Theme: Yallah!

This theme this year was “Yallah!”, meaning “go” in Arabic; whether it is pushing for a change in the local community, or a global issue. As a team, yallah was very closely linked with this years restrictions and it meant moving forward with a positive outlook. Unlike other years, this year’s event was held entirely on zoom due to CoVID-19 precautions. Despite the obvious technical changes this year, the TEDxYouth@DAA team worked at full speed and technicality in order to push this unique event forward. We are proud to say that TEDx 2021 was a huge success.

GEMS Dubai American Academy
Hessa Street - Sheikh Zayed Rd
Online Event
Dubai, Dubayy, 00000
United Arab Emirates

Devul Nahar

DAA Graduate

Curious about the ongoing empathy crisis, Devul Nahar explores the role and influence of technology in causing it. He then talks about how we can make small changes in the way we use technology in order to revert the crisis and cultivate a culture encouraging growth and harmony.

Liliana Christofides

DAA Graduate

Everyone gets creeped out sometimes, it’s a fact. But do we ever really think about why something creeps us out? Is there really a need to be creeped out, or are we reacting to biases that have been subconsciously integrated into our belief system? Liliana Christofides explores these questions in her talk and how they interfere with our judgement of others; especially those diagnosed with a mental illness. She raises points of view that can help people understand their reactions and rise above false stereotypes to promote compassion.

Omar Schoeib

Student at DAA

Climate change is at the forefront of every major issue today, but how are individuals contributing to it? Many people may not have even considered fashion as one of the top five contributors to climate change. Omar envisions a world where consumers are more ethical with their clothing purchases, and sustainable fashion is the norm.

Suvya Nagpal

Student at DAA

Confused as to why her friends would often refer to themselves as “depressed” at the smallest hints of sadness, Suvya explores factors that are currently contributing to the romanticization of mental illness, how this is negatively impacting today’s society and how we can change our outlook towards this.

Tulika Nahar

Student at DAA

Tulika Nahar was introduced to the drastic impacts of climate change at a very young age. In her talk, she outlines the ways of conveying the idea of climate change, which would compel people to take action, instead of causing them to sit still and avoid the topic.

Varun Rajeev

Student at DAA

Varun is a high school senior who aspires to specialize in Robotics. The concept of creating shape adaptive Soft robots that acted like living organisms gave him a variety of ideas on how to ease the co-existence of robots with humans in the future. In his talk, Varun will shed light on Soft Robotics and how this technology can help humans overcome the fear of robots and machines.

Zeena Imam

Student at DAA

Zeena Imam is a Sudanese eleventh grade student. Inspired by her own journey overcoming her struggles with her physical insecurities, she discusses why trying to reach perfection should not be a main focus in life.