Riversdale
x = independently organized TED event

Theme: Silver Linings

This event occurred on
October 16, 2021
Riversdale, Western Cape
South Africa

Silver Linings because we really need them!

As the storm clouds thunder all around us – do not let despair take hold. Rather focus your eyes on the silver lining shining just above Sleeping Beauty mountain. Every now and then we need to be reminded of the good that is and will be. Now is the time to be inspired, to share ideas and emphasise the positive elements in our town and the world beyond. Come and join us on the bright side – where a diverse group of speakers will make you think, feel and laugh.

De Doornkraal
8 Lower Long Street
Riversdale, Western Cape, 6670
South Africa
Event type:
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Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check event website for more information.

Anni (Anneline) Mohammedt

I’ve always had a passion for plants. My journey with plant life started with Food Security, where I was the produce manager for the Sonneblom Housegarden Project. A project growing seedlings for the gardens of the poorer community of Montagu, teaching them growing techniques and the importance of seed collection. From there I proceeded to establish my own gourmet vegetable business as wealthy people also need vegetables. My journey led me to become the Herb Coordinator for our town’s Heritage Herb Project, which aims at capturing the indigenous plant knowledge of our town’s locals, as it is an area rich in medicinal plant life. One could say that it is here that I finally discovered my purpose: that energy that causes one’s awakening. In the three and a half years that I led the project, the research I did after hours made me realise that although South African plant life is much revered for its medicinal properties on a global scale, little research has gone into how our indigenous plants can heal on a spiritual level. This year I’ve resigned from the project, pursuing a quest to completely envelop myself in what I call Plant Spirit. I’ve combined my self-gained knowledge, the ancestral pull towards plant spirit, and my love for sharing plant spirit into a space where I heal myself and hopefully can take some credit in the awakening of those who seek to re-establish their connection to Mother Earth. My social media pages hints at who I am. So please feel free to visit/follow me: Facebook: Anneline Mohammedt Instagram: @Snapdragonwitch For more info on what I do check out the following link on Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7i9-NTBMJv8&feature=youtu.be (Voetspore In Suid Afrika 2 – Episode 12 starting from 35.22 min into video)

Dr Arnel Huisamen

I am a retired social worker, who displayed way too much loyalty by sticking with my first job in the South African Police Service (SAPS) for 27 years. I realised that my passion for people and love of learning could be perfectly combined by focusing on skills development and subsequently pursued a Masters and Doctorate in Social Work, concentrating on the evaluation of soft skills training to members of SAPS. As demands on personnel (and life in general) increased, the need for mental toughness became more evident and in my planning and design of a resilience programme I stumbled upon the field of Positive Psychology. A whole new world unfolded for me and it was as if the puzzle just fitted perfectly – my natural curiosity lead me to enroll for a Masters in Positive Psychology and my inherent optimism embraced the science wholeheartedly. Currently I combine all of the above to facilitate, train and coach to optimise potential. I value relationships, integrity, kindness, gratitude and spirituality – my decisions are often guided by the words “Choose Life!” and I had the opportunity to put this into action when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Given a new lease on life, I strive to pursue this by also making others aware that LIFE is so much more than just being alive. My dream is to travel and share this philosophy, emphasising that silver linings start with dark clouds. Profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Arnel-Huisamen

Dr Daniel Cunnama

Daniel is the Science Engagement Astronomer at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) tasked with promoting the SAAO and South African Astronomy. Daniel received his PhD in Astrophysics from the University of the Western Cape in 2013. He is the creator/ producer/ host of The Cosmic Savannah Podcast, features regularly on television and radio and has produced two planetarium films focusing on South African Astronomy and Indigenous Knowledge. Website: thecosmicsavannah.com Website: www.saao.ac.za Twitter: @DanielCunnama

