TED could probably claim it has changed the world. With its millions of online viewership, and a $6000 entry ticket (sold a year in advance), the conference might just be the most glamorous, elitist idea-spreading vehicle. Well at least if you want to be there in flesh.

So far TED has offered inspiring speeches by household names (from Bill Clinton to Steve Jobs), relatively unknown scientists, designers, scholars or famous genial performers. And all of them have inspired a cult following. It has become so popular that even the popular blog Stuff White People Like included it as one of the typical things white people apparently like.

Well now everyone can enjoy TED, locally, in flesh through independently organized events called TEDx, which unlike the central TED event, are for free.

It was clearly more than a welcome surprise when it was announced through a Facebook page that Prishtina would be hosting its first TEDxPrishtina event on Independence Day. Like its global brethren of which NY Times report 750 are to take place this year, TEDxPrishtina was organized by an independent local organization, with local speakers who shared TED-like experiences and engaged the public interactively.

So, on February 17th instead of curing a hangover or getting ready for one, people toddled off to the American School of Kosova where TEDxPrishtina was taking place for the first time ever under the theme “Designing Optimism”. And if you have been following news recently, God knows we need some of that.

With a full room, which didn’t look like it exceeded more than 100 seats, TEDxPrishtina started its program (which was also being live streamed for people at home) on a genuinely inspiring note with the first live talk.

Bujar Nrecaj was the first to take the plunge and present his inspirational work: Bunateka. His project is a small outdoor library for children in rural areas, who unfortunately do not have access to libraries, and as such most probably don’t have access to books. In his idealistic attempt to widen their perspectives, Nrecaj developed a plan for building a wooden-based full-of-light library right in the middle of the playground. Seven Bunatekas have already been built, and the project is ongoing.

Throughout the talks, this topic persisted: there are always ways to be innovative, engaged and optimistic about Kosovo’s future, no matter how bad it was, or how bad it gets.

This was also apparent in Armend Brahaj’s speech, who although from Albania, explained how he is gathering data and is making them open and intelligible for everyone. And this in a way is where changes start, or at least where ideas are fostered. Some of those ideas can be revolutionary or at least promising like the artistic works Nita Luci mentioned in her talk, as inspiring and subverting the commodification of nationalism, or of art itself. And fun seemed to be very much on the advice-agenda for Besa Luzha and Arben Islami, whose stories made one truly wish to live life to the maxxx.

Performances like Genc Salihu’s medley and the Circus Show were definitely show-stoppers, but at the same little breathers.Lunch and coffee provided by the organizers, helped in mingling, but of course much networking was not done since these were short and the conference lasted only till 3 pm.

Visar Kuçi concluded the day with a very smart advice on turning on our senses to the sounds around and their influence on us. Finally his quartet bid the audience farewell as it slowly gathered outside to release 100 balloons, as a metaphor for spreading ideas.

TEDxPrishtina will be making their pictures available online sometime this week. The full videos of the talks presented in the conference will also be uploaded online on the official website soon.

For more information visit TEDxPrishtina website or Facebook page.

Tags: conference, TED, events