire in your heart that's telling you that you can make a change and take action, but to actually harness that energy and use it to MAKE the change is a huge responsibility. You move from apathy to action but realizing that YOU can influence the world, your neighbor can, your parents can.. Everyone you know has the ability to do SOMETHING. Natalie Warn realized all that when she made the bold choice to skip college and work with the Invisible Children. She knew she could make a positive difference so she went right ahead and made it. Thanks to her valiant actions, along with other Anonymous Extraordinaries, people are more aware of this issue and are willing to help make a change.

    -Angie Singh

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