Jennifer Frahm Collaborations

I’ve just returned from TEDx Canberra. For those not familiar, TED is a global movement started in 1984 bringing together people from three different worlds, Technology, Entertinment and Design. TEDx are the local adaptation of the global movement.

Firstly, big kudos to Steven Collins (@trib) and the organising crew for a tremendous event.  Sixteen top shelf presenters speaking for 18 minutes each on the theme of “Thinking Way Beyond”.

Each of the presenters were worth the attendance fee, and cost of travelling to Canberra to see, but here are my three highlights. When the videos are edited and up I shall include on the post.

Dawn O’Neill OAM, outgoing CEO of Lifeline and incoming CEO of Beyond Blue spoke on Suicide prevention in Australia. The stats were jarring - the number one cause of death for males under 44 and women under 34 in Australia. Greater than the road toll.  She used a particularly arresting introduction - showing how Australians unite when tragedy strikes in the form of flood, fire and natural disaster. yet when some-one is suffering from mental illness they are isolated and left alone.

There was one recommendation in particular that I thought particularly useful to readers of this blog. Lobby to include suicide prevention indicators in OHS training. How simple, but effective. 

I’ve included links to Lifeline, Beyond Blue and RUOK on how to conversations with people  that you think may be exhibiting signs of depression or suicidal intent.

Francis Owoyu of KultureBreak enthralled the audience with his session urging us to be Dream Converters. Francis’s work focuses on youth and using culture (dance and music) to empower and inspire.

He used research on the detrimental physical and mental outcomes of not being able to enter REM sleep (the dreaming state) as a fabulous bridge to detrimental outcomes of not allowing youth to dream. He also reminded us how much of language is seeped in preventing the creative opportunity of dreaming ” Dream On” ” Wake up to yourself”. It was a powerful session - and had me thinking of how long had it been since I had ‘risked embarassment and feared failure’, two critical components of achieving dreams.

 And finally, the incredible power of Pete Williams presentation on how Flowerdale fought back during the Feb 2009 Victoria fires with the power of community, networks, social media and spirit. A must watch when the video goes up. The two sentences that remain with me:

1) There is no ”they”, we are the “they” - referring to our tendency to expect others to help us eg they should have sent the army in, they should have provided funding.

2) If you don’t know what to do, just start doing something.

For more information on this incredible internationally recognised campaign see

I went to TEDx as I wanted some reinvestment to myself, my dreams, my inspirations. And I got it. For me, it really reaffirmed how much I want Conversation of Change to be bigger, better, more prolific and making a difference for people in the way that all of these speakers make a difference. Stay tuned.