TED Conversations

Hassan Syed

Executive Director (Resources), Twycross Zoo, United Kingdom

This conversation has closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

Ideas about future: how would you like to shape our world today for a better future tomorrow?

Looking twenty-years ahead, what kind of world do you see if no intervention was made, how would you want to change it and what do you think can be done now to have an influence?

Please pick only one thing, trend, technology, industry, etc. in one post. You can do multiple posts to share your ideas on multiple things.

Related Talks:
+1
Share:
progress indicator
  • thumb

    Andres Aullet

    • 0
    Nov 26 2011: Hello Hassan,

    I think the way you have framed your question is excellent. I have seen a few other members of the TED community (like Jah Sun) who share the same approach.

    Your question does not prompt me to think about what is wrong today and what can be done about it. Neither does it require me to be a futurist and blindly predict the future based on pure speculation.

    Instead, to me your question relates to the dynamics of change itself, which involves being able to understand the present, to be able to extrapolate how a small part of this present could evolve over time, and then to identify the steps that can be done today to intercept this evolution and guide it in a different direction.

    In my case, I would start by supporting the adoption of freely available personal fabricators. There are projects already all over the world moving in this direction (fablab, reprap, thingiverse). And in particular I would focus on fabricators that can manufacture devices for energy collection and storage (see talk by Justin Hall-Tipping:Freeing energy from the grid).

    If left to grow, this simple combination can enable future generations to break completely free from any dependency in regards to covering most if not all of their basic necessities.

    cheers.
  • thumb

    John Freestone

    • 0
    Nov 26 2011: Hi Hassan, I want to see reduction of economic inequality, which would have a lot of knock-on effects. The next ten years ought to see some challenges on that following the economic "downturn", but we need to respond intelligently to it. We just might, with increased grass-roots politics developing fast. We have to persuade the fat cats that it's in their interest not to keep so much wealth, and then we have to dismantle the corrupt systems that are the cause of so much suffering and so much addictive greed.

    The environmental challenge is paramount (and one of the things that would be made much easier by the above). We must respond to peak oil and global warming by doing as much as possible to change to renewable energies and reducing energy use.

    Perhaps one very under-valued idea is that of global partnership. We have become cynical about talking to people with different ideals and negotiating win-win situations - the UN is an ageing and rather tarnished organisation, although it does a great deal of good. We should create looser, lighter international forums to try and forge global solutions to our global issues. They would be based on siblinghood, similarities and forging shared values, and a commitment to amicable, respectful relations, no matter what disagreements face us. I don't have fantasies that this can solve everything, but the attempt should inspire reduced hostilities in some quarters.

    Perhaps growing out of the above, I would like to see an independent, international body take legal control of certain global issues, in particular worldwide decommissioning of WMDs, progressive regulation of other weapons trading, ecological protection, etc. We can't have vast stockpiles of nuclear arms in one country, while it demands another should not develop them. We must all build a fairer world to make a peaceful one.
  • thumb

    Hassan Syed

    • 0
    Nov 4 2011: Joanne, today's dream define our tomorrow. Is there a decline in women wealth or is it increasing? If it is increasing, what rate of growth would make men and women roughly equal in the next 20 years?

    Could we replace religion with sprituality?

    On the capitalism replacement, what is the trend that needs to be changed. In my opinion, capitalism is so 18th century. Hardly anyone noticed but we have entered in the era of Intellectualism :) where power resides with knowledge not moeny. Question is, what do we need to do to develop a knowledhe centric economical system that would replace capitalism in the next 20 or may be even 50 years?
    • thumb

      Joanne Donovan 30+

      • 0
      Nov 5 2011: Hi Hassan, I did not mention 'wealth' in regards to women's equality. Wealth is merely a bi-product of other privileges. Having the right to self determine, the right to education, food and healthcare, the right to own property, the right to hold important positions in society, the right to express one's self in any forum, art or politics. The right, sexually or otherwise, over your own body. The list goes on. Its a biggie though, no denying that. Capitalism is so 18th century? I think I will go and get that printed on a t-shirt!
  • thumb

    Joanne Donovan 30+

    • 0
    Nov 4 2011: Great question. Women make up more than fifty percent of the planet, and yet own a tiny fraction of its wealth. They give birth to all the planet's children, yet still have surprisingly little say in how the planet is run. I would level the playing field for women globally, and thereby enrich the entire human race.

    Secondly, I would replace all religion with (sorry to use this word, I did it for Jozef) 'enlightenment'. A definition of enlightenment; freedom of social predjudice and sexual guilt. Self acceptance and self love.

    Thirdly, though by now in my world, this may not even be necessary, I would replace captialism with holistic, sustainable, egalitarian, bio centric social systems. Education, management of resources would be paramount, and include management of the global human birthrate. Thanks for the opportunity to dream a little. Now back to the real world.
  • thumb

    Jozef K

    • 0
    Nov 4 2011: much more lectures about states of consciousness, even here in TED, when I wrote a qestion about ENLIGHTENMENT TED deleted it cos they say its foggy , not clear, means even here at TED ppl 's consciousness about cosnciousness and developement of C, is foggy, nobody has an idea how and what. More knowledge from perfect teachers aabout Evolution , growth of consciousness tru yoga and meditation , much more !!!!

  • Rhona Pavis 30+

    • +1
    Nov 4 2011: Stop brainwashing children in religions. Show respect for individual thought, creativity, beliefs and encourage and respect truth expressions and creativity.
  • thumb

    Jak Xenon

    • 0
    Oct 27 2011: if there is anything we can learn from the past it's that we shouldn't predict the future too far ahead (at least unless your a storyteller). if ever you become successful you will only be quoted and made to look like a fool! :)
Showing all 8 comments