Dr Hayley Cawthra

I grew up in Durban, on the shores of Brighton Beach, and have lived in Cape Town since I finished undergraduate studies 15 years ago. It is an insatiable curiosity and a slightly unconventional childhood that painted my path and landed me where I am today. I collected rocks, stones and was interested in fossils when I was young and have long wondered about how the Earth ‘works’. To be able to map the seabed excites me massively and the ocean space remains a last frontier in many ways, which we are yet to deeply understand. I currently hold the position of Chief Scientist in marine geology at the Council for Geoscience. I lead a national continental shelf mapping programme, and am also a Research Associate at the Nelson Mandela University’s African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience. I graduated with a PhD from the University of Cape Town (2014), and conducted a post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Bremen’s Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences in Germany. My PhD research has led to further collaboration with partners from various disciplines within a broad context of understanding global change. My research interests include mapping and reconstructing submerged landscapes, and studying aspects of palaeoclimate and changing sea levels. Website: https://scholar.google.co.za/citations?user=z6bMFqsAAAAJ&hl=en Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-cawthra-a9007013/?originalSubdomain=za Website: https://p5project.org/

Mr Clive Vanderwagen

I’m married to an amazing man and have four demanding dachshunds that make me laugh every day. I run my own business, training and coaching people to improve their business relationships. I worked in training and human resources in the corporate space for a number of years prior to deciding to venture out on my own. I spend my days speaking to people online (or in the boardroom pre-Covid), and love working and interacting with people as often as I can. I’m a complete extrovert – my energy is rejuvenated by being around others. Before working in training, I worked in media (I have a Masters degree in Journalism and Media Studies), and before that I worked in the entertainment industry as an actor and actors’ agent (I have an Honours degree in Drama). As a trainer you often ask people to tell you one thing people don’t know about you, and mine is that I’ve held Madonna’s hand. I’m pretty sure she won’t remember, but I’ll never forget it. (Can you tell I’m a Madonna fan?) Company website: www.readypeople.co.za LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clivevanderwagen/ Podcasts: https://www.ebizradio.com/?s=clive+vanderwagen Another podcast: https://www.jacarandafm.com/lifestyle/family/mindset-optimism-goodthingsguy/

Mr Dyan Buis

I am married to Erna Buis and have two beautiful children, Ernay (7 year-old, daughter) and Daniel (3-year old son). I was born in Riversdale and completed my school career in the beautiful town of Riversdale. I enjoy spending time with my family and I love good conversation. I have a passion for learning new things and love educating people and bringing new ideas to the table. Website: www.dyanbuis.com

Mr Tim Shier

Tim describes himself as a general specialist with expert knowledge in the activities of Business Growth, Data/ Insight, Software Development and Venture Creation. Over the last 15 years Tim has averaged the founding of a business every nine months – spread across a wide range of industries – with a mix of results… some successes. Lots of failures… err… learnings. In 2019 Tim was a Mail and Guardian top 200 Young People in South Africa, something he’s very proud to have achieved. As a life-long learner, Tim feels his best way to contribute to the empowerment of others is through education and as such has contributed to numerous textbooks, has taught at most major institutions in South Africa as well as educating on courses at Oxford and MIT (with 2U) – with a focus on marketing, technology, blockchain, big data, venture creation and analytics. At his core, Tim is deeply inquisitive with a near pathological desire to add value wherever he can. This has resulted in him contributing 15+ years as an NGO/ NPO board member focusing on the themes of human empowerment along with, more recently, trying to stave off the mis/ disinformation attacks which are now ever-present in today’s world. Tim is focused on sustainability at all scales of society with a specific focus on local solutions to local problems. Underlying this is a strong bias towards building community scale win-wins while doing his best to ensure deep equality between individuals in those communities. We are measured by how we treat our least empowered. Website: https://www.timshier.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/timshier Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timshier/

Prof James Blignaut

James is an environmental resource economist who specialises in the economics of restoration: that is the economics of the restoration of degraded productive landscapes by focusing on the interface between the economics and the environment. He is also concerned with the restoration of economics by considering and seeking remedies for the economic drivers of degradation. James is currently a member of the scientific panel of the World Farmers’ Organisation, editor of the journal Ecological Economics, professor extraordinaire attached to the SPL of the Stellenbosch University and honorary research associate of South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON). He is also director of ASSET Research, Restore Africa Fund manager, trustee of Integra Trust, and is the originator of ReStory. Website: https://assetresearch.org.za/ Website: http://restory.co.za/ Website: https://www.integrafood.co.za/ Website: https://www.restore-africa.com/

Organizing team

Rita
Liebenberg

Organizer