TED Community » Roger Farinha

More About Me

I'm passionate about

seeing a new and practical consciousness arise in our world regarding the unity of our human family and our creative and noble essence as a race.

An idea worth spreading

When humanity realizes its triune nature as creative, communal, and joyful-- then will we begin to mount the stage of universal triumph!

Talk to me about

Your idea for improving our world

People don't know that I'm good at

communicating vision and inspiring others.

My TED Story

Born in South America, a country called Guyana. Moved to New York City at age 10, and earned a bachelors in the history of modern philosophy, and a masters in interdisciplinary liberal arts. Lived an itinerant lifestyle characterized by self and soul searching since, culminating in my present enlightenment per my role to help bring in our new world order, through a concrete populist organizational vision which can be seen at www.newamericanspring.org.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +1.20 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Conversation: If you could do an ideological project with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, what would it be?

  Dec 5 2012: New American Spring through Citizens Activated has no "agendas" or "causes" per se, except the resurrection of the "villages" in an ever more anonymous society. This requires a technological as well as a face-to-face forum. All causes and social healing will be a bi-product of a more locally connected society. This is why I call NAS an "organizational" rather than a "grass-roots" revolution.
  
  Per its potential. People are really looking for ways to connect with one another beyond the intangible social networking ways presently available.

• A reply on Conversation: If you could do an ideological project with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, what would it be?

  Dec 5 2012: New American Spring's Second Arm, an organizational network to be called Citizens Activated, is envisioned as a face-to-face community revitalization organization. Yet because technology is so embedded in our culture, there must be an on-line dimension of the community forums of Citizens Activated (people are more likely to join "community" in the comfort of their own homes before getting into face-to-face forums, not to mention the excellent informational benefits of the on-line forum). This is where a natural marriage or symbiosis with Facebook would come in handy. I would require that the independent social network be fully in New American Spring ownership so as not to put it at risk of being usurped by Facebook; but Facebook can be given credit as the tech mother of the Citizens Activated localized community social network; as well as enjoy benefits such as advertising revenues sparked by the Citizens Activated community (in repayment of its capitalist interest--which does have its legitimate place).

• A reply on Conversation: If you could do an ideological project with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, what would it be?

  Dec 5 2012: I'm actually in full agreement with you that most successful people are not head and shoulders smarter than the rest-- they were mainly in the right place at the right time. Human beings are very limited creatures, and we are more subjects of accident than self-mastery. And yes indeed, pride is our greatest enemy.
  
  I was saying in my own mind the other day, after hearing a quote from a famous and successful person about being successful (I don't remember the quote), but I counter quoted: "Nay. The best we can do in life is to strive our very best to do what we love." Not even "do what you love." Because not all of us have the wherewithal to even do what we love. Yet we can all strive our best and sincerest.
  
  That's all I'm doing...

• A reply on Conversation: If you could do an ideological project with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, what would it be?

  Dec 5 2012: Definitely not the revolutionary leader, Zuckerburg, but the first humble entrepreneur (so defined by accidental fate) who recognizes the paradox only few geniuses do-- that in not initially looking solely at financial profit, profit often comes as a bi-product. Heck, this is perhaps the very reason Facebook got so large. I personally don't feel Mark had the capitalist vision of Facebook in the beginning, as much as an ideological project as I do. I, however, am adamant about not-for-profit revolutionary evolutionary innovation-- so there is no plan to ever be swallowed by the capitalist monster. This is not to say, however, that Facebook cannot remain a for-profit company, having a nonprofit subsidiary in a tech-symbiosis, later to enjoy capitalistic boon for that unlikely relationship.

• A reply on Conversation: If you could do an ideological project with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, what would it be?

  Dec 5 2012: Facebook is the newest golden child of the new tech entrepreneurial phenomenon. Like anything else, once it becomes too big, it becomes unpopular with people like you and, sad to say, me sometimes (in my elitist moments)-- feeling that I'm not "smarter than the rest" if I go with the hype.
  
  But this is exactly why Facebook, and Mark, would do well to branch out in a nonprofit endeavor. It will give Facebook new credibility, it will be something never before done-- it would actually translate into entrepreneurial genius, if Zuckerburg would hear me out. For I represent the ideological strain of humanity-- the dreamers who will not sell out to the profit motive.
  
  Here's a quote from my book, the first modern-day American classic (soon to be):
  
  "No longer should our greatest energies be dedicated to the motive of material survival and creature comfort—the status quo, global condition which seeks to reduce all major human initiatives to the commonest value of money. Corporations are not persons, and unenlightened capitalism is beastly! With the birth of a radically new non-profit movement, we might attain to our next evolutionary step. Let our present society be seen for its shameful and no longer quiet desperation, for Henry David Thoreau long ago called us out. If non-profit organizations would arise to compete alongside for profit businesses, for example, propelled by the best and brightest and most talented of our species (individuals no longer seduced by primitive profiteering), our world would gradually transform into a new Atlantis."

• A reply on Conversation: Should Israel go all out?

  Dec 2 2012: You know, Chick, that you just opened my eyes to why a lot of people were hostile to my post. You're right, I'm naive. But not because I'm suggesting genocide! That is unthinkable to me. What I mean by "going all out" is having Israel win militarily the full extent of their original historical borders as outlined in their ethnic texts--what is also known as the Judeo-Christian scriptures today. You don't have to have genocide to win territory--did they kill all the Palestinians to win their present borders?
  
  But again, I'm ASKING in order to stimulate lively conversation, NOT suggesting or endorsing anything...

• A reply on Conversation: What is the future of middle-eastern democracy, as implied in contemporary Egypt?

  Nov 29 2012: I would like to take exception with your view of "the people." I feel that the protesters in Egypt, and even the regular people of your Indonesia example, really are just thinking of themselves in their own individual needs, whether they desire religious oligarchies of any degree, or the most liberal secularism. There is always a disconnect between the raw "people" and the government, which is often composed out of political struggles and often unequally representative of political powers. This is why, for example, I am attempting to champion true populist representation, even in our cherished US of A, in my own personal ideological life project. But underlying all my efforts is a firm belief that a truly populist governmental system is both necessary and desirable in our world going forward...

• A reply on Conversation: A Proposes Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: People to People...

  Nov 27 2012: Wow! Even more creative...

• A reply on Conversation: A Proposes Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: People to People...

  Nov 27 2012: I think that is reasonable.

• A reply on Conversation: Should Israel go all out?

  Nov 26 2012: I am prostrate on the floor. I breathe the dust. You clearly know much more than me. I'm glad my trowing this subject out there got some education in the mix.