TED Community » Ilijana Vargovic Radic

More About Me

I'm passionate about

South Africa, East Asia, music, tsugaru shamisen, mexican food, family & friends, languages, international relations, indigenous rights and tribal law, EU law

An idea worth spreading

Native American code of ethics, George Carlin's work and plenty of laughter, music and good people make life worth all the effort

Comments

• TEDCred score: +10.00 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Conversation: If you ran a program for teenagers. How would you do it? How would you address the concern of anti-social behaviours?

  Oct 11 2011: No problem. Hope it helps. However in the end this is a huge challenge. Having met quite a few suicidal teenagers, self destructive etc I can hands down say....there is no final answer or solution. Maybe that is the best answer...nothing in life is for certain but that is what makes it great since nothng is set in stone. Usually the kids I worked with, liked to be listened to and have my promises kept on time. Also, make sure you do not give way too much of yourself. They need an example, something more stable but they don't need you to get emotinally and mentally exhausted.

• A comment on Conversation: Thoughts on the Open Government Project by the Academy that started this year. Is this a great idea and how do you think you can contribute?

  Oct 11 2011: Here is a little more about the Open Government Project, Partnership and the list of countries that have signed so far.
  I know of a few similar projects going on in my country and love it. Of course only time, patience and hard work will show future results and if this can work out to benefit everyone.
  
  http://www.opengovpartnership.org/

• A reply on Conversation: What can we do about the constant rise of depression and suicide in young adults?

  Oct 11 2011: No problem, enjoy. I almost had a chance to see him live (he is a motivational speaker now) unfortunatly I already moved away from collage when he came....sob sob.
• +2

  A reply on Conversation: What can we do about the constant rise of depression and suicide in young adults?

  Oct 11 2011: Well, this is my humble opinion but when I mentioned TV I primarily thought of NEWS, mainstream media oh and also reality shows. Commercials as well. I mean an average human brain gets it that a movie is fiction but when you watch news regularly, commericals and reality shows - especially when it comes to younger peopele, teenagers etc it really makes way too much impression if not even a way of brainwashing them. What do they see in these news and shows? Violence, corruption, buying and selling (even the human spirit and values in reality shows) making absolutly nothing sacred. It leaves little to compliment the human species. After all, most of the tenagers think hey this is life, I should adapt and look, act, speak, eat., think, buy like that box shows me to. No offense, but I had the best time at collage cuz I refused to have a TV for around two years. I dunno, what do you think?
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: If you ran a program for teenagers. How would you do it? How would you address the concern of anti-social behaviours?

  Oct 10 2011: Ask them what they want to do...what I mean is ask them what their opinion is and what are their troubles. Share some of your own experience when you were young. Try to relate to them but do not patronize too much. Listen! Save time but don't push it too much since teenagers tend get offended when they notice they are less important than logistics and projects. One of my major problems with a group of teenagers was miscommunication. Use full setances, speak in a simple, down to earth and honest way and don't be too serious nor prejudiced to what may seem as banal teenage problems. Ask them what they want to see, acomplish and experience. Provide examples if they keep silent. Let the know they can express themselves but not to impresss others or beacuse of peer pressure to be cool.....but to express what they need adn want now and what truly troubles them. What makes them so angry? Situation at home, situation in society? They need to vent that energy somewhere and just writing it all off as teenage angst is what got them in trouble in the first place. Show them, either by video, documentary or real life examples of people that went through a lot in life (better yet in their teenage years) and how they got through and survived. What did they learn and what do they regret?
  I like this video...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ZuKF3dxCY
  Make them realize that they can and have a power to change their circumstances and or path in the long run with adequate support if they wish it so.
• +4

  A comment on Conversation: What can we do about the constant rise of depression and suicide in young adults?

  Oct 10 2011: Oh wait, I found the cure for it.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc4HGQHgeFE

• A comment on Conversation: What can we do about the constant rise of depression and suicide in young adults?

  Oct 10 2011: Make them stop watching too much TV????

• A comment on Conversation: Thoughts on the Open Government Project by the Academy that started this year. Is this a great idea and how do you think you can contribute?

  Oct 10 2011: Well, more people today have access to technology. An internet connection. There are also free operation systems now available such as UBUNTU - african word for UNITY - WHAT HAPPENS TO ME, HAPPENS TO OTHERS AND VICE VERSA (really cool team of people behind it). Sure enough more computers with OS and internet connection would be awesome as well as some basic civil activism and civil right classses....however do you know a country that has civil rights classes...not many. People have in some countries began collecting government and civil information to stop and expose corruption, too many voter counts and similar issues. And with IT and gadgets we have it is even more easier to reach others, plan and provide open information - 100 % transparent. Well considering the crisis, I do firmly believe that people will come to realize that this approach could save the future generations a lot of time, issues and problems. For instance, after the quake in Japan and the nuclear disaster and tsunami - people got all the TEPCO information on the illegitimit running of the nuclear plants and protested as well as cooperating into brining electricity and water to the affected areas. Hum, welll as long as too much profit, greed and fear steps in, I think this has huge potential even if it encounters huge opression in start. But I guess we need to start somewhere. My country started a few awesome open projects...problem right now it fear and lack of proper marketing and technological ends.

• A reply on Conversation: What is the most important virtue to Americans today?

  Oct 10 2011: hum, u think so. i acctualy like when people lie....it speaks so much more about who and what they are than a truth. besides what is truth? whose truth? perception of truth....hum, good one though.

• A comment on Conversation: What is the most important virtue to Americans today?

  Oct 10 2011: Hum, Materialism I guess...but similar as anywhere in the world. I like the rational self interest though. In order to nurture others, you must nurture yourself first (native american saying).